Mohamed Salah scored a spectacular 50th Champions League goal as Liverpool cruised through to the quarterfinals with a 4-0 win over Galatasaray at Anfield on Wednesday.
With the 4-1 aggregate win, Liverpool book a meeting with champions Paris Saint-Germain, who ended the Premier League side’s challenge a year ago.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Istanbul, Liverpool were facing the prospect of a second consecutive round-of-16 exit. But Arne Slot’s side dominated the second leg and leveled the tie through Dominik Szoboszlai‘s 25th-minute strike.
Liverpool had the chances to be ahead on aggregate by halftime, including when Salah saw a penalty saved by Galatasaray’s Ugurcan Çakir in stoppage-time.
But Salah fully atoned for that miss in the second half. The Egypt forward supplied a low cross for Hugo Ekitike to score Liverpool’s second and just two minutes later it was his saved shot that led to Ryan Gravenberch putting the hosts firmly in control.
The best was still to come. Salah curled in a magnificent fourth in the 62nd minute to become the 12th player, and the first from Africa, to reach 50 Champions League goals.
Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his 50th Champions League goal in Liverpool’s win over Galatasaray.
Alex Pantling – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Questions will inevitably be asked as to where this has been all season from Liverpool but they can wait for another day as Slot, the players and fans celebrate their best display since the 5-1 victory against Tottenham which won them the Premier League title back in April.
Galatasaray, while formidable at home, offered little — and even less so when their greatest threat Victor Osimhen failed to appear for the second half after an arm injury — but they were given no opportunity to do so.
A ban on away fans — not withstanding around 200 in the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand which the club have to provide to VIPs — meant the atmosphere was ramped up by a 61,000-capacity partisan crowd.
Not only was it louder but it felt different from the anxiety-riddled league matches which has seen the team squander so many points.
The early pressing was far more intense, aided by Szoboszlai being restored to midfield, and the visitors’ gamesmanship began early as Liverpool’s reactions were quicker and their tackling more ferocious — although Polish referee Szymon Marciniak was not inclined to allow much physicality.
Yet it was another set-piece which broke the deadlock, but a clever one at that.
Alexis Mac Allister drilled a low outswinger to the penalty spot where Szoboszlai, the usual set-piece taker, ran in from the edge of the area to steer home left-footed his 12th of the season and fifth in Europe.
The floodgates should have opened but Salah opted to chip Cakir after latching onto Abdulkerim Bardakci’s blind header back towards his own area and the goalkeeper stuck up a hand to block.
A Florian Wirtz shot was deflected over and Mac Allister headed the resulting corner against the crossbar and Szoboszlai’s powerful drive was parried away before the Hungary captain was tripped by Ismail Jakobs as he was running out of the penalty area.
Salah’s scuffed penalty was too straight and betrayed his lack of confidence and Cakir kept it out.
The Egyptian was denied twice more by the goalkeeper either side of the interval before whipping in a low cross for Ekitike to double their lead.
It was just the boost Salah needed and when his powerful half-volley was batted away, Gravenberch bounced in the rebound.
And the Egyptian was not to be denied, producing a trademark curling left-foot finish after cutting in from the right, receiving arguably the biggest cheer of the night as he thumped his chest in front of the Kop, before his night was ended by injury.
PA contributed to this report.