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Goodbyes are never easy.
The dark skies and torrential rain, the chances of silverware this season ended, suited the mood around Anfield. A glittering era is coming to an end.
Liverpool’s top goalscorer in the competition, having long eclipsed Steven Gerrard, ends his Anfield career with 48 Champions League goals for the club and as the Reds’ all-time European goalscorer, again ahead of Gerrard.
Mo Salah bids farewell to the Champions League
There were also 19 assists in his 85 Champions League appearances for Liverpool, making for 67 goal contributions for the top-scoring African in the competition’s history.
Salah scored 53 times in Europe for Liverpool, from an audacious chip against Manchester City, a trademark, curled effort against Roma in a semi-final, to the opening goal in the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham.
There was also the quickest hat-trick in Champions League history when coming off the bench against Rangers in 2022.
His final Champions League goal for Liverpool came in the last 16 tie against Galatasaray and it was very much trademark Salah, cutting in from the right and exchanging a pass with Florian Wirtz before curling into the far top corner in front of The Kop.
It was a goal the Anfield faithful have seen on repeat during the Egyptian’s nine years on Merseyside.
Salah’s final appearance in the competition for the club he signed for in 2017 came from the bench, with Arne Slot again not naming him in his starting lineup against Luis Enrique’s reigning champions.
Slot explained that, effectively, the plan was for Salah to replace Alexander Isak at half time, but Hugo Ekitike’s first-half injury meant Salah’s introduction arrived slightly earlier than planned.
Alas, Salah’s hour on the pitch showed exactly what he is capable of at age 33, and exactly what his next club will be getting.
Salah was Liverpool’s go-to attacking option. Despite not being on the pitch from the start, only five Liverpool players had more touches in the game than he did.
Within moments of coming on, he put in a cross to create the best opportunity so far - one which Ibrahima Konate should have scored from initially, before Virgil van Dijk was denied by an outstanding Marquinhos block.
As was the case against Fulham at the weekend, Salah linked with Wirtz and whenever Liverpool looked most threatening it was because of that duo combining.
Salah and Wirtz each created four chances, the joint highest in the game.
Salah also registered the most touches inside the opposition box as Liverpool continually looked to their talisman and one of the club’s greatest ever players.
However, Salah’s one shot was blocked and his attempts at beating his man often ended in failure and frustration.
As it has often this season, it looks like a case of when the mind knows what it wants but the body can’t quite deliver it any more.
Physically, Salah can’t impose himself in the way he used to in duels and one-v-ones. His pace has dropped when chasing back or attempting to race clear. The attempt is still there but Father Time catches up even with the fittest, most dedicated athletes.
Alas, a different manager may have found a way to foster an environment in which Salah could still prosper, make use of his incredible playmaking ability and provide a system that doesn’t require the defensive workload.
Salah is, after all, one of the greatest players Liverpool have ever had and a player that most clubs in Europe would still love to have in their squad.
Will this be Salah's final Champions League appearance? He'd still be a quality option for most clubs in next season's competition.
Many Liverpool supporters feel that Salah’s decline this season has not been helped by Slot’s use of him tactically. Could an adjustment to two strikers together in a 4-2-2-2 shape have got the best out of not only Salah but also the likes of Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai and strikers Isak and Ekitike when they were available?
Unfortunately, we’ll never find out. Salah has six games remaining of his Liverpool career, starting with Sunday’s Merseyside derby, while Ekitike looks to be facing a very long period on the sidelines.
Liverpool already needed attacking signings this summer, which has been underlined by both Salah’s importance to the team despite his imminent departure.
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