Mohamed Salah Benched Again as Liverpool Face PSG in Champions League Clash
mohamed salah is not in Liverpool’s starting lineup for tonight’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg against PSG at Anfield. The decision comes after Liverpool trailed 2-0 from the first leg in Paris, and it leaves Arne Slot going with a different attacking plan as the team tries to force a comeback. Salah is on the bench and is not injured.
Arne Slot Changes the Attack
Slot has chosen Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak to start together up front, with Florian Writz and Dominik Szoboszlai operating behind them. The setup is designed to help Liverpool score early and push the tie toward extra time if needed. Slot said the team needs goals and described Isak and Ekitike as players Liverpool can play into.
The Liverpool manager also made clear that Isak will not be asked to play the full match. That detail helps explain why the starting XI has been built around a front line that can attack immediately, while leaving room for changes later in the night.
What Mohamed Salah Means For Liverpool Tonight
mohamed salah did feature over the weekend in Liverpool’s Premier League win over Fulham, where he scored the second goal in a 2-0 home victory. That makes tonight’s bench role notable, especially after he was also left out of the starting lineup in the first leg in Paris. Liverpool will now try to overturn the deficit without him from the opening whistle.
Slot has suggested Salah could still be used in the second half, which keeps open the possibility that the forward could still influence the match. The context is important because this could also be Salah’s last Champions League appearance for Liverpool in his career, depending on how the tie develops.
Carragher Questions The Decision
Jamie Carragher was openly surprised by the call to leave Salah out again. Speaking on CBS Sports coverage, the former defender said he could not understand why Salah was not playing and added that he was “flabbergasted” by the choice. Carragher also said Salah is still one of Liverpool’s best goalscorers and noted that he had already played in the Premier League at the weekend.
Carragher also raised the idea that the selection might reflect broader thinking from the manager, including a comparison to Sir Alex Ferguson. He did not present that as certainty, but as one of the few explanations he could think of for the decision.
Why Tonight Matters
Liverpool are chasing a comeback at Anfield after losing the first leg 2-0 in Paris, and the pressure on Slot’s selection is immediate. The choice to start Isak and Ekitike together is the clearest sign yet that Liverpool are betting on a more direct attacking approach to change the tie.
Whether mohamed salah enters from the bench may become one of the defining details of the night. If he does get on, it could shape not only Liverpool’s push for a turnaround but also the final chapter of mohamed salah’s Champions League story at the club.
