Liverpool eased past Galatasaray to reach the Champions League quarter-finals after overturning a first-leg deficit.
Arne Slot’s side will now face PSG in the quarter-finals.
Salah Stars as Liverpool Overcome First-Leg Defeat
Liverpool delivered a scintillating performance to put four goals past Galatasaray and set up a Champions League quarter-final against reigning champions Paris St-Germain.
Trailing 1-0 after defeat in Istanbul last week, Arne Slot’s side levelled the tie on aggregate when Dominik Szoboszlai converted a well-worked set-piece.
Mohamed Salah had a penalty saved by Ugurcan Cakir on the brink of half-time but Liverpool scored three goals in the space of 11 second-half minutes to put the tie to bed.
Hugo Ekitike tapped in from close range after a superb ball from Salah before Ryan Gravenberch finished after Salah’s effort was saved by Cakir.
Wilfried Singo then turned the ball into his own net from Jeremie Frimpong’s cross but Frimpong was offside and minutes later, Salah scored an absolute belter.
From outside the box, it was a trademark curling finish from Salah, who found the top corner and in doing so, became the first African to score 50 Champions League goals.
Reds Dominate After Tottenham Draw
Liverpool could easily have scored more, with Salah striking the bar and – were it not for Cakir – the final result could have been even uglier for Galatasaray, who had no away fans inside Anfield after they were hit with a Uefa sanction following crowd disturbances during their previous away game at Juventus.
- Dominik Szoboszlai breaks the deadlock
- Mohamed Salah misses first-half penalty
- Hugo Ekitike scores
- Ryan Gravenberch on target
After the crowd reaction on Sunday, when Liverpool were booed off after drawing to Tottenham, the Liverpool players needed to put in a performance for both their manager and the crowd.
And they delivered. From the outset, Galatasaray seemed determined to take time out of the game but, from the moment Szoboszlai broke the deadlock with his 12th goal of the season, the Turkish side had no answer to Liverpool’s onslaught.
The home side were rampant and could have put the game to bed before half-time. At the break, Okan Buruk, the Galatasaray boss, made two changes in a bid to get some control back but his side had no answer to Liverpool’s energy.
Looking Ahead to the Quarter-Finals
The result means two English sides will be in the last eight of the Champions League, with Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham all eliminated. Arsenal will take on Sporting in one of the other quarter-finals.
For Arne Slot, it will be a first Champions League quarter-final and a chance to get one back against Luis Enrique’s side – who knocked Liverpool out of this competition last season.
It would not be an understatement to say that this was Liverpool’s biggest game of the season so far. Fail to go through and the pressure on Slot would only have intensified.