Salah continues breaking records, Simeone-Klopp don't shake on it
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah continued to write his name in the record books as they edged out Atletico Madrid 3-2 yesterday morning (Singapore time), becoming the team's top scorer in the Champions League with his winning penalty in the second half.
Salah took his tally in the competition for the Reds to 31 goals with a double in Madrid, surpassing the record of former captain Steven Gerrard, who had bagged 30.
The Egyptian also set a club record by scoring for the ninth game in a row in all competitions, but it was not an easy match to watch for manager Juergen Klopp, who saw his side throw away a two-goal first-half lead before Salah saved them from the penalty spot.
"At half time, I think everyone in the stadium thought it was only going one way and we thought 'let's give it a proper try again,'" Klopp told BT Sport.
His side's recovery was helped by a red card for Antoine Griezmann, whose two goals had brought the home side back into the game before he was sent off in the 52nd minute, and a foul on Diogo Jota for the penalty that ensured victory.
Atletico were denied a late penalty of their own, and there was no handshake between Klopp and his opposite number Diego Simeone at the final whistle, although the Liverpool boss said there was no bad blood between the two.
"I want to shake his hand. His reaction for sure, like mine, was not so cool, but we are both emotional. When I see him next time we will shake hands, definitely," Klopp said.
"It's nothing. He was obviously angry, not with me but with the game. There is nothing else."
He did, however, walk out of a post-match interview with a Spanish journalist, after he implied that the German was upset with Simeone's snub.
Klopp replied: "You are not a nice person because you want to make a story out of that. You said I'm angry, when was I angry? Now I am angry because of your question, come on."
When asked about his decision to rush down the tunnel instead of doing the traditional post-match niceties with his opposite number, Simeone said: "I don't always greet (the other manager) after the game because I don't like it.
"It's not healthy for either the winner or the loser. I think of it that way. But now, when I see him, I'll greet him without a problem."
However, ex-England internationals Peter Crouch and Joleon Lescott hit out at Simeone's behaviour on BT Sport.
Said Crouch: "During the game, winding the crowd up, winding the players up, I understand it, but then not shaking hands at the end, he lets himself down."
Lescott added that Simeone's actions were "cowardly" and "petty". - REUTERS
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