Mohamed Salah sets a special record in the Champions League

Mohamed Salah had a memorable evening at Anfield. Liverpool reversed their fortunes against Galatasaray to secure a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals, while he achieved the distinction of being the first African footballer to score 50 goals in this top-tier tournament.

Salah reaches the milestone of 50 goals in the Champions League

The Egyptian veteran likely blamed himself quite a bit for failing to beat the opposing goalkeeper from the penalty spot before the halftime break. The reason: Liverpool had lost 0-1 in the first leg, and at that moment, they had leveled the tie with a superb strike from Dominik Szoboszlai.

However, the explosive performance in the second half led Liverpool to a decisive victory, and Salah himself rectified the mistake with a precise cut-back shot that sealed the 4-0 win (4-1 aggregate). In the quarter-finals, Liverpool will reunite with PSG – the opponent that eliminated them last season after a penalty shootout, promising a fateful rematch.

This goal also allowed Salah to etch his name into Champions League history. Previously, he was already the greatest African scorer in the competition, and now he further extends his lead over legends like Didier Drogba (44 goals), Samuel Eto'o (30 goals), and Sadio Mane (27 goals). Among these, Drogba and Eto'o have retired, while Mane is far behind him and currently "retiring" at Al Nassr (Saudi Pro League).

This milestone also makes Salah the 12th player in Champions League history to reach 50 goals. Shortly before, Harry Kane became the 11th to achieve this feat with a brace in Bayern Munich's victory over Atalanta.

However, the joy for the home team at Anfield was not complete as Salah had to leave the field in the 73rd minute due to a groin issue. He was replaced by Cody Gakpo and immediately went to the tunnel for examination. The injury condition remains unclear, causing Liverpool fans to worry ahead of the Premier League match against Brighton this weekend.

Despite securing a place in the Champions League quarter-finals, Liverpool still must exert themselves in the Premier League top-four race, as they currently stand in 5th position.