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What's the story?
Arsenal legend Paul Merson has given his thoughts on Mohamed Salah's performance in Liverpool's semi-final first-leg defeat to Barcelona, stating that the loss stands as a testament to how far the Egyptian stands from Lionel Messi.
In case you didn't know
Barcelona bested Liverpool 3-0 during the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou on Wednesday night.
Efficiency in front of goal proved to be the key difference between the two footballing giants. While Messi and Luis Suarez scored to give the Catalan giants a crucial advantage, Liverpool squandered a number of chances and were unable to give themselves a foothold in the fixture.
One of those chances came when Salah collected the ball in the penalty area shortly after Messi's spectacular free-kick. Instead of securing an invaluable away goal for the Reds, the Egyptian smashed the ball against the post, much to everyone's disbelief.
The heart of the matter
Writing for the Daily Star, Merson slammed the comparisons that have been made between Salah and Messi in the last few years, stating that the Egyptian's performance in the Champions League semi-final alone proves he cannot rival the Barcelona captain.
The former Arsenal man said, "You’re always judged on how you play in the big games, and this week just proved how far he is behind Lionel Messi. Messi never lets you down when it matters. That’s why he’s the best player in the world. Only Cristiano Ronaldo can rival him for that crown."
He added, "I’ve been there. You lie in bed at the hotel after a miss like that and it just keeps on going through your head. It’s a horrible feeling. But you miss chances sometimes. Everyone does. It just proves he’s human. People say he’s had a bad season but he’s the Premier League’s top scorer!"
"He doesn’t seem the type to dwell on it. He seems quite laid back. He could make four mistakes in a game but still not lose his confidence and end up doing something special. So I think he will bounce back against Newcastle. He is a strong character and Liverpool need him firing if they’re going to win the league."
What's next?
Liverpool will host Barcelona for the second leg at Anfield on May 7 and will hope to overturn their deficit to progress to the Champions League final.
