Mohamed Salah breaking down in tears on the Anfield pitch after Liverpool were dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night was an eye-opener for Newcastle United. The forward was left devastated after the defeat.
The match was decided on penalties after the Reds had lost 1-0 on the night, with Ousmane Dembele scoring the only goal of the game after 12 minutes to level the tie on aggregate.
Salah stepped up with confidence to dispatch Liverpool’s first penalty in the shootout after Vitinha had held his nerve with the opening spot kick for PSG. But after Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones had been denied from 12 yards by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG winger Desire Doue lashed home the winning kick.
There were heartbreaking scenes on the Anfield pitch after the contest as Reds players consoled each other. And Salah was seen wandering around the field with tears in his eyes. The match could be Salah’s last European appearance for Liverpool as he is out of contract in the summer and it remains to be seen whether he will sign an extension.
The Egyptian forward sparkled in the early stages of the match and had two opportunities to double his side’s advantage on aggregate inside the opening five minutes as he found himself in good positions in front of goal. But he wasn’t able to break the deadlock as the visitors survived.
He was then kept quiet by PSG defender Nuno Mendes as the away team held firm at the back and caused problems at the other end of the pitch.
It offers some hope that Newcastle can also tame the talismanic forward, although their attempt has been made harder after Lewis Hall – who has cometed well against the Egyptian twice this season – ruled out for the final after undergoing a foot operation. Tino Livramento is likely to fill in at left-back, slightly out of position.
The number of times Salah lost out against Mendes offers a few crumbs of comfort. If, however, Sunday is to be the last time the Premier League legend lines up in a final for Liverpool, he is going to want to leave his mark.
Speaking of marks, French media outlet L’Equipe were brutal with their ratings for Salah, among other Liverpool players, after their Anfield agony. The forward was given a 4 out of 10 mark.
“Overall Salah was annihilated, as in the first leg, by Nuno Mendes, losing a considerable number of duels against him,” they wrote. “In addition, the ex-Roma player, who lost possession 31 times (his team’s record), also stood out for his inability to properly exploit counter-attacks initiated by his team-mates.
“Even if he converted his shot on goal, the Pharaoh’s record is therefore largely insufficient in his confrontations against PSG, the team he has faced the most in his Champions League career without ever finding the goal.”
Salah unfortunately doesn’t have that problem against Newcastle. He has found the net 10 times in 17 games against the Magpies and has yet to finish on the losing side.
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