Champions League: Salah Shines as Liverpool Batter Roma

Mohamed Salah added another two goals to his season’s sensational highlights reel. Liverpool took control of their Champions League semi-final first leg with a 5-2 win at Anfield.

Roma came to Anfield with a solid game plan. They controlled the first 25 minutes of the game and came close to a goal when Aleksandar Kolarov’s blistering shot was unconvincingly pushed onto the bar by Loris Karius. In one moment of inspired genius, Mo Salah, as he has done so often, turned the game on its head for Liverpool.

Picking up the ball on edge of the area, Salah unfurled a dipping, curling shot that arched into the top left corner of Allisson’s net. At this point, Liverpool had seen off Roma’s early spell of dominance, and Sadio Mane had been guilty of missing two gilt-edged chances.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had been carted off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury, but Giorgio Wijlandum had slotted seamlessly into his place. As the Egyptian’s shot nestled in the net, Roma wilted in the Merseyside rain.

Clearances were snatched at, passes misplaced, and, most criminally, Salah was given the freedom of Anfield to run at the Roma defense. Another quick Liverpool break on the verge of halftime saw Salah run through on goal, before chipping an accomplished finish past Allisson.

Running Riot

The second half saw the situation get worse for the Italians. Liverpool continued to apply relentless pressure, and it paid dividends. Salah burst into the box and pulled the ball across for Mane, who tapped it home to make it 3-0.

Roma continued to play recklessly in defense, and on the hour mark Salah picked up another assist. This time, he squared the ball to Roberto Firmino, who slotted home.

Eight minutes later, James Milner swung in a corner, and Firmino picked up his second goal on a header past a sprawling Allisson. This was Milner’s ninth Champions League assist of the season, a tournament record. Liverpool was running riot, with Roma’s main attacking threat, Edin Dzeko, being starved of service.

Too Little, Too Late?

With the game entering the last ten minutes, Roma finally found some form of composure. Their passing was slicker and more accurate. Radja Nainggolan began to assert his dominance in midfield, and Dzeko was finally brought into the game.

With nine minutes to go, the Bosnian forward brought down an aerial ball into the Liverpool box, held off Dejan Lovren’s meek efforts to challenge, and fired home to give Roma a spark of hope. Four minutes later, Nainggolan’s first-time shot was judged to have hit Milner’s hand, and Roma had a penalty. Up stepped the substitute, Diego Perotti, who sent Karius the wrong way with an excellent shot.

Roma pushed for a third goal but was unsuccessful, and as the full-time whistle blew, there was a sense of deja-vu for the Giallorossi. Once again, they were leaving the first-leg having defended poorly and with a three-goal deficit. There is still hope with two away goals under Roma’s belt.

Next: Salah rightfully the PFA Player of the Year

Looking Ahead to the Second Leg

Jordan Henderson was in a reflective mood after the game and acknowledged that the tie was not over just yet.

"“I think we’ll be disappointed with the two goals. It felt as though we were in full control and we basically gave them two goals. At the same time we’ve played well, we’ve won the game.”"

Roma will be kicking themselves, seeing as how Liverpool’s defense crumbled under pressure in the last ten minutes. Dzeko will have noted how uncomfortable he made Lovren, and if the tie against Barcelona showed us anything, it is that Roma fights till the end. This tie is far from over, but thanks to the efforts of Salah and Firmino, it is definitely a huge advantage for Liverpool.