Liverpool goal-machine Mohamed Salah celebrated his Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year award in style as he scored a brace, including a spectacular opening goal, to orchestrate a clinical 5-2 rout of his former club Roma in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals on Tuesday night.

Salah, who won the PFA award on Sunday, came to the game at his home ground Anfield after netting a mind-boggling 41 goals for the Reds in his debut season with the Premiership club. He didn’t take long to showcase his scorching form as the Egyptian curled from the edge of the box to score a spectacular goal in the 35th minute to draw the first blood. 

Ten minutes later, the talismanic Egyptian doubled his tally and his team’s lead as well after beating an advancing Roma goalkeeper Alisson with a deft chip. 

Buoyed by his brace in the first half, Salah came all guns blazing after the break and went on to assist his teammates with two clinical passes. A previously wasteful Sadio Mane, after missing several chances, made it to the scoring list after finding the target from a Salah assist in the 56th minute before the latter’s perfectly executed rolling pass through a weak Roma defense helped Roberto Firmino to score in the 61st minute.

Shining amidst Salah onslaught, Firmino headed in for his second in the 68th minute to help Liverpool become only the second team to score five goals in a Champions League semi-final match.