Liverpool get huge Champions League boost from Mohamed Salah’s team-mate

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A win over Crystal Palace may have been a superb result for Liverpool on Monday night, but a result elsewhere on Tuesday night could prove to be just as, if not even more, important for the club.

It came in Portugal, where Benfica were held to a 1-1 draw at home at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica against Greek side PAOK, who had Mohamed Salah’s team-mate for Egypt, Amr Warda, to thank for his 76th minute equaliser.

The goal could have big implications for the Reds, whose Champions League draw seeding will depend upon whether or not Benfica qualify for the group stages, with PAOK the final hurdle to them doing so.

“It’s clear, it’s the biggest club competition, you want to be part of it. That’s why you do it, you want to be as successful as possible.”

Jurgen Klopp has previously highlighted the importance of the competition.

Currently third in Primeira Liga after two games, Benfica are the lowest ranked team in Pot Two of the draw who remain in the qualification process, and so the only way for Liverpool to emerge from Pot Three is for Benfica to be knocked out.

If Benfica go through, then Liverpool will remain in Pot Three and could face a tough Champions League group stage draw. It would draw them alongside one team from Pot One (Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain or Lokomotiv Moscow) as well as one team from Pot Two (Borussia Dortmund, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Napoli, Roma and, provided they qualify, Benfica) and one of many teams who could make it into Pot Four.

PAOK’s late equaliser in Portugal could prove pivotal to the team’s season if it can help them to ease through a less challenging Champions League group.