Sports

Liverpool vs Salzburg: Salah scores twice as Reds survive huge scare

Published

5 years ago

October 2, 2019

Salzburg fought back from three goals down at Anfield but Mohamed Salah had the final say in a 4-3 win for Liverpool.

Mohamed Salah stuck twice as holders Liverpool survived a major Champions League scare to defeat Salzburg 4-3 at Anfield.Sadio Mane, Andrew Robertson and Salah goals had seemingly put Jurgen Klopp’s side in complete control in what was their first European game on home soil since triumphing in last season’s competition.

They were left stunned, however, when the visitors responded via goals from Hwang Hee-chan, Takumi Minamino and substitute Erling Haaland.

But Salah’s sixth goal of the campaign with 21 minutes remaining got the Reds out of jail as they got up and running in Group E.

The visitors served an early warning via Minamino’s long-range shot, yet by the ninth minute the Reds were ahead after Mane drove towards goal down the left before playing a one-two with Roberto Firmino and slotting inside the right post.

Robertson doubled the advantage in the 25th minute, finishing a slick move he had started near the halfway line when he swept home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross from six yards out.

Liverpool made it three 11 minutes later and had Salzburg goalkeeper Cican Stankovic to thank as he parried Firmino’s header into Salah’s path and the Egypt forward made no mistake from close range.

Salzburg gave themselves some hope six minutes before the break thanks to a superb individual goal from Hwang, who cut inside Virgil van Dijk before firing home.

The home side made a complacent start to the second half and they were punished when Minamino sent a rasping volley into the ground and beyond Adrian.

That was enough to prompt the introduction of in-form Haaland and he soon had his goal, tapping in from close range for his 15th of the campaign to silence Anfield.

But Salah came to the rescue when he latched onto Firmino’s flick-on to have the final say in a pulsating match.