Isak might be the new star, but Salah remains Liverpool's main man after latest Anfield thriller

LIVERPOOL, England -- With a beaming smile, Mohamed Salah assumed his spot connected the Anfield advertizing hoardings and soaked up the applause from his adoring public.

The 33-year-old had conscionable enactment Liverpool 2-0 up successful their UEFA Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid, having provided Andy Robertson with the assistance for his team's archetypal extremity lone minutes earlier. On a nighttime erstwhile British-record signing Alexander Isak made his Liverpool debut, the Reds' Egyptian King showed helium has nary volition of abdicating his throne conscionable yet, arsenic the hosts won 3-2.

Against Atletico, Salah became the lone subordinate successful Champions League past to some people and assistance wrong the opening six minutes of a lucifer for an English club. It is possibly not the astir noteworthy statistic successful the forward's ever-growing catalogue, but it is 1 that erstwhile again underlines his enduring brilliance.

By the clip the last whistle blew, it was different subordinate of Liverpool's aged defender -- skipper Virgil van Dijk -- who had made himself the hero, scoring the winning extremity successful the 92nd infinitesimal aft Atletico had drawn level done 2 goals from Marcos Llorente. The Dutchman's thumping header successful beforehand of the Kop continued Liverpool's staggering inclination of claiming miraculous precocious victories, with each 5 of their competitory games this play having travel with crippled winners successful the last 10 minutes.

For Isak, who watched the precocious celebrations from the seat aft being substituted successful the 58th minute, determination could not person been a much fitting invited to Anfield. All of the headlines successful the build-up to the crippled had centered astir whether the Sweden striker would beryllium acceptable to feature, having been omitted from the matchday squad against Burnley connected Sunday.

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There was plentifulness of excitement, then, erstwhile the squad sheets were circulated and it was confirmed Isak had been handed a commencement against Diego Simeone's side. While the 25-year-old didn't negociate to find the backmost of the net, determination were capable flashes of prime to get the assemblage excited astir the club's caller £125 cardinal antheral earlier helium was replaced by chap summertime signing Hugo Ekitike soon earlier the hr mark.

Isak had hardly had clip to instrumentality successful his caller surroundings earlier Liverpool scored their opener connected Wednesday night, with Salah's changeable deflecting disconnected Robertson and past Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak wrong 4 minutes. It was a joyous infinitesimal for the Read Entire Article