Mohamed Salah’s contract preference revealed after reaction from Liverpool teammate

Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones played a key role in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Lille, a result that helped Arne Slot’s team secure their place in the Champions League knockout stage ahead of schedule.

Earlier in the week, Curtis Jones had sparked some debate by stating that at his peak, Eden Hazard was a better player than Mohamed Salah. However, Jones quickly clarified that he would still prefer Salah as a teammate. This sentiment was exemplified 11 minutes before half-time during a chilly home match against Lille, Hazard’s former club, when Jones set up Salah for the opening goal in a previously uneventful game.

After Kostas Tsimikas dispossessed Jonathan David in Liverpool’s half, the ball was passed from Ryan Gravenberch to Jones. Seeing Salah sprinting forward, Jones delivered a perfect pass, allowing Salah to take the ball forward and finish neatly into the top corner.

Salah celebrated in his usual manner, sitting on an Anfield Road Stand advertising hoarding with arms outstretched, before being joined by Jones, who pointedly gestured to the pitch as a sign of support for his teammate amidst ongoing contract talks.

For Salah, it marked the end of a rare goal drought, having not scored in three games. The goal, his 50th in European competition for Liverpool, also brought his tally for the season to 22. However, Jones’ night ended early after he suffered a knock before half-time and did not return for the second half.

Liverpool’s dominance in the new-look Champions League group stage is evident, with this being their seventh win out of seven. While the victory over Lille is viewed as routine, it’s worth noting that Lille, who had previously beaten Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, were unbeaten since September and had proven difficult to break down.

Barcelona’s dramatic 5-4 win over Benfica means that Arne Slot’s side must still secure a result next week at PSV Eindhoven to claim top spot. Few, however, could have predicted how well Liverpool have adapted since their return to Europe’s elite competition.

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Explaining Liverpool’s Champions League permutations before the Lille match

Liverpool need a point against Lille on Tuesday night to secure their place in the Champions League last 16.

The Reds will welcome the French side to Anfield for their seventh match of the current league phase, with an 8pm GMT kick-off.

Arne Slot’s team has been perfect in the competition so far, winning all six of their matches. They are three points ahead at the top of the standings and are assured of at least a spot in the knockout play-offs.

A draw against Lille would guarantee a top-eight finish for Liverpool and automatic progression to the last 16.

Depending on results elsewhere, Liverpool could still advance to the last 16 even with a loss to Lille, as only 11 of the other 35 teams still have a chance to surpass them in the table with two games remaining.

Slot’s squad will also travel to the Netherlands to face PSV Eindhoven on January 29 in their final match of the league phase.

Clubs finishing in 9th to 24th place in the final standings will compete in two-legged play-offs to reach the last 16. Teams finishing 25th and lower will be eliminated from European competition for the 2024-25 season.

The knockout play-offs will take place on February 11/12 and February 18/19, with the last-16 ties scheduled for March 4/5 and March 11/12.

The top eight finishers in the league phase will be seeded for the last 16, facing a qualifier from the knockout play-offs. These seeded teams will play the second leg of their last-16 match at home.