ROBBIE FOWLER LIVERPOOL ARE A GREAT CLUB IN EUROPE AND WE KNOW CITY ARE BEATABLE
MO SALAH insists that Liverpool should fear nobody in Europe, as they prepare for a mammoth Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City.
The Reds were handed the ultimate last-eight draw, against Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions-elect.
But Salah, who has scored a recordbreaking 36 goals in his debut season for Liverpool – including an amazing four strikes and an assist in last night’s 5-0 thrashing of Watford – isn’t fazed.
“I don’t believe that City have always been superior to other clubs this season in the Premier League – despite what everyone says. We have beaten them, for a start,” said the Egyptian forward.
“The Champions League always depends on the draw, but we don’t fear any rival, whoever they are. We’re in the quarter-finals and have the same chances of winning as each of the other seven teams,”
Five-time European Cup winners Liverpool will face City at Anfield on Wednesday, April 4 – then head over to the Etihad for the do-or-die second leg on Tuesday, April 10.
Squashed in between those games is a huge Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Saturday, April 7, as Jurgen Klopp’s men battle to beat Manchester United to second spot in the Premier League.
It looks like a massive ask to just get through all three matches unbeaten – and even assuming Liverpool can dump Guardiola’s men out of Europe they could still face European giants Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus or Bayern Munich. Salah won’t be quaking in his boots. He said: “There are many big clubs still in the competition, but you have to remember Liverpool is a great club in Europe, too. “In these knockout ties, anything can happen.” Salah, who cost Liverpool just £34million from Roma in the summer transfer window, has to be one of the bargains of the year.
He has already scored 24 goals in his 29 Liverpool appearances in the Premier League, as well as providing eight assists.
And he has been vital in the Champions League for the Reds too, with six goals in the competition from the group stage on – including strikes against Porto, Sevilla and Spartak Moscow. “I’m happy with how my season is going and we want to go as far as we can now that we have reached the quarter-finals,” added Salah.
“But I also know how important it is to win the Premier League with Liverpool, so we realise we have work to do.”
Manchester City have been the team preventing Liverpool from doing that this year, with a virtually unassailable lead at the top of the table.
But having beaten Guardiola’s side in a 4-3 thriller at Anfield earlier in this campaign – a match in which Salah scored what proved to be the decisive goal – there is no inferiority complex.
Salah said: “City have played well this season, especially in the decisive moments in the Premier League.
“But our challenge is to catch them and I believe Liverpool are capable of winning the title next season. We need to keep working and improving.”
The Egyptian’s personal performances have been so good that he is right up there with City’s Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero and David Silva in the race to be Footballer of the Year in England.
Salah is also challenging for the title of top scorer, both in the Premier League and across the continent – even though he doesn’t play “up front”.
But he reckons he still has some way to go if he wants to be spoken of in the same breath as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – both potential opponents in the semi-finals, if Liverpool can make it past City.
“I am ambitious, but realistic,” said Salah. “I think I’m a long way off the biggest players in football, like Messi and Ronaldo. I have to keep working hard.” Wilshere on England See page 65