Egypt's Salah scores with superb flick as Liverpool crush Maribor

Ahram Online and AP , Wednesday 1 Nov 2017

Liverpool
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal (Reuters)

Egypt winger Mohamed Salah continued his impressive run after netting his fourth goal in as many Champions League group-stage games to set Liverpool on their way to a 2-0 home win over Maribor on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old broke the deadlock with a superb flick on 49 minutes to take his tally to 10 goals in all competitions so far this season.

He also made his 19th appearance in the Champions League to overtake former striker Mido (18 appearances) as Egypt's most appearance maker in Europe's elite club competition.

Salah and Emre Can scored either side of James Milner's missed penalty before a late third by Daniel Sturridge, as Liverpool followed up its 7-0 win over the Slovenian team two weeks ago with another convincing victory at Anfield.

Liverpool can secure a top-two finish and a place in the knockout stage by beating Sevilla on Nov. 21 in the fifth round of games.

Sevilla beat Spartak Moscow 2-1 in the other group game Wednesday.

Liverpool peppered Maribor's deep-lying defense with crosses in the first half but the visitors held firm, with goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic tipping a deflected header from Roberto Firmino onto the bar.

The English team attacked with more midfield runners in the second half and finally broke through in the 49th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed for Salah to deftly flick a low volley past Handanovic.

Milner had been taken off penalty duties this season but, following misses from the spot by Roberto Firmino and Salah in the Premier League, the midfielder regained them when Firmino was tripped by Aleksander Rajcevic.

Handanovic guessed the correct way and tipped Milner's shot onto the post.

The second goal arrived in the 64th when Can exchanged passes with Milner before sidefooting powerfully into the corner.

Sturridge came on as a 74th-minute substitute for Firmino and scored from close range in the 90th.

It mirrored Liverpool's 3-0 win over Huddersfield in the Premier League on Saturday, with all of the goals coming in the second half then, too, after a lackluster first half.

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