Salah out to break Drogba, Aguero UCL records
Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah will be aiming to surpass a record held by Didier Drogba and Sergio Aguero when the Reds tackle Rangers in today’s Champions League battle.
The 30-year-old has registered a respectable four goals and four assists from 10 appearances in all tournaments so far this term, including a strike against Ajax in European competition.
Salah has struggled to make a consistent impact in a faltering Liverpool side throughout the campaign, though, as the Reds sit ninth in the Premier League table.
The ex-Chelsea and Roma man’s goal drought in the top flight stretched to four games in the weekend’s 3-3 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, although he did provide one assist for Roberto Firmino.
However, Salah has an added incentive to propel Liverpool to a positive result today , as he could become the highest-scoring player for an English club in the Champions League.
The Egypt international now has 34 Champions League goals to boast for Liverpool, with Drogba and Aguero netting 36 apiece for Chelsea and Manchester City respectively.
A hat-trick for Salah today would therefore see him become the outright record-holder in that category, and Rangers travel to Anfield having conceded seven goals in their two losses to Napoli and Ajax so far.
Furthermore, Salah is set to break into the top three of Liverpool’s all-time appearance makers in the competition, having gone level with John Arne Riise’s 58 during the 2-1 win over Ajax.
The attacker still has some way to go to top that list, though, as Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard both sit ahead of him with 80 and 73 Champions League outings respectively.
Liverpool enter Tuesday’s game second in Group A after taking three points from their first two games, going down 4-1 to Napoli before returning to winning ways against Ajax.
The Anfield faithful have witnessed their side win 13 of their last 15 Champions League group-stage games at home, but Jurgen Klopp is not taking anything for granted against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men.
“Good football team, well coached, exceptional European season last year obviously. Qualifying for the Champions League a big, big, big, big achievement,” Klopp said of Rangers at his pre-game press conference.
