By Daily Sports Nigeria on September 21, 2023

Liverpool kick off their Europa League adventure tonight, September 21, with elite winger Mohammed Salah tipped to be the advantage for the English side.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is taking the competition, UEFA’s second-most prestigious after the Champions League, seriously but is expected to experiment with his line-up during the six group games after a summer of rebuilding, according to The Athletic.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp targets UEL success after recent Champions League triumphs. Their journey begins against LASK in Linz, Austria, as Klopp aims to secure the one major trophy that has eluded him since joining Anfield in October 2015. According to him, the plan is to make it “their competition.”

Liverpool has high expectations for this season’s final in Dublin on May 22, which is conveniently close to home with just an hour’s flight away. Salah could be the key player to make the difference for Klopp’s team.

Salah, known for his scoring abilities, is showcasing his creative side with four Premier League assists this season, tying for the most in the league. Despite summer transfer rumours, the 31-year-old remains Liverpool’s main offensive force.

Last season, Salah recorded 12 league assists, second only to Kevin De Bruyne’s 16. In the current campaign, Salah has already stood out with six big chances created, two more than any other Premier League player.

Klopp gave a review of Salah’s performance in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Wolves but ultimately lauded the forward’s second-half contribution.

Speaking after the match, he said, “He [Salah] is involved in everything.

“I thought first half he wasn’t great, but second half with a different system, he is a key moment player and he is always there when we need him.”

At Molineux, the Liverpool star player provided two assists and played a crucial role in a late own goal by Hugo Bueno.

Although Salah has found the net in home victories against Bournemouth and Aston Villa this season, his actual goal tally is slightly below his expected goals (xG) of 3.26.

Nevertheless, with eight shots on target and Liverpool creating the fifth-most big chances in the league (11), the 91-cap international is poised to add more goals in the coming weeks.

The Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer Alan Shearer was one of many who praised Salah after the Wolves match.

He said: “Look at this for a weight of pass [from Salah].”

“Robertson with the first pass, he follows that one. That is an incredible pass and a great finish there.”

Despite missing out on the Champions League for the first time since 2016-17, Liverpool remains determined to secure the Europa League, a trophy they last claimed in 2001.

Source Punch Ng

Posted September 21, 2023

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