Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Lille at Anfield tightened their grip on prime spot within the league section of the Champions League with a seventh consecutive win.
Mohamed Salah’s first-half aim put Arne Slot’s facet on prime and although there was a shock blip when Jonathan David equalised quickly after Lille had been decreased to 10 following Aissa Mandi’s pink card, Harvey Elliott’s deflected strike gained the sport.
Barcelona’s dramatic 5-4 win away to Benfica implies that Liverpool nonetheless want yet one more level to make sure of prime spot however no person can now overtake their tally of 21 factors after seven consecutive wins. No imply feat on condition that Lille had been on a 21-game unbeaten run.
Slot was in a position to rotate some stars, substituting Ryan Gravenberch at half-time and introducing Trent Alexander-Arnold late on, and might now go to PSV for the ultimate sport realizing {that a} draw shall be sufficient for a group that stay Champions League favourites.
Participant of the match: Mohamed Salah
After turning into the primary Liverpool participant to attain 50 objectives in Europe, Mohamed Salah advised Amazon Prime:
“Hopefully I am not the final one. I wasn’t targeted on the document earlier than the sport. It is one thing I am very joyful and happy with, particularly as a result of we gained the sport, that is a very powerful factor.
“Lille had a really good game plan, they were unbeaten for 21 games and were a tough team. They showed that in the first half and second half, so I will give them credit, but I’m glad we managed to win.”
Salah on the similarities between this Liverpool group and the 2019 Champions League winners underneath Jurgen Klopp:
“It’s different. Different manager, different players. We have four, five or six left from that squad, but we have good talent, players who work very hard, and a manager with good ideas. We are just going to give it a try and see.”
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah celebrates with team-mates Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones
Slot ‘extra impressed than crowd’
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot chatting with Amazon Prime:
“We are happy we are top eight. That’s the only thing that tells me something because this league table doesn’t.
“Usually in tennis, when you’re primary when you play the quantity 24, you understand they’re inferior to the quantity 16, however as a result of we play totally different groups, possibly the quantity 24 is best than the quantity 16.
“We want to be on top of the league but we have to wait and see if that’s an advantage.
“As a supervisor I am a bit extra impressed than I feel the gang, who may need thought it was solely Lille. However I knew they have been 21 video games unbeaten. They beat Actual Madrid and Atletico Madrid and, with all due respect, did so with out the perfect gamers on this planet.
“That tells you they are very well organised and difficult to play through. They are a hard-working team, so it was not easy. I was happy with the patience we had, not forcing difficult passes but keeping the ball and having complete dominance.
“The one factor I wasn’t joyful about was, for a number of weeks now, it was one likelihood conceded, one aim conceded.”
