Mohamed Salah, the talisman leading Liverpool’s extraordinary campaign, scored his 50th European goal for the club as Jurgen Klopp’s side secured a 2-1 victory over Lille on Wednesday, maintaining their flawless Champions League group stage record.

Liverpool’s seventh successive win in the competition came against a resilient Lille side, who played with ten men for the final half-hour. A deflected winner from substitute Harvey Elliott sealed the Reds’ triumph after Jonathan David had briefly levelled for the French visitors.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Lille put up a determined fight, with David scoring his side’s only goal just two minutes after defender Aïssa Mandi was sent off. David’s strike ended Liverpool’s run of 599 minutes without conceding in the Champions League this season.

Salah Reaches Milestone

The match began with Lille showcasing their intent. Just 30 seconds in, Gabriel Gudmundsson dispossessed Conor Bradley and unleashed a powerful effort that narrowly missed the target. This early warning underlined Lille’s impressive 21-match unbeaten run in all competitions leading up to the game.

However, Liverpool quickly found their rhythm. Salah had his first opportunity in the seventh minute, testing Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier with a lofted attempt after a clever pass from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Salah eventually broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. Kostas Tsimikas’ robust tackle on Jonathan David in Liverpool’s half allowed Curtis Jones to pick up possession and deliver a perfectly weighted through ball. Salah raced onto it, lifting a sublime finish over the onrushing Chevalier to net his milestone goal. Lille protested against Tsimikas’ challenge, but the referee waved away their appeals.

Salah nearly doubled his tally before half-time, latching onto an exceptional long pass from Luis Díaz but firing just wide.

Lille Fight Back

Lille continued to press after the interval, and their efforts paid off in the 62nd minute. Gudmundsson delivered an excellent cross that found Hákon Arnar Haraldsson. Although Haraldsson’s initial shot was blocked by Jarell Quansah, the ball fell kindly to David, who smashed it into the roof of the net.

Lille’s joy was short-lived. Five minutes later, Elliott restored Liverpool’s lead. A defensive header by David inadvertently set up Elliott, whose strike from the edge of the area took a heavy deflection off Ngal’Ayel Mukau, wrong-footing Chevalier and finding the back of the net.

Mandi’s Dismissal and Liverpool’s Game Management

Lille’s task was made even more challenging when Mandi, already on a yellow card, cynically brought down Díaz on the hour mark. The referee showed him a second yellow, reducing Lille to ten men.

Liverpool capitalised on their numerical advantage, controlling the game expertly in the final stages. Salah was denied by a brilliant save from Chevalier, while the Lille goalkeeper also thwarted efforts from Federico Chiesa and Alexis Mac Allister.

Line-ups and Player Ratings

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson 6; Bradley 5 (Alexander-Arnold 86), Quansah 7, Van Dijk 6, Tsimikas 6; Gravenberch 6 (Elliott 46, 6), Jones 7 (Mac Allister 46, 6); Salah 7, Szoboszlai 7 (Endo 63, 6), Díaz 8 (Chiesa 78, 5); Núñez 7.

Substitutes (not used): Jaros, Kelleher, Konaté, Gakpo, Robertson, Danns, Morton.

Lille (4-2-3-1): Chevalier 7; Mandi 5, Diakité 7, Alexsandro 7, Gudmundsson 8 (Ismaily 74, 5); André 6, Mukau 5 (Bouaddi 74, 5); Cabella 7 (Sahraoui 63, 5), Haraldsson 6, Bakker 6 (Meunier 63, 5); David 6.

Substitutes (not used): Mannone, Caillard, Gomes, Bayo, Mbappé, Cossier.

Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany) 6.

Liverpool’s victory keeps them firmly on course to win their group, while Lille’s chances of progressing to the knockout stages now hang in the balance.