Liverpool 2-1 Lille (Salah 34′, Elliott 67’| David 62′)
ANFIELD — As the legs grow wearier – not weary – Mohamed Salah has become a moments player.
With Jurgen Klopp‘s heavy metal football now a thing of the past, life is much more controlled and tranquil watching Arne Slot’s pristine, well-oiled machine. Salah, like the rest of his team-mates, has had to adjust – a transition that has come at the right time as the Egyptian enters the twilight of his illustrious career.
Salah is no ordinary 32-year-old, with the physique of a yogi and the finesse of a ballet dancer, meaning he remains capable of making match-defining contributions. Just not as frequently.
He has only scored more than once in a match this season on three occasions – something frowned upon in the pantheon of greats where Salah resides. However the overall numbers remain as high as they have ever been, despite his advancing years, because he is still capable of those moments every week, even if only once.
Liverpool were labouring against an impressive Lille at Anfield as they looked to seal their spot in the Champions League last 16, creating few chances of note, as they have tended to do in the first half of matches this term.
Yet in the blink of an eye, one defence-splitting pass from Curtis Jones later, and Salah had set Liverpool on their way to a seventh victory from seven, in that clinical yet aesthetically-pleasing way only he can. When Salah opens his body up like that there is only one outcome.
“Special, that is the word to describe Mo’s performances at this club, he has been outstanding at this club for so many years,” Slot said.
“Today was a great goal, when Mo goes on a one versus one there is a great chance he will score.”
Needing only a point to be sure of a place in the automatic qualification spots, the zen feeling around Anfield was palpable pre-match.
Opponents Lille, on a 21-match unbeaten run stretching back to September, more than held their own against Slot’s all-conquering charges.
Salah’s intervention then charged the course of yet another dicey encounter, as it often does. He could have had another moments after his opener, with a sumptuous first touch to drag a long ball over the top and defy gravity, but the finish deserted him for once.
Seeing their 1-0 advantage out until the interval ensured Liverpool broke their club record for the longest period without conceding in Europe.
After the break, Slot rotated his pack to give some tired legs a rest, with Liverpool shifting into cruise control after Lille’s Aissa Mandi was dismissed for two bookable offences just before the hour mark.
They had taken their foot off the gas prematurely, however, with Jonathan David pouncing to level – the first time Liverpool had been breached on the continent since the third minute of their first match in this season’s competition.
The 10 men were always going to be up against it at Anfield and it wasn’t long before the hosts advantage had been restored. It won’t go down as a memorable winner for Harvey Elliot given the trajectory-altering deflection his long-range strike took, but after the disappointing campaign the metronomic midfielder has had, he will take it.
Further half chances came and went to make the margin of victory more secure, but it was job done for the Premier League and Champions League table toppers.
Thanks to a victory set up, once more, by a Salah finish made to look to easy when it was anything but. Backed up by a myriad of team-mates performing at the peak of their powers, the moments the Egyptian King continues to produce are likely to have a trophy-laden ending this time around.
from Football - The i Paper https://ift.tt/USamhKf
Post a Comment
EmoticonClick to see the code!
To insert emoticon you must added at least one space before the code.