New king of the Kop Mohamed Salah shines but Liverpool still hit panic button

There is something miraculous about Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. They can play at such inhuman pace that they blow opponents away. They charge forward in a blur of red that envelopes defenders and creates uncertainty for even the best sides. And they can breathe life into dead games; a characteristic that is not always to their advantage.

On Tuesday, in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Roma at Anfield, they had all but booked their place in next month’s final in Kiev. They were 5-0 up.

Roma looked ragged and hapless, afraid to venture over the halfway line for fear of Liverpool’s attack. They backed off in terror every time the ball came close to Mo Salah. With 15 minutes left on the clock, the only question was how many the home side would rack up in front of an ecstatic Kop.

Doubt lurks under the surface of Klopp’s side, though. They dance on the edge of an emotional chasm and it does not take much of a nudge to send them toppling into self-doubt. The German replaced Salah with Danny Ings for the final quarter of an hour. You could see the manager’s logic: it made sense to keep his best player fresh in a tie that was out of Roma’s reach.

The collapse was as inevitable as it was ugly. Instead of pressing home the rout, Klopp paused. Eusebio Di Francesco’s team lost their fear. Their two late goals changed the nature of the semi-final. After all, they only need three goals in the Stadio Olimpico next week, the same number they required to beat Lionel Messi and Barcelona in the second leg in the previous round.

It is still a huge task for Roma. Salah might be even more of a threat than Messi at the moment. There was some question whether the Egyptian deserved to win the PFA’s Player of the Year award on Sunday ahead of Kevin De Bruyne. Tuesday night proved that he is a worthy victor.

After a cagey opening period where Roma were on top, Liverpool burst into action. Their dominance coincided with the departure of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with a knee injury and his replacement by Georginio Wijnaldum.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been a revelation under Klopp but the 24-year-old always has an eye on getting forward. Wijnaldum is more mobile and covered a wider range of the pitch. His tendency to drop deeper allowed Jordan Henderson to move into Roma’s half — not to attack but to apply pressure on Kevin Strootman and Daniele De Rossi.

Suddenly, Liverpool’s press started working. Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Salah closed defenders down with their usual gusto, while Henderson, James Milner and Wijnaldum snapped at Radja Nainggolan’s heels. The tide turned.

Mane missed two straightforward chances but Salah saved his team-mate from embarrassment. His nickname, the Egyptian King, evokes Kenny Dalglish, real Anfield royalty. King Kenny would have been proud to claim the strikes that gave Liverpool a two-goal lead at half-time. First, Salah curled the ball into the far corner from the edge of the box. The shot was precise, delicate and magnificent. Then he raced past the Roma defence, latched on to a one-two with Firmino and chipped the oncoming Alisson with the deftest of touches.

Salah does not have Dalglish’s spectrum of skill but he has more than a pinch of the great man’s ability.

The Scot’s best work was in conjunction with Ian Rush — and Salah has a healthy dose of the Welshman’s speed and eye for goal. It makes for a seductive combination.

If Salah can lead this team to a Champions League win, then he will deserve elevation to the pantheon of Liverpool greats. His effect is spectacular. Roma sat deep in fear of him. Salah rampaged down the wing and fed Mane to tap in for the third.

he 25-year-old supplied another close-range goal for Firmino, who then nodded in the fifth from a corner. Firmino’s workrate, intelligence and use of space are crucial to the team’s success but Salah is the main man.

It looked like party time. Salah pirouetted across the midfield, almost mocking the defence. The only thing that could stop him was his manager. On came Ings and Roma’s fear evaporated.

Dejan Lovren seems to be the most psychologically vulnerable member of Klopp’s side. He let the ball drift inexplicably over his head and Edin Dzeko pulled one back with nine minutes left. Then, Milner was adjudged to have handled while trying to block a Nainggolan shot. Diego Perotti chipped in the penalty and suddenly the Kop were praying for the final whistle.

This tie is not over. Liverpool always give their opponents a chance. Klopp’s team go from inspired to inept in a moment. But as long as Salah is on the pitch, they can believe in miracles.