Bayern Munich left-back David Alaba is excited about next week’s massive Liverpool clash and the chance to take on Mohamed Salah.
The Champions League returned this week and it hardly disappointed with some fantastic matches. Bayern Munich are involved in arguably the premier tie of this round as they face Premier League heavyweights Liverpool next week. The two clubs have shockingly never met in Champions League play, only adding to the already mounting hype around the big match-up.
There will be some key individual battles in this tie that will have a major say on the overall result. The match-up between Bayern left-back David Alaba and Liverpool’s star forward Mohamed Salah will be one of the main battles to watch across both legs. Earlier this week, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge backed his player to come on top in this battle.
Speaking to Bild (via Kingfut), Alaba acknowledged the praise from his boss and insisted that he is confident he can keep Salah quiet in these games. The Austrian praised Salah, though, labeling him one of the best players in the world.
"“I will prepare myself for the duel against Salah and will try to play my game. Salah is outstanding. For me, he is one of the best players in the world.“He’s fast, but I have played against other fast players like Mbappé, so I know from previous experience that it’s crucial that I look at my strengths.”"
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Salah has been a revelation for Liverpool since joining from AS Roma in 2017. The Egyptian scored 44 goals across all competitions last season and helped the English side reach the Champions League finals. This season he has not been quite as explosive, but his numbers are still impressive. He has scored 20 goals in all competitions so far.
The former Chelsea winger is devastating on the counter and can cause a lot of problems to his opposition with his runs in the half spaces. Bayern’s defense has been fragile this season, so it will be a massive task for them to keep Salah quiet over the two legs. Niko Kovac will have to come up with a tactical masterclass to restrict Salah. The Croatian will be banking on Alaba to show the same form he’s shown all season and keep the Liverpool forward quiet.
Alaba has been considered one of the best left-backs in Europe for some time now. The 26-year-old was phenomenal when he broke through on to the European scene, but he has regressed a bit since the departure of Pep Guardiola. This season Alaba has consistently delivered good performances, though, but he’s missing a statement match to show he’s no longer stuck in second gear.
Alaba will have the task of marking Liverpool’s most dangerous player, but Bayern will have to keep an eye on a few other dangerous forwards too. Jurgen Klopp has built a solid team in the last three years. He has shored up the defense this season, allowing them to mount a serious title challenge in England. It is going to be a fascinating game, and keeping Salah quiet will be at the top of the to-do list for Kovac and Alaba.