(Video) Not just his goal: Mo Salah put on a first-half masterclass against Athletic Bilbao | OneFootball

Mo Salah is about to embark on his ninth season as a Liverpool player, and on the evidence of his first-half performance against Athletic Bilbao on Monday night, the Egyptian King is evergreen!

He enjoyed one of his best individual campaigns for the Reds in 2024/25, scoring 34 goals and setting up another 23 as he won his second Premier League title, and it could’ve been even more only for a subdued springtime run-in by his exceptional standards.

The 33-year-old was back at Anfield tonight for his first appearance at the venue since the end of May, and he reminded the locals of just how monumental a footballer he is.

Image via @LFCExtensive2 on X

Salah was unplayable in the first half against Athletic Bilbao

A three-minute excerpt just before the quarter-hour mark showcased Salah at his coruscating best for Liverpool.

First there was a perfectly executed through ball between the Athletic Bilbao lines to pick out Cody Gakpo, whose first-time shot rolled narrowly wide.

Video shared by @LFCExtensive on X, with footage taken from STC Sports’ match coverage

Sixty seconds later, the Egyptian found the net as he converted from Hugo Ekitike’s cross from the byline, taking one touch to set himself before scoring.

Video shared by @LFCExtensive on X, with footage taken from STC Sports’ match coverage

Shortly afterwards, Liverpool launched a counterattack which saw Salah stroke a low first-time cross into Florian Wirtz, who seemed poised to find the net only for an unfortunate bounce of the ball at the moment of contact, with Unai Simon thwarting the German.

Video shared by @LFCExtensive on X, with footage taken from STC Sports’ match coverage

Salah looks set to star for Liverpool again in 2025/26!

As incredible as our number 11 was last season – just like he has been throughout his eight years at Liverpool – he has endured a dip in his G/A output following the March international break, with both Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot rarely rotating him out of the starting XI.

To be fair to both coaches, Salah has been undroppable at Anfield, although the Reds will need to find a way to compensate for his absence when he goes to the Africa Cup of Nations over the festive period at the end of 2025.

Hopefully he’ll have a healthy supply of goals and assists to his name by that stage of the campaign, in the process firing the defending Premier League champions into a strong position to retain their title.

If his first-half display against Athletic Bilbao is a sign of things to come over the next few months, the Egyptian King will reign supreme at Liverpool once again this season!