Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray: Arne Slott gets the performance the Reds need

Despite Liverpool’s dominance, the talk at halftime revolved around the missed penalty kick scored by Mohamed Salah. For a man who rarely puts a foot wrong, it was an unusually weak effort, one that would surely have made headlines had Liverpool not qualified.

By now, Salah’s thirst for success has become evident and he has often talked about the fact that after giving the ball away, he was forced to save a shot from Ugurkan Cakir.

Al-Masry was involved in all three of Liverpool’s goals in the second half to conclude an impressive all-round display.

First, Salah set up Hugo Ekitiki and it was Ryan Gravenberch who finished after Salah’s shot was blocked, sealing Liverpool’s third goal.

The goal that made it 4-0 was a work of art as the 33-year-old used his left foot to curl a stunning shot into the top corner from outside the box.

“It says a lot about his mentality,” Slott said. “That was a difficult moment [when he missed the penalty] But then he came out in the second half with a brilliant pass for Hugo and then scored a brilliant goal when he went into the top corner.

“That tells you a lot about his mental strength, so credit to him and the whole team because adversity is something we can talk about when it comes to this season.”

Salah could easily have had more on the night he became the first African to score 50 Champions League goals and marked his 200th and 201st appearances for Liverpool at Anfield in all competitions (140 goals, 61 assists) in just 211 appearances.

There was some concern when Salah asked to be substituted in the 74th minute, with Slott saying afterwards he felt something.

But this was another timely reminder of his absolute class. Salah’s numbers alone are phenomenal, and whether he is still a Liverpool player next season or not, there is no doubt that Liverpool have a stronger chance of eliminating PSG thanks to his fitness and strength.