Salah Responds: Liverpool Beats Atlético with King’s Show and Isak’s Debut

With a radiant smile, Mohamed Salah took over the billboards of Anfield, receiving applause from his fervent fans. The Egyptian star, once again, demonstrated his undeniable worth in the UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.Salah, with his assist to Andy Robertson and his goal, became the only player in Champions League history to score and assist in the first six minutes of a match for an English club. Another statistic that highlights his enduring brilliance.

The King does not abdicate

In a match full of emotions, Virgil van Dijk emerged as the hero, scoring the winning goal in the 92nd minute. The header from the Dutch defender continued Liverpool’s amazing trend of achieving miraculous victories in the final minutes, with the decisive goals coming in the last 10 minutes of the five competitive matches this season.Alexander Isak’s debut for Liverpool was an anticipated event, especially after his starting position was confirmed. Although he didn’t score, he showed glimpses of his quality that excited the fans. He was replaced by Hugo Ekitike, another summer signing, before Liverpool opened the scoring.At the four-minute mark, a shot by Salah, deflected by Robertson, beat Atlético’s goalkeeper, Jan Oblak. Less than two minutes later, Salah extended the lead, leaving three defenders behind and scoring with composure. This quick two-goal advantage was the earliest in Liverpool’s Champions League history.

Despite a season start in which he had not managed to replicate his best form, Salah responded to the criticism with a stellar performance, reminding everyone of his importance to Arne Slot’s team. Although he missed a clear opportunity in the second half, his impact was undeniable.Marcos Llorente, with two goals, tied the match for Atlético. However, Liverpool’s comeback ability was once again demonstrated. Van Dijk’s header in stoppage time sealed another victory for the “Reds”.

There will be matches where we’re winning 2-0 after six minutes and create so many chances afterwards that we’ll score the first one and won’t need extra time to get a late winning goal. There will also be matches where we need a goal in the last minute and don’t [score] it. But I can assure you that, even if we don’t score it, we will try to give our all. That’s the mentality this team has.

Arne Slot

While some argue that Liverpool’s luck will run out, Slot’s winning machine keeps running. While fans wait to see Isak justify his signing, Salah and Van Dijk continue to prove their invaluable worth.