Mo Salah, Mane on target as Liverpool beat Roma in UCL semis

There was a huge African influence in Liverpool’s first leg victory over AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals played on Tuesday evening at Anfield.

Egyptian international Mohamed Salah, fresh from winning the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) 2018 Player of the Year was again the star of the night against his former side.

He scored twice in the first half and provided two assists to Senegalese skipper Sadio Mane for Liverpool’s third and another for Robert Firminho.

The Reds went five goals up with a second strike from Firminho before Roma rallied late to pull back two goals ahead of the second-leg fixture slated for the Stadio Olympico in Rome.

Of some of his records this far: Mohamed Salah has scored in each of his last five Champions League starts for Liverpool; no player has scored in more successive games for the Reds (he equals a record held by ex club captain Steven Gerrard).

Mo Salah has scored 10 goals in the Champions League this season, the most by a Liverpool player in a single season in European competition. And the highest by an African player in a single campaign.

He has scored 43 goals for Liverpool this season in all competitions; only Ian Rush has netted more in a single campaign for the Reds (47 in 83/84, with Roger Hunt also on 42 in 61/62).

Mohamed Salah’s achievements since joining Liverpool are simply incredible…

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— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 24, 2018