The striker fired the fastest hat-trick in the history of the competition as Liverpool defeated Rangers.
Mohamed Salah broke the record for the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history when the Liverpool striker starred in his team’s 7-1 demolition of Glasgow Rangers on Wednesday night.
The Egyptian came off the bench in the 68th minute with his team already 3-1 in front after the Reds made a shaky start amid a tense atmosphere at Ibrox.
Salah proceeded to strike in the 75th, 80th and 81st minutes of the match, hitting a three-pointer in just six minutes and 12 seconds.
The save was quicker than the previous record for the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history, which had been held by former Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis for his eight-minute hat-trick against Dinamo Zagreb in 2011.
The prolific Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski have both scored 11-minute hat-tricks in the Champions League, as has Raheem Sterling, though neither was as quick to equalize as the Egyptian.
Jurgen Klopp’s 7-1 thrashing of Liverpool was a much-needed confidence boost after an unimpressive start to the Premier League season that left them languishing tenth in the table.
The Anfield club also got off to an inauspicious start to their Champions League Group A campaign with an opening 4-1 loss at Napoli, but bounced back with a win against Ajax and back-to-back successes against Rangers.
After falling behind to Scott Arfield in the 17th minute in a thunderous Ibrox, Liverpool struck back spectacularly with a brace from Roberto Firmino and goals from Darwin Núñez and Harvey Elliott, plus Salah’s record.
The result leaves Liverpool in a prime position to qualify from the group, as last season’s Champions League finalists sit second behind Napoli on nine points from four games, while Ajax remain third on three points. and Rangers are bottom without a point from their four games.
Group leaders Napoli posted a perfect four wins from four as they beat Ajax 4-2 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday night, securing early passage to the knockout stages.
The Italians cemented their status as arguably the most exciting team to watch on the continent today, with former Rubin Kazan star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia once again standing out by providing an assist before scoring a penalty.
Elsewhere in Europe, Barcelona’s hopes of reaching the round of 16 hang in the balance after they drew 3-3 at the Camp Nou with Inter Milan in Group C.
The visitors looked set for three points when Robin Gosens put them ahead 3-2 in the 89th minute, before Polish hitman Robert Lewandowski rescued Barca with a goal two minutes after added time, the second of the game.
German giants Bayern Munich secured their place in the knockout stages with a 4-2 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Czech Republic, making Bayern the first team to win 11 successive Champions League group stage games. Champions.
Julian Nagelsmann’s men lead Group C with 12 points, with Inter five points behind and Xavi’s Barcelona on four points from their four matches. Plzen is still meaningless and at the bottom of the heap.
With Bayern’s visit to Camp Nou and a trip to Plzen to come, Barca face relegation to the Europa League round of 16 for the second successive season, should they finish third in the group.
Also on Wednesday night, Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side claimed a 3-2 win over German visitors Eintracht Frankfurt in London in Group D, while Marseille secured a 2-0 win at Sporting Lisbon.
Those results leave the group tight, with Spurs up on seven points, followed by Sporting and Marseille both on six, and Eintracht down on four points.