Salah's Savior Return! Can He Deliver a Champions League Miracle?

Arne Slot is singing Mohamed Salah's praises this week, and rightfully so. The Liverpool manager has highlighted the importance of Salah’s return to the starting eleven in their recent Champions League victory over Marseille – a win that was significant for both the player and the club’s European aspirations.

Salah's Savior Return! Can He Deliver a Champions ...

Salah's first start since that frustrating November defeat to PSV was, undeniably, impactful. It also marked a rather sweet return to Marseille for Slot himself, who, you might recall, guided Feyenoord to the Europa Conference League final in this very city back in 2022. So, all in all, a good night for the gaffer.

Any whispers about Slot’s future at Liverpool have certainly been quieted by this commanding European away performance. Honestly, the team looked sharp. This victory against Marseille adds to a growing list of impressive away wins this season, including Eintracht Frankfurt and Inter Milan. And let’s not forget their remarkable 13-match unbeaten run (W7 D6) across all competitions – currently the longest such streak among Europe's top five leagues. Their last defeat? You guessed it, that November game.

"The moments when I didn't play him, I was trying something different," Slot told TNT Sports before the match, offering some insight into his squad management. "We have missed goals from all the ball possession. If there's one player in the history of Liverpool that can score goals, it's Mo Salah." A pretty clear statement, wouldn’t you say?

While Salah didn’t manage to add to his impressive club record of 46 Champions League goals – he did miss a chance in the second half, to be fair – Liverpool’s assured performance in a 4-2-2-2 formation has undoubtedly pleased Slot. More importantly, it provides some interesting tactical options moving forward. The formation, with Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai supporting Hugo Ekitike and Salah, and Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez providing width, looked genuinely dangerous.

Speaking of Frimpong, his energy really seemed to free up Salah to focus on attacking duties. And while Salah is known for his goal-scoring, he also contributed defensively, which is always a plus. As Gerrard pointed out, "Both full-backs had really good games, going in both directions. In possession, they were very high... Obviously, they have got to do the defensive side of things as well, and they both did well."

"I'm really pleased for him," Gerrard added, referring to Slot. "It can't be easy when you're under that pressure. His tactics were spot on tonight. He deserves a lot of praise and credit." He did jokingly chide Slot for mentioning "low blocks" too often, suggesting it's been a challenge for Liverpool for years. Slot himself addressed the team's inconsistency, explaining it's often related to struggling against those defensive "low blocks."

For now, though, Liverpool can simply bask in the glow of this victory, adding another positive memory for Arne Slot in the south of France. As they showed against Marseille, Liverpool consistently "show up" despite any setbacks. And with Salah back in the mix, things are definitely looking brighter at Anfield.