LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool is making one of the toughest fixture lists in the new-format Champions League look quite easy.
Two Italian teams have now been comfortably dealt with, as unheralded Bologna was beaten 2-0 on Wednesday two weeks after AC Milan was brushed aside 3-1 in San Siro.
Two German opponents are up next — including former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso returning to Anfield as Bayer Leverkusen coach — then comes two Spanish teams, including a visit of defending champion Real Madrid.
Those stellar home games in November can show new Liverpool coach Arne Slot how the famed stadium can pulsate on European nights after he enjoyed a relatively calm home debut in the Champions League.
Mohamed Salah’s magical left foot created an 11th-minute goal for Alexis Mac Allister and curled in a rising shot in the 75th.
The Egypt star set a club record by scoring in a fifth straight home game in the European Cup or Champions League, as he was watched from the stands by the club’s scoring greats Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish.
Playing in the marquee competition for the first time in almost 60 years, Bologna is still looking for a first goal though not for lack of trying.
Bologna struck the frame of Liverpool’s goal twice and forced Allison Becker into a key diving save in an intense spell of pressure around the half-hour mark. The Italian side drew 0-0 with Shakhtar Donetsk two weeks ago when failing to make 17 goal attempts count. There were 12 more against Liverpool.
“Overall, a good result, but I wouldn’t use the word ‘delighted’ myself today,” Slot said.
Bologna will be back in England in three weeks’ time to next face Aston Villa, which beat Bayern Munich 1-0 on Wednesday.
Liverpool players were actually queuing up to score in the goalmouth early in the game as Salah teased the left side of the Bologna defense.
From his floated cross, Mac Allister scored with a simple half-volley from two meters (yards) in front of goal. Luis Díaz was standing next to Mac Allister, also unmarked, had he been needed.
The gulf in experience and resources was stark between two clubs whose gap in revenue was more than $600 million last year. The modern gulf between the Premier League and Serie A is such that Liverpool’s 2023 financial accounts showed revenue about $200 million more than Milan and Bologna combined.
Liverpool started Wednesday with seven players – including the entire defense – who lined up for the 2022 Champions League final against Madrid. Bologna captain Remo Freuler played in a quarterfinal in 2020 for Atalanta.
Still, Liverpool was perhaps too relaxed chasing a second goal, and Bologna dominated in a five-minute spell. Bologna’s Switzerland winger Dan Ndoye hit the crossbar and a post with shots, and Allison was at full stretch to dive and push away Kacper Urbański’s shot after Ndoye stole the ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool goes to Leipzig on Oct. 23 to continue one of the toughest schedules of the 36 teams, playing only teams from the big-5 leagues in the first seven rounds.
A third straight win, and nine points, would likely assure Liverpool of at least advancing to the knockout playoffs. The top eight teams go direct to the round of 16 in March.
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The Associated Press
