Salah nets 6-min hat trick as Liverpool beat Rangers

Mohamed Salah came off the bench and scored the fastest hat trick in Champions League history as he helped Liverpool to a dominant 7-1 victory at Rangers on Wednesday and eliminate the Scottish side from the competition.

Rangers struck first through Scott Arfield, but Roberto Firmino hit back shortly after with a well-taken header before adding a second just short of the hour mark. Darwin Nunez doubled Liverpool’s lead on 66 minutes with a slotted finish past goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Salah replaced Nunez on 68 minutes and netted a quick-fire hat trick, with just six minutes and 12 seconds separating his first and third goals. Harvey Elliott added a seventh for Liverpool on 87 minutes to cap a successful night for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Wednesday’s result means Rangers, who remain without a point, cannot finish in the top two spots in Group A and advance to the knockout stages. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side can still qualify for the Europa League should they finish third ahead of Ajax.

“We were really just on it and meeting us in the wrong moment is not cool [for opponents],” Klopp said.

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“All the goals we scored were exceptional. Mo [Salah] came on and is on fire and interprets the position really well. It is a night where things work out for us.

“In the end we needed to get clear in the final third, which obviously worked out, all the goals were great, how we played them and set them up and finished them.”

In a cauldron-like atmosphere in Glasgow, a much-changed Liverpool side struggled to get going early on, and found themselves behind as Arfield slotted home from the edge of the box on 17 minutes in to lift the roof off Ibrox.

That lead lasted less than eight minutes, however, as Firmino continued his prolific form in front of goal with a near-post header to level things up from a corner.

Liverpool were much the better team in the second half and deservedly edged back in front 10 minutes after the interval, Firmino converting Joe Gomez’s pinpoint low cross.

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With Rangers chasing the game, a fine finish from Nunez put the game beyond the hosts before Salah, who started the match on the bench, provided an excellent finish from a tight angle. He netted his second on 80 minutes with an improvised finish past an out-of-position McGregor.

Salah’s third, scored on 81 minutes, was more typical of his style, cutting in from the right flank before curling the ball with his left boot into the far corner.

Elliott added to the home side’s misery with a late seventh, putting the seal on a victory that means Liverpool are second in Group A, and need just one point from their final two matches to be sure of a spot in the knockout stages.

“It is very hard to explain, to process,” Rangers boss Van Bronckhorst said. “I am still processing the game, especially the second half.

“The first half and the last half-an-hour was night and day, how we played and that difference in level, that is too much in Champions League. I cannot explain it right now.”