Liverpool face Bologna for the first time ever as they meet in the Champions League, and Alisson can make a landmark appearance on his birthday
Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper is in line to make his 50th European appearance for the Reds on his 32nd birthday.
The only other Liverpool ‘keeper to have played more in Europe was Ray Clemence, who made 80 appearances as he won the European Cup three times.
Against Italian teams
This will be the Reds’ fourth successive game in Europe against Italian opposition.
Despite this being Liverpool’s 49th season in Europe, this is the first time the two clubs have met in European competition. Bologna will be Liverpool’s 137th different European opponent and their 10th from Italy.
Two players have scored three times in a game against teams from Italy – Steven Gerrard as a substitute against Napoli in November 2010 and Diogo Jota away to Atalanta in November 2020.
Liverpool have only failed to score in five of their last 38 European fixtures.
This is the eighth successive season that the Reds have faced Italian opposition. Home and away, they have faced clubs from Italy 42 times, winning 20 and losing 18.
At home, Liverpool have played Italian clubs 18 times, winning 10, drawing one and losing seven.
Liverpool have lost three of their last five Anfield meetings with Italian opponents.
Mo Salah can set another record
In the win at AC Milan two weeks ago, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk became only the second centre-back pairing in the last 50 years to score in the same Liverpool game.
The only other occasion came in the 4-3 Europa League home win over Borussia Dortmund, when both Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren found the net.
Mo Salah has eight goals in his last eight Champions League appearances and has scored 47 goals in 76 European appearances for Liverpool. He has 48 goals in his Champions League career.
Salah has scored five goals in his three career appearances against Bologna, including a hat-trick in Roma’s 3-0 home win in November 2016.
The Egyptian has scored more goals (47) for a single English club than any other player in European history.
He is two goals away from recording 50 in his Champions League career and has scored more goals in the competition than any other African player in history.
Nine of Salah’s Liverpool goals have come in 17 appearances against Italian teams.
This season’s scorers
Liverpool: Diaz 5, Salah 5, Jota 3, Gakpo 2, Konate 2, Nunez 1, Szoboszlai 1, Van Dijk 1
Bologna: Castro 3, Fabbian 1, Iling-Junior 1, Orsolini 1, Urbanski 1
* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).
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