Salah and Nunes save Liverpool from Fulham bump
Uruguayan strikers Darwin Nunes and Egyptian Mohamed Salah
saved Liverpool team from a sudden loss against its host Fulham,
returning to the English Premier League, by scoring two goals 2-2
on Saturday at Craven Cottage in west London in the first stage.
Liverpool entered the match ecstatic by winning the Community Shield
with a remarkable result over Manchester City 3-1, its traditional rivals
in recent years, last Saturday, but it came out with minimal losses after
a modest display over the ninety minutes.
The German coach of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, played the match with
the same squad that fought the Community Shield, with the exception
of the return of the Brazilian goalkeeper, Alisson, between the three blocks,
instead of the Spaniard Adrian.
“The best thing about the game is the result,” Klopp said after the match.
“We don’t deserve more than that. We can improve our level dramatically.”
“We started the game very badly, we did not find solutions during the match,
we did not create many chances and we missed our rhythm, contrary to our habits,
” he added.
Nunes, who moved to Liverpool, started a huge deal on the bench of the reserve
players, while the Brazilian Roberto Firmino occupied the spearhead position
with the support of Salah on the right side, and the Colombian Luis Dias on the left,
while the Portuguese striker Diogo Jota was absent due to a muscle injury.
On the other hand, Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic led the attacking line
of Fulham, returning to the Premier League after a season in the “Championship”.
Mitrovic was an active participant in this comeback, scoring 43 goals last season in 44 games.
Fulham began the match by pressing the keys to play in the ranks of Liverpool,
specifically on the Spaniard Thiago Alcantara and the Brazilian Fabinho.
Liverpool scored a goal by Dias from a curling ball from inside the area,
but the referee did not count it due to the infiltration of Scotsman
Andy Robertson (15), then Salah’s shy header in the hands of the goalkeeper (22).
Despite Liverpool’s possession of the ball by a large percentage, Fulham was
the most dangerous team until it was able to open the scoring through its
top scorer Mitrovic, who rose to a cross from Dutch right-back Kenny Titi
over Trent Alexander Arnold to enter the net despite the intervention of Alison (32).
And Liverpool had the opportunity to equalize when Dias manipulated one
of the Fulham defenders and fired a powerful ball into the area that touched
the top of the left post and went out (38).
Fulham remained the best team at the beginning of the second half, and its
Congolese player, Democratic Neskens Kibanu, almost added the second goal,
but his powerful shot bounced off the post (57).
Nunes participated in place of the unsuccessful Firmino and almost equalized
moments after a perfect pass from Salah, who hit it with his heel,
but Fulham goalkeeper saved it brilliantly (60).
However, the Colombian succeeded in his second attempt a few minutes
after a completely similar scenario, after a pass from Salah and a wonderful
goal with the heel in the roof of the network, opening his balance in
the English Premier League (64).
Nunes scored the reassuring goal against City 3-1 in the Community Shield match last Saturday.
However, Liverpool’s joy did not last long because Fulham got a penalty after
Mitrovic was obstructed by Dutch defense pole Virgil van Dijk, so he took the
first, giving his team progress again and scoring his second personal goal (72).
Liverpool threw all his weight and succeeded once again in equalizing
the numbers after a long forehand ball from Arnold, exchanged by Salah
and Nunes, and prepared in front of the latter, to follow it with calm nerves
inside the net from a short distance (81).
It is the sixth time in a row that Salah scored a goal in the opening match of Liverpool.
Salah and Nunes save Liverpool from Fulham bump
