GIRONA, Spain: Champions League group phase leaders Liverpool virtually sealed a place in the last 16 with a tight 1-0 victory at Girona on Tuesday after Mohamed Salah struck from the penalty spot.
Liverpool have made a stunning start in the competition under coach Arne Slot, winning all six of their matches to move provisionally five points clear of second-placed Inter Milan.
The English giants, six-time winners of the competition, were given a tough night by Champions League debutants Girona, who fell to a fifth defeat and are on the verge of elimination.
Teams finishing in the top eight will avoid an extra round of play-off matches.
“If you ask me about all six games, I’m really pleased with all the results... (but) I’m far from pleased about the performance tonight,” Slot told reporters.
“(We had) hardly any control at all over the game, maybe the second half was a bit better but then I’m trying to be positive.”
Slot started fit-again goalkeeper Alisson Becker after a two-month injury lay-off and the Brazilian showed no sign of rust on a busy night.
After their Merseyside derby clash at Everton was called off because of a storm at the weekend, Slot was able to pick a fresh side, going with arguably his strongest available team to try and assure a top eight finish as soon as possible.
Newcomers Girona, who lost several key players in the summer and are still rebuilding, opted for Arnaut Danjuma in attack with support from spritely duo Bryan Gil and Yaser Asprilla.
Liverpool pinned the hosts back in the first 10 minutes and Girona stopper Paulo Gazzaniga pushed away a Joe Gomez header.
After that Michel Sanchez’s Girona found their footing on a chilly night at their sold-out Montilivi stadium, reduced to under 10,000 capacity due to UEFA regulations, and they began to put Alisson to the test.
The goalkeeper saved from Alejandro Frances and then denied former Tottenham winger Gil, who slipped as he ran through on Liverpool’s goal.
Alisson also beat away a Miguel Gutierrez drive as the qualities of the side which pushed Real Madrid close for the Spanish title last season shone through.
“Maybe the players wanted to see how fit he really was, so they gave him so much work,” joked Slot.
“Alisson has been so important for this club for so many years, and showed today he is one of the best, the best in my opinion, goalkeeper in the world.”
Darwin Nunez spurned Liverpool’s first big chance after Salah slipped him in, with Gazzaniga keeping out the Uruguayan striker’s low poke.
Alisson was tested again early in the second half by former Bournemouth forward Danjuma.
The Dutchman then gave Liverpool’s defense the slip with a clever dribble but fired over, as Slot’s words ahead of the game were proven true — Girona were better than the standings suggested.
Despite their valiant efforts, the Liverpool juggernaut is proving hard to stop and the Premier League leaders took the lead with a controversial penalty won by Luis Diaz.
The Colombian winger went down under a challenge from Donny van de Beek and after a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot, much to the home side’s frustration.
Salah sent Gazzaniga the wrong way to net his 50th Champions League goal, pulling the Egyptian level with Filippo Inzaghi as the 10th highest goalscorer of all-time in the competition.
The winger is out of contract at the end of the season but his 16 goals across all competitions have been essential in Liverpool’s superb first half of the season.
Slot replaced the wasteful Nunez with Cody Gakpo as he tried to kill the game off, but Girona were deflated after conceding and unable to make further inroads as their Champions League dream draws toward a close.
“I almost feel sorry for them because they deserve so much more in this Champions League campaign than the three points they have,” admitted Slot.
Girona coach Sanchez thanked the Liverpool coach for the praise of his team and said despite the defeat he was proud of his team.
“I’m very proud of the players’ performance,” said Sanchez.
“It was a very worthy game from us, the commitment from the team was top level.”
Liverpool close on Champions League progress as Salah seals Girona win
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Liverpool close on Champions League progress as Salah seals Girona win
- Liverpool have made a stunning start in the competition under coach Arne Slot, winning all six of their matches
- Salah sent Gazzaniga the wrong way to net his 50th Champions League goal
Football’s return to Syrian pitches brings fanfare — and friction
RIYADH: Just 10 days after the first anniversary of Syria’s Liberation Day, and one week after the historic performance of the country’s football team at the 2025 Arab Cup — where they reached the quarterfinals — domestic football returned as the Syrian Premier League kicked off its new season.
While league football has continued intermittently since a one-year suspension in 2011, this season represents a notable shift.
For the first time since 2017, the competition features 16 teams playing a full round-robin format — a return to structural normality after years of disrupted campaigns, withdrawals and operational challenges caused by conflict and deteriorating infrastructure.
Foreign players have also returned in significant numbers. A total of 25 overseas players are registered across the 16 clubs in what is now known as the “Prime TV” Syrian Premier League, following the broadcaster’s acquisition of domestic broadcasting rights for the season.
Yet despite the sense of renewal, the league’s reset has been far from smooth. Average attendances remain well below pre-war levels, while the season itself was delayed multiple times before eventually beginning in mid-December — a schedule that is now expected to extend deep into the summer months.
Concerns over facilities and fan safety have already sparked internal tension. The anticipated Matchday Two fixture between Tishreen and Hottin — also known as the Latakia Derby — was postponed by the Syrian Football Association until further notice. No official explanation was provided, but stadium readiness and crowd safety has been at the core of football discussion in Syria.
Supporters have also voiced their frustration over the newly announced ticket prices. Entry fees increased from 5,000 Syrian pounds ($0.45) to 15,000 SYP, a threefold rise announced by the SFA and widely cited as a factor behind subdued crowds.
Infrastructure remains a pressing issue. Historic venues such as Khalid Ibn Al-Walid Stadium in the city of Homs are still not cleared to host games due to pitch conditions and safety requirements, reinforcing the sense of uneven progress — advances made, but frequently offset by new obstacles.
Operational shortcomings were evident as early as the first game of the season. In the opening fixture between Al-Shorta and Hottin, a formal warning was issued to the former by the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee due to a breach in organizational arrangements for the match, including the failure to provide ball boys, which led to a five-minute delay to kick-off.
Political sensitivities have not been easy to navigate either. Al-Karamah were fined 1,500,000 SYP after fans directed verbal abuse at Al-Wahda player Milad Hamad, due to previous political posts made on his Facebook account.
Five days later, Al-Wahda announced Hamad’s suspension from all sporting activities pending review by the relevant committee at the SFA. “This decision comes in solidarity with all our beloved Syrian fans and as a reaffirmation of our commitment to the unity of our people and our land, and to the fact that the blood of our martyrs in the Syrian Revolution has not been shed in vain,” the club said in a statement posted via their official Facebook page.
Rebuilding a sustainable football system in Syria has proven complex. The league’s return has brought moments of excitement alongside renewed tension — a reminder that restoring domestic football is not simply about restarting competition, but about addressing the structures that support it. The Syrian Football Association was contacted for comment, but did not respond.
