Mohamed Salah stood arms outstretched in front of the jubilant Kop, lapping up the adulation of the Anfield crowd before vigorously grabbing the badge on his Liverpool shirt in defiant delight.
For those who have had to endure this at times tortuous campaign for both the Egyptian and his team, it was almost as though the last seven months hadn’t happened.
Instead, this was an evening when Arne Slot’s side sent a reminder to Europe and, perhaps most importantly, themselves regards what they are still capable of in the Champions League.
Given last season’s conquerors Paris Saint-Germain now lie in wait, a return to some semblance of ruthless form is timely, particularly with the missteps of the last week having cranked up the pressure on the Reds boss.
And at the epicentre, as he so often has been during his near-decade at Liverpool, was Salah.
His blistering goal for Liverpool’s fourth, cutting inside when found byFlorian Wirtz and curling a shot into the top corner from the edge of the area, was textbook Salah, a strike borne of pure muscle memory.
Less successful was his weak penalty saved by the leg of Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir during first-half additional time.
Salah, having already been twice denied by Cakir during a showing much more sprightly than of late, could easily have wilted, particularly with the tie still very much in the balance after Dominik Szoboszlai had levelled the aggregate scores.
But the Egyptian rolled up his sleeves and got to work, his superb cross inviting Hugo Ekitike to put Liverpool ahead shortly after the interval before capping off the night with his sumptuous strike that made him the first African player to reach a half-century of goals in the Champions League.
After the soul-sapping misery of recent performances, there was an almost tangible release of relief at some of the attacking football Liverpool produced, Galatasaray dismantled in the second half in a manner which the Reds had only tentatively flirted with in Istanbul last week.
Salah’s link-up play with the increasingly influential Wirtz became far too much for a bewildered visiting defence.
There will be concern at the winger, having felt a problem, instantly calling to be replaced with 16 minutes remaining. Even with the international break imminent, Liverpool cannot afford to be missing any more players.
And the standing ovation Salah received on his substitution, and the applause from some of his team-mates, said it all. Both he and the Reds aren’t finished with this season just yet.
Ian Doyle has covered Liverpool for more than 25 years, following them across Europe in multiple Champions League and Europa League finals and as far afield as Thailand, Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong and Qatar, and has reported on the Reds winning every major honour. He previously also covered Everton for 18 years and has followed England, reporting on the European Championships and World Cup final. Once had to tell Jude Law he does not drive a Mini.
