NFollowing Liverpool’s 7-1 win over Glasgow Rangers in the Champions League, Jürgen Klopp would have loved to praise all his players – but of course the main interest was in record hat-trick scorer Mohamed Salah. Three goals in six minutes and twelve seconds, that has never happened in the history of the premier class.
“Special. Typical Mo,” said Klopp after the important victory of the Reds, who had been anything but convincing recently. “The whole thing was very important. (…) It’s obviously an exceptional result and we all know it and shouldn’t make more of it, but it’s the best we could have wished for and that’s why I’m very happy.”
Egyptian Salah only needed nine ball contacts after coming on as a substitute for the goals in the 75th, 80th and 81st minutes. Roberto Firmino (24th minute, 55th) had previously scored twice for the Reds after Scott Arfield (17th) had given the Scottish record champions the lead. Darwin Núñez (66′) increased before Salah’s entrance and Harvey Elliott (87′) scored the final.
Remarkable: All three goals for Salah’s hat-trick were prepared by Diogo Jota – according to the data service provider Opta, this has not been the case since Franck Ribéry gave his team-mate Mario Gomez all the goals in his hat-trick for FC Bayern against FC Basel in March 2012.
In any case, the atmosphere in the Liverpool dressing room was good. “We usually drink a beer after away games, but that was so long ago that I’m probably already drunk after one,” said Klopp before the important Premier League duel with Manchester City next Sunday (5:30 p.m. on Sky). Liverpool are currently only tenth in the English Premier League table and are already 13 points behind second-placed Man City.
“It certainly changed the mood and that’s good, but we all know who we’re welcoming to Anfield on Sunday and it’s going to be a different game,” he explained. “But it’s better to go into a game like that with the feeling we have tonight than with any other.” That will also be necessary. Because with Manchester City super striker Erling Haaland introduces himself. So it’s just right that Salah is apparently getting back in shape.
Liverpool are in the last 16 with one foot in the Champions League after three wins in four games. Behind the already qualified SSC Napoli, the six-time champions, who have already fallen far behind in the English Premier League, are in second place – with a clear lead over Ajax Amsterdam and the pointless Rangers.
After Liverpool’s worst Premier League start to the season in ten years, British media saw a turning point in the game in Glasgow. “As if a snap of your fingers magically brought back all her qualities,” wrote the Telegraph. “Self-confidence has been a problem for this team for a while,” reminded the “Guardian”, “if that doesn’t improve after the record win over Rangers, then even the Liverpool coach shouldn’t have a solution ready for it.”
