Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi have just uncovered missing piece for Mohamed Salah at Liverpool
Istanbul or Doha? AC Milan 3, Liverpool 3, or Argentina 3, France 3? Which game was superior?
Many have hailed Sunday’s World Cup final as the greatest football match of all time, igniting a discussion that will likely rage in certain corners today.
Liverpool supporters are inevitably biased in this issue, although they might argue for the imposition of a differentiation. If Istanbul was the best club game, this was without a doubt the best international contest.
The back-and-forth between Lionel Messi, the greatest player of this generation, and Kylian Mbappé, arguably the finest player of the next, is one of the most memorable aspects of this encounter.
Messi opened the scoring, Mbappé scored twice within two minutes, Messi scored again, and Mbappé sent the game to penalties. It was a remarkable individual contest between two superstars.
Three of their goals were scored from the penalty spot. Yes, they had to maintain composure under unprecedented pressure and did it excellently each time, but their open-play performances should be considered more valuable.
Messi scored from close range, while Mbappé scored with a stunning volley from just inside the penalty area; nonetheless, their significance was nearly identical.
Both goals helped their respective teams overcome obstacles. France played poorly for the first 80 minutes of the match, and they needed individual inspiration to save their World Cup chances. Lionel Messi halted the surging blue flood as the defending champions appeared poised to prevail in extra time.
If this was Messi’s final act, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah will try to assume the mantle of finest player in the world, depriving Mbappé of the title for a while longer.
In contrast to the two World Cup protagonists, Salah has yet to score from open play in a major final for his team despite starting seven.
In his defense, it is tempting to speculate that he would have scored the game-winning goal against Real Madrid in Kyiv in 2018 if he hadn’t been forced off with a shoulder injury in the first half.
A year later, he scored from the penalty spot against Tottenham Hotspur as the Reds earned atonement.
As a result, Liverpool qualified for and won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup, however Salah did not score in either tournament, nor in Liverpool’s domestic cup finals from the previous season, which both ended 0-0 after 120 minutes.
In his second Champions League final against Real Madrid, he faced a different type of suffering. This time, Salah attempted nine shots, six of which were on target, and accumulated 1.0 xG, but he was unable to defeat an inspired Thibaut Courtois as Liverpool fell 1-0.
The Egyptian has already established himself as a football legend and one of Liverpool’s greatest players. He may not have had a “Mbappé moment” in a championship game, but he has been vital in earlier competitions. Without him, Liverpool would not have achieved success.
He has already earned the right to be labeled the best right winger in Premier League history at age 30. However, Mbappé and Messi have reminded him that he can add another layer to his excellence and enhance his legacy at Anfield.
Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi have just uncovered missing piece for Mohamed Salah at Liverpool
