Mohamed Salah was again the man on the scoresheet in Liverpool's Champions League loss to Real Madrid as he again proved the Reds must back him with a new contract recognising his contributions.

Time and time again, Mohamed Salah produces when Liverpool need him. With Real Madrid fully in the ascendancy of their Champions League quarter-final tie with the Reds, leading 2-0, Salah struck to offer the visitors hope of progression to the semi-finals.

Granted, that hope decreased - though a glimmer remains - after Vinicius Junior's second goal of the evening meant Real Madrid eventually ran out 3-1 victors. The Spaniards are massive favourites to progress into the final four and set up a showdown with Chelsea or Porto.

But it was again a case of Salah standing up to be counted, regardless. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (140), Lionel Messi (156) and Robert Lewandowski (177) have scored more goals than Salah (121) across all competitions - of the major five leagues that is - since his Liverpool debut in August 2017.

Make that 27 goals in 42 games now for Liverpool this season, with at least another nine matches of the campaign to play. At his current rate of a goal every 127 minutes, that's at least another six goals if he plays every minute of the season.

It could be more if the soon-to-be-dethroned Premier League champions can find a way to overturn their first-leg deficit against Real Madrid, though playing in a behind-closed-doors Anfield hurts their chances of doing so.


If Salah continues his current scoring rate, his final total will be significantly less than the 44 he mustered across all competitions in his debut season at Anfield in 2017-18.

Yet 33 would be the joint-second most goals that a Liverpool player has scored in a single campaign since 1996, with Fernando Torres also mustering the same amount in his sensational debut campaign at the club in 2007-08.

As the Egypt international postures over a possible move to Real Madrid and Barcelona, saying in the press that he'd be open to joining one of La Liga's big-hitters in the future, it must surely be clear to Liverpool's owners that Salah's contributions would be immensely difficult to replace.

Even more so were they to lose Salah this summer, given they don't have Champions League finances - and the lure of playing in the competition - to offer to any players they would want to sign as his successor.

Salah became just the fifth Liverpool player to score in four straight European appearances for the club after Roger Hunt, Robbie Fowler, Djibril Cisse and Steven Gerrard.

He now has 26 goals and 10 assists in 44 Champions League appearances on Merseyside to go with 91 goals and 34 assists in 137 Premier League appearances.

Salah loves the spotlight and thrives in it, especially at the very highest level. If Liverpool want to challenge for major honours again, the Egyptian is surely a player they must keep hold of.

Diogo Jota has been excellent this term since a £45m switch from Wolves, scoring 12 goals in 23 appearances, but was disappointing in Madrid, while Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have endured seasons well below their capabilities.