Slot tributes 50th Champions League goal for Salah | OneFootball

Arne Slot heaped praise on Mohamed Salah for scoring his 50th Champions League goal as Liverpool will face PSG in the Champions League quarter final.

Liverpool handled business efficiently by scoring four goals at Anfield without reply against Süper Lig side Galatasaray to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Dominic Szoboszlai opened the scoring in the 25th minute, before a dominant second half with three goals scored by Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mo Salah, who had a penalty saved in the closing stages of the first half.

The prolific Salah reached the landmark of 50 CL goals, becoming the first African player to do so, as the Reds’ head coach lauded his achievement and mentality.

He said: “It says a lot about him after you miss a penalty just before half-time. That can be hard for the player and the team.

“He assisted first to Hugo, which was a great assist and then scored a trademark goal, which he’s scored many of in this stadium, coming inside and finding the corner.

“It tells you about his mental strength and the team because adversity is something we can talk about when it comes to this season.”

It was nearly the perfect night for Salah, but it ended dubiously when he requested to be substituted towards the end of the game.

Slot addressed the injury situation: “He was asking for a substitution, not because he felt he’d scored enough but because he felt something. Let’s see how he is for the weekend and afterwards.”

Slot’s side were relentless in attack and left a lot more goals on the table, as the Turkish side had no answer to the one-sided affair from the Reds, who began the game trailing on aggregate by a goal for their defeat in Istanbul.

It was crucial to bounce back after a disappointing result in the Premier League against Tottenham.

“We played from start to finish the perfect game.” Slot said. “But the fans did as well because from the start they were not accepting a situation where playing time was reduced.

“The fans reacted great today and our players kept on going, so great dynamic between the fans and players.”

Slot’s side will play European champions PSG in the quarter-finals, who are familiar opponents in the competition.

Last season, Liverpool faced defeat narrowly against the Parisians in a penalty shootout decider at Anfield, with the French side going on to beat them and be crowned champions in May 2025.

Slot outlined his thoughts on matching up against the French giants: “If you go to the latter stages of the Champions League you know one thing for sure – you’re going to face PSG.

“We experienced last season when we faced them away from home, which was a very difficult game.

“Then at Anfield we played a fantastic game despite the result. It was the best game I managed in my career, not based on results but on how football should be played.

“That team has shown this season they haven’t dropped their level, but tonight we’ve shown we can perform at the level of last season.”