- Champions League final will pit Egyptian ace against Portuguese star Ronaldo.
- Salah has scored 43 goals in a stunning debut season at Anfield and is now a favorite for the Ballon d'Or
Mohamed Salah has told fans that the Champions League final will not be a personal duel between himself and Cristiano Ronaldo, rather a battle between the collective might of two great clubs — Liverpool and Real Madrid.
The Reds lost their semifinal second leg to Roma 4-2 on Wednesday, but the defeat was not enough to stop Liverpool’s march to the final, with Jurgen Klopp’s men going through 7-6 on aggregate.
That has set up a mouth-watering showdown in Kiev against the defending champions and the prospect of battle between Salah and Ronaldo. The Egyptian ace has had a superb season at Anfield, scoring 43 goals, earning him rave reviews and comparisons with Lionel Messi and the Portuguese star.
But keen to emphasize the fact that Liverpool’s route to their eighth Champions League final has been far from a one-man show, Salah told fans that he is only focused on winning the trophy for his team and not proving he is the best player in the world.
“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,” Salah said.
“It is not going to be a final between Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo. 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.”
Klopp meanwhile has warned his side that the job is only half done, and that getting to the final will mean nothing unless they can beat the defending champions a lift the club’s sixth Champions League.
“Going to a final is really nice, but winning is even nicer. We will be ready, but it is Real Madrid,” Klopp said. “You cannot be more experienced in this competition
than Real Madrid. They are in the final four times in the last five years and still together. They are experienced, we are not, but we will be really on fire.”