BY OUR FOOTBALL DESK AT ANFIELD
ANFIELD was rocking last night as Liverpool’s superstars finally found their groove, dismantling Galatasaray 4-0 to book their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Trailing 1-0 from a nightmare first leg in Istanbul, Arne Slot’s men didn’t just overturn the deficit—they buried it under a mountain of attacking brilliance. On a night where history was made, Mohamed Salah went from “zero to hero,” missing a first-half penalty before bagging his landmark 50th Champions League goal to send the Kop into a frenzy.
The comeback trail started with the irrepressible Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungarian maestro, who has been the shining light in a turbulent season, didn’t wait for an invitation. In the 25th minute, he latched onto a clever cut-back from Alexis Mac Allister and lashed a low, arrowing drive into the bottom corner.
Anfield sensed blood, but the nerves returned just before the break. After Szoboszlai was hauled down in the box, Salah stepped up for a spot-kick that was, quite frankly, a gift for Gala keeper Ugurcan Cakir. The Egyptian’s tame effort was easily parried, leaving the aggregate score deadlocked at 1-1 at half-time.
Whatever Arne Slot said in the dressing room worked. The Reds emerged like a team possessed, scoring three times in a devastating 11-minute window:
51 mins: Salah made amends, turning provider with an “inch-perfect” cross for Hugo Ekitike to tap home at the back post.
53 mins: The floodgates were officially open. Ryan Gravenberch was first to react after a Salah shot was blocked, slamming the rebound into the net to make it 3-0.
69 mins: Then came the moment of history. Florian Wirtz—who was a creative spark all night—flicked a backheel into Salah’s path. The “Egyptian King” did the rest, curling a trademark left-footed beauty into the top corner.
STAT ATTACK: Mohamed Salah is now the first African player in history to score 50 Champions League goals (excluding qualifiers).
While Liverpool’s stars shone, Galatasaray’s biggest threat, Victor Osimhen, saw his night end in misery. The Nigerian talisman suffered a forearm injury after a heavy clash with Ibrahima Konate early on and was eventually hauled off at the break. Without him, the Turkish champions had no answer to the waves of Red attacks.
There was a late scare when Salah signaled to the bench and headed straight down the tunnel with a minor injury concern, but by then, the job was done.
The Reds now march on to a mouth-watering quarter-final reunion with holders Paris Saint-Germain. If Szoboszlai and Salah play like this, even the Parisians should be looking over their shoulders.