At his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Slot insisted he would not accept mediocrity from his team. And from the off, the Liverpool players, buoyed by a typically-roaring Anfield atmosphere, appeared to heed their manager's warning as they began the match in electrifying fashion. Inside two minutes, a neat exchange between Ryan Gravenberch and Salah culminated in the Dutch international driving a dangerous cross into the box that eluded Luis Dias before being frantically cleared.
Victory in what was his first European game at Anfield means Slot has now made history as the first Liverpool manager or head coach to win eight of his opening nine matches. The Premier League leaders dominated their Italian opponents for large parts of the contest but Bologna twice hit the woodwork and had an early goal ruled out for offside in what was a spirited performance from the Serie A outfit.
Slot's side themselves had a goal chalked off but a strike from from Mac Allister in the first half and a wonderful effort in the second from the prolific Salah maintained the host's perfect record in Europe so far this term. How it happened, at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Slot insisted he would not accept mediocrity from his team.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Serie A side silenced the home crowd when, on eight minutes, striker Thijs Dallinga found the back of the net only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. But, just over a minute later, Liverpool got a deserved opener. After a slick passing move, Salah's floated cross was met by Alexis Mac Allister inside the six yard box to thump home for his first Champions League goal.
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