Salah the superstar as Liverpool beat Bologna in Champions League
After dispatching seven-time winners AC Milan in their opening league phase game, Liverpool were facing Italian opposition for a consecutive Champions League fixture, only this time it was a Bologna side playing in their debut campaign.
Following early pressure from the home side, it was the Rossoblu who first had the ball in the back of the net after Thijs Dallinga was sent through on goal, squeezing the ball past Alisson only to be denied a third career goal against Liverpool by an offside flag.
The Reds clearly took heed of that warning, going up the other end to score themselves when Mohamed Salah clipped a ball to the back post for Alexis Mac Allister to tap in.
Liverpool were looking likely to double their lead, coming close when Darwin Nunez's would–be goal was chalked off for offside.
Bologna then finished the half on top and threatened with chances of their own.
The first saw Riccardo Orsolini head a set-piece back across goal for a tap-in but the ball was blocked by his own teammate.
Dan Ndoye then struck the woodwork with a shot inside the box as the home side held onto their lead going into the break.
The visitors started well after the restart and once again tested the Liverpool goalkeeper - this time with an Orsolini’s free-kick.
Bologna captain Remo Freuler almost killed his side’s momentum after heading a Liverpool corner inches wide of his own goal.
Slot was clearly concerned by his side failing to replicate the same intensity from the first half, introducing Cody Gakpo and Kostas Tsimikas as a result.
Those changes swung the momentum back in favour of the Merseysiders as Salah made it 2-0 within minutes, doing what he does best by cutting in from the right and curling a brilliant effort into the far corner.
That second goal took the wind out of the Rossoblu’s sails as Liverpool coasted through the final quarter-hour, notching a second win in the league phase.
Bologna, on the other hand, are winless in their opening games and return to England next time out to face Aston Villa.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
