Salah Grabs Winner as Liverpool Beats Forest 3-2

Liverpool's Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 22, 2023. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 22, 2023. (AFP)
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Salah Grabs Winner as Liverpool Beats Forest 3-2

Liverpool's Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 22, 2023. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 22, 2023. (AFP)

Liverpool twice relinquished a lead before scoring a winner through Mohamed Salah as a 3-2 result over relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest preserved hopes of a top-four finish in the English Premier League on Saturday.

Diogo Jota put Liverpool 1-0 and 2-1 ahead at Anfield only for goals by Neco Williams — a former Liverpool player — and Morgan Gibbs-White to pull Forest level.

The last of five goals in a wild spell of 23 second-half minutes was converted by Salah, who side-footed in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free kick in the 70th minute for his 16th of the league campaign.

Liverpool jumped to seventh in the standings, six points behind fourth-placed Newcastle and three behind Tottenham in fifth. Newcastle hosts Tottenham on Sunday.

Forest, which is in next-to-last place, remained without a win since Feb. 5 and has lost six of its last seven games, leaving manager Steve Cooper under lots of pressure after he was told results had to improve by owner Evangelos Marinakis this month.



Wirtz Returns to Help Leverkusen Beat In-Form Frankfurt 2-1 in Bundesliga

 Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
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Wirtz Returns to Help Leverkusen Beat In-Form Frankfurt 2-1 in Bundesliga

 Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Florian Wirtz returned from injury to help Bayer Leverkusen defeat in-form Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, when the latter was aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty in stoppage time.

Hugo Ekitiké looked set to score by heading the ball into an unguarded net after a mix up between goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah, but Tah rushed back to put the airborne Ekitiké off balance and miss the ball.

Frankfurt’s protests went unheeded and Victor Boniface’s 72nd-minute goal proved to be the winner for the defending champion.

Boniface had an early chance from the penalty spot but Kevin Trapp saved his poorly struck spot kick in the ninth minute.

Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush showed how it’s done seven minutes later, firing a penalty inside the left post after a clumsy challenge from Robert Andrich. It was Marmoush’s ninth goal in seven Bundesliga games, and it stretched his six-game scoring run.

But Andrich atoned by equalizing in the 25th after playing a one-two with Amine Adli and then Martin Terrier before a cool finish inside the far post.

Boniface finally scored when Trapp deflected substitute Wirtz’s cross kindly for a simple header.

Leverkusen said on Tuesday that Wirtz injured his ankle while on international duty with Germany.

Also, Xavi Simons starred for Leipzig to beat Mainz 2-0 away, Freiburg routed Augsburg 3-1 at home, Borussia Mönchengladbach defeated Heidenheim 3-2, and Hoffenheim defeated winless Bochum 3-1.