Liverpool all but qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League after Mohamed Salah’s VAR-awarded penalty secured a narrow 1-0 win over Girona at the Municipal de Montilivi.
The result means that for only the second time in the club’s history, Liverpool have won their opening six matches of a European campaign. In Liverpool’s last outing against Newcastle, Arne Slot’s side failed to win for only the third time in 21 matches under the Dutchman.
They arrived in Girona knowing another win would move them ever closer to securing a place in the last-16 draw as one of the seeded teams. They cemented their position at the top of the standings after Donny van de Beek was penalised for a foul on Luis Diaz inside the box only after VAR intervened.
No player has been involved in more goals in Europe’s big five leagues this season across all competitions than Mohamed Salah (28 – 16 goals, 12 assists)
Salah kept his composure to convert his spot-kick past Paulo Gazzaniga to keep Liverpool perfect. It had up to that point been a somewhat laboured performance from the Premier League leaders with Alisson making good saves to deny Bryan Gil and Arnaut Danjuma on his return to the side.
Twenty of Liverpool’s last 23 goals have now come after the break, and they may already have enough points to guarantee a top-eight finish – depending on other results in matchweek six.
Slot’s side return to European action in January at home to Lille, when they can mathematically secure a last-16 tie against a side to have come through the play-offs.
Meanwhile, Girona are staring at the prospect of elimination following a fifth defeat in their opening six games.
Why Alisson’s return matters
Luis Diaz forced the penalty in the second half
This result affords Slot the of luxury of being able to rotate in Liverpool’s final two league-phase games. Don’t underestimate the benefit of that as they attempt to fight on all fronts.
Former Southampton and Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu admitted Girona had to do their best to knock Liverpool out of their rhythm – and the hosts carved out several opportunities to stage a shock victory.
Brazilian international Alisson helped the Reds to a fifth successive clean sheet in this competition, something they last achieved back in 2005. The 32-year-old had been sidelined since October with a hamstring problem which saw him miss 11 matches.
In his absence Caoimhin Kelleher has kept five clean sheets, including against Real Madrid and Manchester City, but made his first real error at Newcastle on Wednesday, with his late misjudgement allowing the hosts to snatch a 3-3 draw.
Salah has now scored in four successive away starts in Liverpool for all competitions for the first time since December 2022
But Alisson has that extra quality. He showed that to frustrate Danjuma on more than one occasion on a night when those in front of him weren’t at their best.
Girona’s end product let them down, but when there were those moments of quality, it was Alisson who stood tall to ensure there would be no hiccups in Catalonia.
