The image of Mo Salah back supporting his young full-back after ten minutes told you everything you need to know about this game's opening. It was persistent and co-ordinated pressing in a bid to counter a quick out of the blocks Roma. The Egyptian runs as if is in a hamster wheel; his legs quickening like a man eternally running downhill. Eventually, a stray boot dispossessed Aleksandar Kolarov and Liverpool regained possession.
The image of Mo Salah with his hands raised apologetically above his head as his team-mates rained down upon him told you everything you needed to know about the rest of this game. For 34 minutes Saido Mane squandered the best chances afforded to Jurgen Klopp’s side. That was until Salah turned back onto his left foot and unleashed a screamer into the top corner. With that Roma’s palpable early confidence shattered and Liverpool cruised to a 5-2 victory.
This is the joy of Mohamed Salah. Tonight he did it all. His pressing was terrific, his creativity clinical, his finishing devastating. It was the complete performance against a side incapable of dealing with it and the footballing paid it due recognition.
What a player @mosalah is!!! Wow!!!
— John Arne Riise (@JARiiseOfficial) April 24, 2018
Mo Salah is the first African player to score 10 or more Champions League/European Cup goals in a single season... ever.
Ronaldo, Messi, Gomez, Lewandowski, Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Inzaghi, Van Nistelrooy and Neymar the only other players to do it this century.
Nuts what he’s doing.— Kev Blundell (@kevin_blundell) April 24, 2018
Mo Salah going to challenge for Ballon d’Or at the rate he’s banging em in 🔥
— Dean Jones (@DeanJonesSoccer) April 24, 2018
This whole “Salah is as good as Messi” is quickly losing its novelty because Salah might actually be as good as Messi
— Chris Dixon (@chrismd10) April 24, 2018
When you think Andy Carroll cost a few million more that Mo Salah ..... That’s what makes me chuckle .....
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 24, 2018
Against his former club, Salah instigated an instinctive reaction every time he touched the ball. The Kop's rising roar was heralded by the clapping of seats as the ground rose to their feet. All the Italian outfit's illogically high-placed defense could do was grimace.
Mo Salah with a filthy goal to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead pic.twitter.com/UnBJv9uX2i
— Jesse Foster (@Jesse__Foster) April 24, 2018
Liverpool are not equipped with a squad of galacticos capable of rivaling that of Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, but what they do have it the most captivating footballer on the planet right now operating in a system tailored to his strengths.
It is no surprise Liverpool's late dip came once Salah was taken off. In another life, those initial missed chances would have stacked up and the tie could unfold in an entirely different manner. Liverpool fans are all too aware of that reality.
The greatest weapon Liverpool have is Mo Salah, tonight he proved it once again.
