THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE final will be more than a showdown between Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah, according to the Liverpool goal machine.
Salah has netted an extraordinary 43 goals in all competitions during his first season on Merseyside, rivalling the stratospheric return that has become a regular feature of Ronaldo’s decorated Real Madrid career.
The Portuguese has 42 strikes to his name this term, and the two players are likely to prove crucial to their respective teams’ hopes of lifting the European Cup following the final in Kiev on May 26.
Salah, though, speaking after the Reds’ 7-6 aggregate triumph over Roma in the last four, insisted the clash should not be reduced to an individual duel.
“It is not going to be a final between Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo,” he was quoted as saying by the Guardian.
“I am playing for a great club and we have great players, so qualifying to the final came with great teamwork.
“I cannot do it alone – it is collective work. When we score a goal it’s because we are all doing good, when we concede it means we all need to work harder.”
Salah also made it clear his focus is on helping Liverpool to win the decider, amid suggestions the Egypt international could be a legitimate contender to claim the Ballon d’Or.
“I know all of the Arab people wish the best for me, and they are happy every time I win, but now at the moment I am only thinking about the final and to bring the trophy to Anfield,” he said.
I wouldn’t bet on him playing for Real next season just yet .
@Limón Madrugada: I agree, defiantly not in the league games unless he really seems to prosper. Vinicius I feel was played too often and too fast this season too. He needs to work on his finishing
If I was going to start playing for Real Madrid I’d probably be vomiting too. Despicable club with the most ungrateful supporters.
@Vinny O’Shaughnessy: this statement is completely false. Every club has a small number of toxic supporters but that’s just football. Compared to other teams we aren’t too bad. Look at serie-A fans calling black players monkeys and so on. Yes some fans fail to show respect to club legends but that’s a common trait in Spain. Barcelona fans, Atletico fans etc are the same
@Claire Con: all well and good to point the finger but Real Madrid fans have also racially abused black opposition player, Dembele got it in El Clásico in February. But we both know that the commenter was referring to the amount of abuse and booing Real fans give their own players at the earliest sign of any problem.
@Dave O Keeffe: just not true.
@Claire Con: in fairness he said ungrateful fans
@Vinny O’Shaughnessy: cheap shot. Jealousy no doubt. What’s your club won this decade so far???
@Dave O Keeffe: and like I said, unfortunately fans like that exist everywhere. In fairness it isn’t as regular of an occurrence like in Italy (thank God) but unfortunately Spanish fans tend to be aggressive.
@Kieran Fogarty: in fairness he called the club despicable. Not the most accurate comment when you compare the club to others.
@Claire Con: Mbappe
@Limón Madrugada: several sources, including Dembele himself.
@Claire Con: except you specifically singled out serie A fans for racism as a defense of Madrid fans. In no way am I saying it’s just Madrid. It’s pretty prevalent in Spain.
@Dave O Keeffe: I wasn’t necessarily singling our anyone. I simply mean that this isn’t an irregular occurrence in serie A games. Literally something happens every game.