Liverpool moved to the brink of securing a place in the Champions League last 16 after Mohamed Salah’s VAR-awarded penalty clinched a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Girona at the Municipal de Montilivi.
The win marked only the second time in Liverpool’s history that they have started a European campaign with six consecutive victories, underscoring their dominance in the competition so far. The result also saw Liverpool maintain their perfect record in the group stage, solidifying their position as group leaders and ensuring they will likely enter the last-16 draw as a seeded team.
The decisive moment came in the 63rd minute when Donny van de Beek was penalized for a foul on Luis Diaz inside the penalty area following a VAR review. Salah stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, beating Paulo Gazzaniga with confidence. The goal not only secured the three points but also cemented Salah’s place in Champions League history as he became the 11th player to score 50 goals in the competition. In doing so, he surpassed Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kylian Mbappé, with Thierry Henry (51) and Thomas Müller (54) now within reach.
For Salah, the penalty was a moment of redemption after missing from the spot against Real Madrid two weeks earlier. This time, he made no mistake, extending his impressive record of scoring in 11 of his last 16 matches.
Despite the win, it was not a vintage Liverpool performance. Alisson Becker was called upon to make crucial saves, denying Bryan Gil and Arnaut Danjuma in a tightly contested game. While the Premier League leaders ultimately left with all three points, their performance showed room for improvement as they prepare for the knockout stages.
