Mo Salah penalty moves Liverpool closer to Champions League last 16

Mohamed Salah's enduring consistency extended the Champions League’s only 100% record to six matches as his penalty secured Liverpool a 1-0 victory in Girona to virtually guarantee the leaders a place in the top eight, and thus progression to the last 16.

The Egypt international became the 11th man to reach 50 Champions League goals, overtaking Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kylian Mbappe with Thierry Henry (51) and Thomas Muller (54) now in his sights.

Having missed from the spot a fortnight ago against Real Madrid, there was no mistake this time when presented with the opportunity in the 63rd minute to extend an impressive record of scoring in 11 of his last 16 matches.

And while the chatter and conjecture over the summer expiration of his contract – reports last week suggest he has at least now been offered a new deal – it is not affecting the 32-year-old’s output.

It was his 16th goal of the season, his 47th for the Reds in European club football’s premier competition, and Liverpool’s 50th. He also equalled Steven Gerrard’s club record of six Champions League penalties and is now just one goal behind Billy Liddell, fourth on the club’s all-time goalscoring list.

Salah benefited from a VAR intervention after it spotted Luis Diaz’s left boot had been removed by former Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek’s ambitious attempt to nick the ball in the penalty area.

But it was not only Salah’s reliability which Liverpool were indebted to as goalkeeper Alisson Becker, making his first appearance in two months after a hamstring injury, helped extended their run without conceding in this competition to just short of nine hours.

In his absence Corkman Caoimhín Kelleher had kept five clean sheets in 11 matches, including against Real