Salah Will Always Score Goals, Says Liverpool Boss Slot

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Manchester, England. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Manchester, England. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
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Salah Will Always Score Goals, Says Liverpool Boss Slot

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Manchester, England. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Manchester, England. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Liverpool manager Arne Slot was not the least bit surprised by the superb performance of Mohamed Salah in their 2-0 Champions League victory over Bologna on Wednesday.

Salah set up Alexis Mac Allister's goal with a pinpoint cross and then bagged his own with a rocket to the top corner for an astounding 49th goal in the Champions League.

It was Salah's third goal in his last three games, which came on the back of a three-game mini drought.

"Before (last week's League Cup win over West Ham United), Mo played three games without scoring a goal. So it is in football, it can happen that sometimes in three games, you score one or you don't score," Slot said, Reuters reported.

"But these players, like Mo, they will always score their goals if you just keep playing them."

The manager would not speculate on Salah's future at the Merseyside club. Salah's contract expires at the end of this season and he has said this will be his last season at Anfield.

"Mo has done really well today, and I'm happy with the way he does at the moment, and I'm not looking forward to next season," Slot said.

The 46-year-old Dutchman, who replaced Juergen Klopp in the close season, has become the team's first manager to win eight of their first nine games across all competitions.

His team have won their opening two in the Champions League to sit fifth in the 36-team table. They also top the Premier League. Slot, however, shrugged off the accolade.

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"I don't draw many conclusions from that, but it's nice. So many incredible managers have worked here, doing so many special things," he said. "The only thing is I hope it is not the only thing people remember me for in two or three years or however long I am here. If all they say is, 'that's the manager who won eight out of nine!'

"I'm hoping to do more special things than just win eight out of my first nine games."

He also praised Klopp for the squad he inherited.

"It also says how I have been left this club -- the work rate the players put in, how the staff are helping me get these results," Slot said.



Badosa Ends Zhang's Resurgence at China Open

Paula Badosa of Spain celebrates after winning the China Open tennis tournament women's singles match against Zhang Shuai of China at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Paula Badosa of Spain celebrates after winning the China Open tennis tournament women's singles match against Zhang Shuai of China at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
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Badosa Ends Zhang's Resurgence at China Open

Paula Badosa of Spain celebrates after winning the China Open tennis tournament women's singles match against Zhang Shuai of China at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Paula Badosa of Spain celebrates after winning the China Open tennis tournament women's singles match against Zhang Shuai of China at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Zhang Shuai’s drought-busting week came to a shuddering halt as Paula Badosa continued her own resurgence in a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory to make the China Open semifinals on Thursday.
The 19th-ranked Spaniard has won 28 of her last 35 matches dating to May and made the semifinals of three of her past five tournaments. There was also a run to the US Open quarterfinals last month.
But the story of the week has been the 35-year-old Zhang, who entered the China Open on a 24-match losing streak — the second longest in the Open era — and ranked No. 595. She didn't drop a set in four matches this week.
The Chinese wild card had no answer, though, to Badosa's fast start as the Spaniard made three service breaks to comfortably claim the opening set.
It was much closer in the second set as Badosa found herself down 3-1. She rallied and edged Zhang in the tiebreak.
The former No. 2-ranked Badosa will play No. 6 Coco Gauff or No. 115 Yuliia Starodubtseva, who play later Thursday.
Gauff advanced to the quarterfinals after four-time major winner Naomi Osaka was forced to retire because of a lower back injury. The American helped carry Osaka’s bags off the court.
Shanghai Masters Italy's Matteo Berrettini bounced back from the disappointment of an injury ending his Japan Open last week by squeezing past Christopher O'Connell 7-6, (9) 7-6 (6) in the Shanghai first round.
The Italian, who retired with an abdominal injury in the second round in Tokyo last Friday, had his fitness given a stern examination by the Australian in a lung-busting match lasting two hours, 13 minutes.
Next up for the former Wimbledon finalist is No. 14-ranked Holger Rune.
Other first-round winners included Marcos Giron, David Goffin, Jaume Munar, Zhou Yi, Jakub Mensik and Miomir Kecmanovic.
The 32 seeded players received a first-round bye, including top-ranked Jannik Sinner and second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who won the China Open against the Italian on Wednesday. Sinner starts against Taro Daniel of Japan, and Alcaraz faces Shang Juncheng of China.