Liverpool made it two wins from two in the new Champions League format after goals in either half from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah secured a routine 2-0 victory over Bologna at Anfield.

Mac Allister converted Salah’s cross from close range after eleven minutes to put the hosts ahead, but the visitors had their chances before half-time when Alisson denied Kacper Urbanski while Dan Ndoye hit the base of the post.

But Salah calmed the nerves in the second period as he set up for a fifth successive Champions League home match, collecting Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass before pushing inside Juan Miranda to thunder his goal into the top corner (76).

It is a measure of how well Arne Slot has adapted as this result means he has become the first Liverpool boss in history to win eight of his first nine games in charge.

Slot told TNT Sports: “It is hardly impossible to do something special at this club. It was not an easy win in my opinion. Bologna made it difficult. They mark the whole field, so you have to wait for the right moment because when you play through it, it’s completely open.”

Saturday’s win over Wolves showed that they can win when they are not at their best, an important quality amid such a hectic fixture schedule, and this latest win was again achieved with minimal fuss ahead of this weekend’s match against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

The result moves them up to fifth in the emerging rankings, while Bologna are in 26th. The Reds face RB Leipzig in their next European appearance on October 23.

Bologna will be back in England in about three weeks, because their next match in this competition is a day earlier at Villa Park.

How Slot continued his excellent start

An early kick-off at Palace on Saturday will provide another tough test, but Liverpool will go into the match on top with another away win in mind.

Against Bologna they had to survive some nervous moments in a hard-fought match. Thijs Dallinga and Darwin Nunez were both disallowed for offside, and the Italians acquitted themselves very well – in their first ever Champions League campaign.

Ndoye hit the post just before Bologna took advantage of a mistake in his own penalty area by Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Alisson saved – on his 32nd birthday – to deny Urbanski.

Riccardo Orsolini was also denied by the Brazilian in his 50th European appearance for Liverpool, before Salah had inevitably had his say.

The Egyptian’s sumptuous strike was his 49th Champions League goal as he cut to the left and curled his shot into the top corner to ensure Slot continued his good start to his tenure.

The Dutchman continued: “They worked very hard to keep a clean sheet today, although we also needed our goalkeeper a few times.

“We scored two very good goals, especially the second one. It’s always difficult to play, a team takes so much risk and is constantly on top of you. All in all a good result, but I wouldn’t use the word excited today. .”

Analysis: Salah calms Liverpool’s nerves

Sky Sports’ Ben site:

Liverpool are one of only seven teams in the 36-team competition with a 100 percent record, but Bologna were unimpressed by their first trip to Merseyside and put five men under the spotlight from the start.

Even after Liverpool took an early lead they found it difficult to play their way out from the back and without Alisson and the frame of the goal they would have had more problems.

Liverpool looked set to overwhelm their opponents after Mac Allister’s opener, but Slot’s side then lost their way when Ndoye, Bologna’s main threat, hit the woodwork twice.

It was Salah’s late intervention that ensured a triumphant Champions League return to Anfield.

The evening was far from easy for the hosts, but for the ninth time in as many appearances in this competition, Salah scored to ease the tension with 15 minutes remaining.

The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, but here was another reminder of his importance – how well he scored his sixth goal in four games against Serie A.

Mac Allister: There is room for improvement

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister told TNT Sports:

“It is clear that we are in a transition, we are happy with the ideas, we are trying to get there. There is room for improvement, that’s why we work very hard every day.

“I’m very happy personally, but also for the team. He (Alisson) has made some good saves. Sometimes I think we have to defend better, at least Ali has shown how good he is. I’m happy for him and for the team.” “

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker told TNT Sports:

“We faced a fantastic opponent, it was really tough. They play very well with the ball and without the ball they are competitive. We controlled their game well, scored enough to win the match and defended well to get the clean sheet keep.” sheet.”

About Salah, Alisson added: “He is a player who helps us a lot. Sometimes it seems like he is not in the game, but suddenly he has a perfect touch, he puts the ball in the top corner. That is his quality, also his strength .”

“We are lucky to have him, but we must always emphasize the hard work of the team and there is still a lot to improve, but good enough to win the match.”

Story of the match in statistics…

What’s going to happen in the Champions League?