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FRIDAY | MAR 20, 2026

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L IVERPOOL head coach Arne Slot praised the mentality of Mohamed Salah after the for ward responded to missing a penalty with an inspired second half performance in the 4-0 Champions League win over Galatasaray. The Egypt international, who has had well-publicised issues with the Reds boss, is having his worst season at the club and it seemed his luck was not going to change when he saw Ugurcan Cakir saved his unconvincing spot-kick just before the break after Dominik Szoboszlai had given them the lead. But the 33-year-old moved up a gear after the break, providing the assist for Hugo Ekitike’s important second goal with the rebound from his half-volley dispatched by Ryan Gravenberch. He then produced a trademark goal, cutting in from the right to curl home left-footed to become the first African player to score 50 Champions League goals as Liverpool comfortably over turned a 1-0 first-leg deficit. Salah finished with a personal xG (expected goals) of 2.42. The team’s as a whole was 5.02. “It says a lot about him that after you miss a penalty just before half-time as that can sometimes be hard for an indi vidual or for a team,” said Slot. “We have had a lot of setbacks this season, a lot of first halves or second halves where we have created chance after chance after chance without doing justice to how we have performed – so not scoring. “And then Mo and the team came out in the second half the way they did; he assisted Hugo, a great assist, and then scored a trademark goal that he has scored so many times in this stadium and for this club, cutting inside, finding the corner. “So that tells you a lot about his mental strength but definitely also of the team, because adver sity is something we can definitely talk about in this season. “Injury-wise he came off not because he had scored enough but because he felt something so let’s see where he is for the weekend and after wards.” Having overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit with an energetic, exciting per formance, the victory set up a quarterfi nal against holders Paris St Germain, who knocked out Liverpool on penal ties a year ago. “When you get to the latter stages you know one thing for sure is that you will play PSG,” added Slot. “They are an incredible team. We experienced that last season when we faced them away from home, very diffi

Slot hails Salah mentality after brilliant response to penalty miss Egyptian magic

cult, here at Anfield we played a fantas tic game. “The best game I have managed in my career in terms of how it was played, both teams wanting to entertain the fans.” Slot admitted the key was now to maintain their standards until the end of the season. “We have to try to find consistency – although I can already spoil or disap point people as this performance is impossible to copy one more time because (it was) 5.02 xG on a Champions League night, conceding 0.18 xG.” Slot needed a performance for the sake of his own future and the fans reaction in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham was enough to tell the Liverpool players that their sup porters were owed a display too. In their programme notes, both Slot and skipper Virgil van Dijk made a point of emphasising the atmosphere and the manager’s added energy on the touchline was noticeable. “I know Liverpool have stuttered at times this season but the performance that they got tonight was so dominant and impressive,” said ex-England goal keeper Paul Robinson on BBC Radio 5 Live . “The fans will be delighted but wondering why they can’t be consis tent. Why can’t they do that all the time? They looked so on it tonight, so sharp and quick. Mo Salah looked back on it tonight. Everything just seemed to click. “That Liverpool perform looked like competing and suffered a sicken ing blow when Noa Lang was carried off on a stretcher after an horrific finger injury after colliding with the advertising boards, having already lost striker Victor Osimhen to an arm injury. “He is going to the hospital because of the important issue he has with his finger,” said Okan Buruk. “If there is an operation, they will do it here. Victor Osimhen, his arm is hurting and he wanted to get out of the game at half-time and he is at the hospital.” – The Independent/ Agencies ance in the second half was one of the best this season. Galatasaray were pretty pas sive tonight but Liverpool didn’t let them back into the game.” Galatasaray never

Liverpool’s Mo Salah (front) celebrates with Dominik Szoboszlai after yesterday’s Champions League win against Galatasaray at Anfield. – REUTERSPIC

‘Enough is enough’

Defeat despite victory

Fifty up for Kane

- Story on page 27

- Story on page 28

- Story on page 30

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