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Mohamed Salah rose to the level of Steven Gerrard as Liverpool’s top scorer in the history of the European Cup and the Champions League on Tuesday.
Salah scored a surprising breakaway goal early in the second half against Atalanta as the Reds smashed the Serie A team in a 5-0 victory.
That goal, a serene finish with his left foot at the end of a rapid advance, was the Egyptian international’s 21st in the Champions League proper for the team. Thus, Salah has tied Gerrard’s all-time club benchmark.
Salah, who reached the 2018 final in his first season at Anfield and won the competition the following year, quickly scored a fourth Liverpool goal for Sadio Mane.
Diogo Jota had scored two goals before the break and completed his hat-trick, the first in Liverpool colors, as Jurgen Klopp’s side advanced 5-0 in just 54 minutes.
That would be the end of the scoreboard, as Jurgen Klopp’s men clinched a victory that saw them win their third straight game in the Champions League group stage.
Liverpool are in pole position to qualify for the knockout phase after reaching the top of Group D, five points ahead of Ajax and Atalanta, who are both with four.
Tuesday’s five-goal victory means Klopp’s team also set the record for the biggest win by an English club against an Italian rival in European competition.
Jota has impressed for the Reds of late, with the Portugal international being the second player to score in his first two Champions League starts with Liverpool, after Robbie Keane in 2008.
Having also played for Wolves in the Europa League last season, Jota has now scored three hat-tricks in the Champions League and Europa League combined since the start of last season, the only player to do so more than once.
He has scored nine goals since the start of last season in European competition, six for Wolves and now three for Liverpool, which is more than any other player on an English team in that period, excluding goals in qualifying matches. .
Following the international break, Liverpool’s next Champions League game will be against Atalanta at Anfield on 25 November.
