Salah brace downs City 3-1 as Haaland disappoints for the champions
By Paul Lagan at King Power Stadium
Liverpool 3 v Man City 1
Community Shield
Mohamed Salah shone like a big, bright red beacon as he propelled his side to a 3-1 victory over champions Manchester City in the the traditional curtain-raiser - the Community Shield.
Wembley, the usual venue was being transformed by UEFA for tomorrow’s Women’s Euros final, so the King Power Stadium was the destination for the players and fans from the North-East.
Salah hit a brace, the second cancelling out Julian Alvarez’s second-half equaliser.
Darwin Nunez finished off the Blues deep into added time at the end of the game.
City’s new striker Erland Haaland had a quiet time, smacking the crossbar late-on, even though he was offside.
In a feisty opening period of play there were excellent goal-scoring exchanges - Mohamed Salah slashed the Man City side-netting on nine minutes and Nathan Ale’s glancing header going just wide nine minutes set the tone.a am
Andy Robertson hit the other side-netting on 14 minutes before the Red found where the actual goal was on 21 minutes.
Trent Alexander-Arnold clipped right-footer from a the edge of the Man City penalty area, took a - deflection off the top of centre-back Ake’s head which took the ball beyond the diving grasp of Ederson.
Ake refused to return to Chelsea in recent weeks and may rue that decision.
It was excellent play by Liverpool who switched the ball quickly across the pitch. leaving Salah the easiest of chances to control the ball and simple tap to the in-running full-back
While finished with aplomb.
Erland Haaland had his first sniff of goal on 33 minutes but his expertly executed left-footed side-kick was, while goal-bound, from 10 yards out, not accurate enough to get past Adrian.
Riyad Mahrez had a weak left-footed shot on goal six minutes from half-time. again it wasn’t good enough to trouble the Liverpool stopper.
City dominated the majority of the second half, and deservedly equalised on 70 minutes when substitute Julian Alvarez tucked hime from close range after Adrian fumbled the ball.
VAR intervened when the goal was disallowed for a potential offside, but the decision was overruled by the VAR officials.
They were drawn into action 10 minutes later when they saw Ruben Dias hand;e the ball in the sox-yard box after referee Craig Dawson missed the incident.
Up stepped Salah to crash home the spot kick into the back of the net to restore their lead.
City were cut apart deep into added time with Darwin Nunez heading home from close range to make it 3-1 and game over.
Teams: Liverpool, Adrian, Tavares, Van Dijk, Alcantara, Firmino, Salah, Henderson, Robertson, Matic, Alexander-Arnold
Subs, Davis, Konate, Milner, Keita, Jones, Elliott, Nunez, Carvalho
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Cancelo, Haaland, Grealish, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Silva, Mahrez
Subs: Moreno, Phillips, Stones, Gundogan, Alvarez, Foden, Maeterlinck, Palmer, Wilson-Esbrand
