Salah: 'Liverpool deserve the Champions League'
"Liverpool created more chances and deserved to win. Personally, I had two or three obvious chances, but Courtois made a lot of wonderful saves. That's Courtois's job and that's why Real Madrid signed him. It's Courtois's night," Salah told French Football.
On May 28th in Stade de France, Liverpool had 54% possession of the ball, took 6 corners and shot 24 times, including 9 shots. Real Madrid's parameters are 46%, two corners, four shots and two shots. Royals tracked and scored the only goal in the 59th minute when Federico Valverde stretched towards the far post to allow Vinicius to cushion an empty net.
In this game, Salah played 90 minutes and finished 6 times. The best chance came in the 83rd minute, when the Egyptian star crossed Mendy with a right-foot oblique shot, but Courtois had time to push the ball away. Salah hits the ground with regret and his team-mate runs to hug Courtois.
Salah has had a successful season, scoring 31 goals and helping Liverpool boost their ambitions for a four-game winning streak. They beat Chelsea on penalties in the final to win the FA Cup and League Cup, only losing in the Premier League and Champions League in the last game.
As well as the collective title, Salah wants to become only the second African player to win the Ballon d 'Or after legend George Weah. He said: "I was shocked to finish only seventh in the polls in 2021. This year, losing to Real Madrid was a big disadvantage, even if I played well. But it didn't hide my performance. I was a few months before. If I didn't win the 2022 Ballon d 'Or, I will do everything I can to win it next season."
The Liverpool striker also hailed Benzema-the strongest candidate to win the 2022 Ballon d 'Or-as the most complete player in the Real Madrid squad. "Benzema is not only a striker, but also affects every aspect of Real Madrid's game," Salah commented. "Like all the other players, I want to be considered the best player in the world. At Liverpool, the players run for their teammates. If I don't fight for defense, they don't fight for me. I have to be an example and be the first to impress and sacrifice myself for the team."
Salah has played for Liverpool since the 2017-2018 season, scoring 44 goals, 27 goals, 23 goals and 31 goals in various competitions in the first four seasons, helping the club win the Premier League, Champions League, European Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. The 29-year-old striker revealed that meditation and a strict diet have helped him stay focused and at a high level over the past few seasons. He added: "Last summer, on holiday in Greece in front of the sea, I asked myself how to be a better player. It's really difficult because I always have two or three defenders to accompany me. I must find a way to develop myself and take advantage of the gap. My efforts paid off and the statistics improved. My goal is not to give my opponents breathing space and make them feel dangerous in every moment of the whole game. "
