Anfield set the backdrop for Liverpool’s 100th home game in the European Cup on Wednesday night, and a frantic, up-and-down 4-3 win over Salzburg played out.
The Reds rode their luck after seeing a three-goal lead slip as Hwang Hee-chan, Takumi Minamino and Erling Braut Haaland cancelled out strikes from Sadio Mane, Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah.
But a change of approach and the persistence of Roberto Firmino allowed Salah to net his second of the night to seal the three points.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side are now still firmly in the running in Group E, as they look to defend their Champions League crown and reach their third consecutive final.
Here are five key stats from Liverpool’s crazy win at Anfield.
Anfield’s Fitting 100th Night
This was Liverpool’s first Champions League clash back at Anfield since the 4-0 thrashing of Barcelona in last season’s semi-finals.
It was also the club’s 100th on home soil in the history of the European Cup, and provided its 71st win, with the Reds having drawn 17 and lost just 12 in their own stadium.
The tie played out in familiar Anfield style, with the scoreline ensuring it has seen seven more goals than any other ground in the Champions League since the beginning of 2017/18 (47).
Salzburg became the first side to score three goals at Liverpool in Europe since Real Madrid in October 2014, and only the fourth to do so since the tournament’s inception in 1992:
They are also, however, the only side to lose after doing so.
Bobby’s All-Round Class
Firmino celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday, sharing it with his fellow Brazilian, Alisson, who turned 27.
Though the goalkeeper was left to watch on as he continues his recovery from a calf injury, Firmino made his 10th appearance of the season to lead the line.
And he produced an excellent display, as a contender for Man of the Match, and laid on three goals for his team-mates: Mane’s opener, and both for Salah.
According to Opta, Firmino is the only player since the start of 2017/18 to have scored and assisted 10 or more goals in the Champions League.
Fourteen goals and 11 assists, coming in 27 games, highlight the all-round class of Liverpool’s No. 9, who has now had a hand in 10 goals in 10 games in all competitions this season.
King of the Scots
It is fair to say Robertson’s first-half strike was a rarity, and it was one of world-class quality, sweeping from left-back to centre-forward to tap in from Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s cross.
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Salah and Mane joked that “finally, he scored,” and it was only his second since joining Liverpool from Hull in 2017.
Robertson’s goal came a year-and-a-half after his first for the club, but even more remarkable is the run he ended without a Scottish player scoring in Europe:
After 18 years, Gary Mac’s ‘record’ is broken.
Oh Mane, Mane
Mane put a profligate afternoon at Bramall Lane behind him as he netted after just nine minutes, following a smart one-two with Firmino.
This was the 27-year-old’s seventh goal of the season, keeping him ahead of Salah in the scoring charts for Liverpool despite his fellow forward adding two to his tally at Anfield.
The Senegalese has now scored 15 goals in the Champions League, becoming only the third Reds player to do so, behind Salah (17) and Steven Gerrard (21).
According to Sky Sports, only 12 players have reached the 15-goal mark in the competition in fewer games than Mane (26), who is level with Neymar:
On an incredible run on the continent since his switch to Liverpool, Mane also now has more European Cup goals than the legendary Ian Rush, who scored 14.
Salah Passes Ronaldo
Salah has been overlooked for the individual honours in 2019, as Virgil van Dijk vies with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for various awards.
But the No. 11 remains a constant, top-level goalscorer for Liverpool, and despite not reaching his high standard of performance on Wednesday night, still found the back of the net twice, including the winner.
And as Sky Sports have detailed, only Robert Lewandowski and Messi have scored more goals for clubs in Europe’s top five leagues since his switch to Merseyside in 2017:
Salah’s brace against Salzburg brought his record above that of Ronaldo; a marker of his consistency and quality.