Arne Slot Heaps Praise on Liverpool Star Who Did Something “Great” & “Special” in Champions League Win Over Lille
Arne Slot heaped praise on Mohamed Salah after he achieved another milestone for Liverpool.
The Reds’ star became the first player in the club’s history to score 50 European goals, reaching the landmark by netting the opener in their 2-1 victory over LOSC Lille.
Salah capitalised on Curtis Jones’ well-timed through ball in the 34th minute to find the back of the net. Harvey Elliott also added to the tally as Slot’s team secured their place in the Champions League last 16.
Liverpool maintained their flawless record in Europe’s premier club competition this season, winning all seven matches. They currently top the standings in the new league format and require just one point against PSV Eindhoven next week to guarantee first place.
Salah’s goal marked his third in this season’s Champions League, prompting Slot to describe the Egyptian forward as ‘special.’ Speaking at his post-match press conference, the Anfield head coach said:
“Special is I think the word that describes most Mo’s performance at this club the best. Maybe there are even better words to use, but he’s been outstanding for this club for so many years and still he does [it]. Today [it was] a great goal.
“If Mo goes on a one-v-one there’s a serious chance that he is going to score, but this goal we scored probably tells you a lot about why we are top of the league and why we are doing so well, because the work-rate from the players that won the ball back before Curtis [Jones] gave a great pass towards Mo, that tells you why we’re doing so well.”
Although Liverpool are assured of finishing in the top two of their Champions League group, Arne Slot has cautioned that this does not necessarily guarantee an easier draw in the knockout stages. Teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain remain in the lower positions.
Nonetheless, securing a top-two finish ensures Liverpool avoid the play-off round, sparing them from playing two extra matches to advance further in the competition.
The Dutchman added: “It doesn’t tell me anything, because if in tennis you are No.1-seeded you know it’s always better to face the No.24 than to face the No.8, or the No.12, because this is a ranking that is done for years.
“But now we are in a new format where some teams are high in the league table because they had a lucky draw, or some teams are low because they had a very difficult draw. It’s far off to say that it is an advantage to be No.1 or No.2.
“We still don’t know yet if that’s an advantage or not. You might be lucky; you might be very unlucky and ending up as No.8 means that maybe you are lucky.
“So, for me, it doesn’t tell me anything, what for me is the most important thing for tonight is that we’ve managed to skip a round and that is definitely worth a bit.”
In other news, Bruno Genesio Makes Liverpool “Timid” and “Off Balance” Admissions After Champions League Win Over LOSC Lille
