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In the hot seat for nearly an hour, Liverpool, the champion of the Champions League, secured his qualification for the knockout round on Tuesday 10 December winning in Salzburg (2-0) with goals from Guinean Naby Keïta and Egyptian Mohamed Salah.
The group stage of the UEFA Champions League 2019-2020 is coming to an end and the matches played on Tuesday, December 10 were not without interest. In particular, there was a much-awaited meeting: that of Liverpool. Before the start of their match on the Salzburg lawn, the Reds were in danger.
The growing anxiety
Group E, which includes the English club, was very competitive this autumn. And apart from Genk, who did not win a single match, the other three teams competing could claim a ticket for the eighth finals. Before this sixth and last day, Liverpool was leading (10 points) ahead of Naples (9 points) and Red Bull Salzburg (7 points).
The leading position of the European champion was still very much threatened. Jürgen Klopp's men traveled to Austria to challenge Salzburg, and a victory by the Austrians could eliminate them in the first round. A defending champion eliminated even before the round of 16, it has not happened since Chelsea in 2012 ...
The scary scenario began to emerge very quickly when, in the other match of the group, Naples quickly overwhelmed Genk (final victory 4-0). With the 0-0 between Salzburg and Liverpool, the Italians took the 1st place, relegating the Reds to the 2nd. Only one goal of the locals, and the English took the door ...
The beautiful week of Keita
At the break, the qualification of Liverpool was only one thread with this score of 0-0. And then, a former member of the Salzburg house remembered the "good" memory of the Austrian club. Naby Keïta , resident of the Austrian championship between 2014 and 2016, issued the Reds. On a Senegalese center Sadio Mané, the Guinean took advantage of a poor exit of the goalkeeper to poke his head and open the score (57th).
It's a great week for the national Syli midfielder. Saturday in the Premier League in Bournemouth, Keïta had already scored the second goal of his team, victorious 3-0. He is not an indisputable Liverpool man and has suffered injuries since his arrival in the summer of 2018, but the former Leipzig player remains important to Klopp. " I never doubted him, " the coach said after Bournemouth. Naby Keïta gave him his confidence in the next match.
The Mersey club, well relieved by the Guinean, could blow a little more right after. Too fast for the defense and the goalkeeper of Salzburg, the Egyptian Mohamed Salah grilled politeness to everyone before scoring the goal of the break in a closed corner (58th). Thanks to these two achievements in two minutes, Liverpool was reassured, took the 1st place and prevailed. The champion will be at the rendezvous of the round of 16 and will have the advantage of receiving Anfield during the second leg. And that's partly thanks to Keïta and Salah.
Mo's outrageous goal ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/udE3WlcR0o
Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 10, 2019