LONDON: Liverpool must block out players who perform better than Mohamed Salah if they are to overcome Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League.
Ousmane Dembele scored his 18th goal since the beginning of January last Saturday as PSG crushed Lille 4-1.
Previously, the player with the most goals since the start of the 21st century for any club in the top five leagues was held by Lionel Messi, who scored 17 goals for Barcelona in 2016 — after he surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s 16 goals for Real Madrid in 2013.
Dembele equalled that record in midweek during PSG’s dominant win over Stade Briochin in the French Cup quarter-finals, in which he scored the final goal of the match.
The France international has been in impressive form, scoring 26 goals in all competitions — an astonishing 21 since December 15.
Salah has scored 30 goals in total, with 14 goals since mid-December.
It sparked Liverpool’s long-awaited clash, sparked by Salah’s inspiration, in the last 16 of the Champions League in Paris early Thursday morning.
Both strikers have made significant contributions to their respective teams’ success this season, both domestically and in European competitions.
The head-to-head clash could have important implications for the Ballon d’Or award race, which looks to be wide open this season.
Dembele enjoyed the best season of his career as PSG trusted him to lead their project after the departure of Kylian Mbappe.