Mohamed Salah is visibly upset over the Champions League final result, despite maintaining that Liverpool deserved to defeat Real Madrid in Paris.
It’s been two weeks since Vinicius Junior’s second-half goal decided the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
The game’s aftermath centered on the raucous atmosphere at the Stade de France both before and after the game, as well as who ‘deserved’ to win.
Even though it was Vinicius’ goal that eventually decided who would be crowned European champions, Thibaut Courtois’ man-of-the-match performance was crucial.
During the game, the Belgian made nine saves, prompting many supporters of the English squad to argue that Jurgen Klopp’s side should have won, and Salah has given his voice to that argument.
“We deserved to win, we had more chances,” the Egyptian told France Football, the French magazine that organizes the Ballon d’Or.
“I had two or three clear chances but Thibaut Courtois made incredible saves.
“It’s his job, that’s what Real Madrid signed him for. It was his night.”
Salah makes an excellent point about Courtois performing precisely what his job needs, which is why the notion that Liverpool “deserved” to win is a bit silly.
The former Roma forward’s viewpoint echoed that of two former Liverpool players who currently work as pundits on various channels.
If the match had been a boxing match, Steve Nicol claimed they would have won on a point decision. In his example, the Scot omitted to explain that Vinicius’ goal could have been viewed as a knockout blow in a boxing match which would have still resulted in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad winning.
Similarly, Michael Owen, who is currently defending his daughter’s inclusion on Love Island, stated that his previous side was still “the team to beat” even though they had recently been defeated by Madrid.
On winning the Ballon d’Or, Mohamed Salah added, “I want to win it to join George Weah, the only African.
“It’s true that I was shocked by my ranking in 2021 [seventh].
“For this year, the defeat against Real Madrid is a disadvantage, even if I played a good game in the final. But it doesn’t cancel out everything I’ve achieved for months.
“Let’s wait for the vote. And if I’m not Ballon d’Or in 2022, I’ll do everything I can to be the next one.”
The loss of Liverpool in Paris could have a significant impact on the prize winner, with Karim Benzema becoming the clear favorite to win the accolade for the first time.
His contribution to Real’s entire season has been outstanding, and winning the final will undoubtedly aid his cause, given Salah’s loss in the African Cup of Nations final.
