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Liverpool 2-0 Bologna: Mohamed Salah magic helps Arne Slot make history in routine Champions League victory | Football news
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Liverpool 2-0 Bologna: Mohamed Salah magic helps Arne Slot make history in routine Champions League victory | Football news

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).

Liverpool manager Arne Slot celebrates at the end of the Champions League match against Bologna at Anfield
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Liverpool manager Arne Slot celebrates at the end of the Champions League match against Bologna at Anfield

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 said: “I don’t draw many conclusions from that, but it’s fun. So many great managers have worked here and done so many special things.

“The one thing is I don’t hope that the only thing people will remember me for in one, two or three years’ time – you never know how long I’ll be here – they just say ‘that’s the manager who only won eight ‘.” his nine games’.

“I hope to do more special things than win eight out of nine games.”

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 just under three weeks, as their next match in this competition is a day earlier at Villa Park.

Player Ratings

Liverpool: Alisson (7), Alexander-Arnold (6), Robertson (7), Konate (6), Van Dijk (7), Szoboszlai (7), Gravenberch (8), Mac Allister (7), Salah (8), Nunez (5), Luis Diaz (6).

subtitles: Gakpo (6), Jota (6), Tsimikas (5).

Bologna: Skorupski (7), Miranda (6), Lucumi (6), Beukema (6), Posch (7), Freuler (7), Ndoye (6), Orsolini (7), Urbanski (6), Moro (6), Dallinga (7).

subtitles: Castro (n/a), Iling-Junior (n/a), Casale (6), Aebischer (5).

Man of the match: Ryan Gravenberch.

How Slot continued his excellent start

Liverpool player Alexis Mac Allister, center right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League football match between Liverpool and Bologna at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, October 2, 2024. (AP Photo/ Ian Hodgson)
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Alexis Mac Allister celebrates after scoring the opener

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.

Kacper Urbanski from Bologna responds to a missed opportunity
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Kacper Urbanski from Bologna responds to a missed opportunity

Team news

  • Slot made just one change to the side that defeated Wolves 2-1 in the Premier League this weekend, as Darwin Nunez came on for Diogo Jota. Andrew Robertson retained his place in the side after overcoming the blow he suffered in the win at Molineux.
  • Bologna made four changes to the team that drew with Atalanta in Serie A. Miranda, Moro, Urbanski and Dallinga all started, replacing Lykogiannis, Fabbian, Aebischer and Castro.

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

Mohamed Salah's timely late intervention set up a triumphant Champions League return to Anfield as Liverpool beat Bologna 2-0
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Mohamed Salah’s timely late intervention set up a triumphant Champions League return to Anfield as Liverpool beat Bologna 2-0

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.

Bologna's Thijs Dallinga is flagged for offside after the win over Alisson
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Bologna’s Thijs Dallinga is flagged for offside after the win over Alisson

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

Alexis Mac Allister celebrates after giving Liverpool an early lead against Bologna
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Mac Allister celebrates after giving Liverpool an early lead

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.” “

Sensational Salah

  • Mohamed Salah has both scored and assisted in nine different UEFA Champions League matches – the most of any player for an England side, while no African player has done so more often in the competition (Samuel Eto’o, also nine).
  • Salah is the third player to score in five consecutive UEFA Champions League home games for a Premier League side, after Thierry Henry with Arsenal (7) and Ruud van Nistelrooy with Manchester United (6).

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?