Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool managed to hold off a stunning comeback by Red Bull Salzburg to get their Champions League title defense up and running with an incredible win at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Salzburg got off to the worst possible start as the visitors trailed 3-0 in the first half but battled their way back to 3-3 until Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah grabbed the winner midway through the second half to hand Liverpool their first win Europe this season.
The Reds lost their opening Group E game against Serie A outfit Napoli last month but got off to the ideal start in this game when former Salzburg attacker Sadio Mane struck inside 10 minutes guiding the ball into the back of the net after neat link-up play with Brazilian striker partner Roberto Firmino.
Scottish left-back Andrew Robertson also got on the scoresheet after he got his first-ever Champions League goal for the Reds when he turned in a cross from fellow full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah poked a third under Salzburg keeper Cican Stanokovic on 36 minutes to send the atmosphere at Anfield into ease It seemed as though the game was over as a contest 10 minutes before the break but Salzburg, like Liverpool, have scored goals for fun this season in the Austrian Bundesliga, 40 in their opening nine league games to be precise leading the table, and they began their fightback when Hwang Hee-chan got the better of UEFA Men’s Player Of The Year Virgil van Dijk before scoring with a powerful strike to beat Adrian.
The visitors reduced the deficit even further when Takumi Minamino volleyed in a lovely strike to get Anfield more nervous and the away fans erupted when substitute Erling Braut Haaland tapped in the third from close range on 60 minutes.
However, Liverpool’s Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah finally got his team over the line when he latched on to Roberto Firmino’s header and scored with a fierce strike to put the hosts back in front and earned Liverpool their first win in Europe this season as they began their title defense.
