Mac Allister and Salah seal successive Liverpool Champions League wins

Arne Slot has now won eight of his first nine games in charge of Liverpool. 

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his side's second goal. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

ARNE Slot has some way to go to live up to the prodigious achievements of Shankly, Paisley, Dalglish, Souness, Klopp and all who came before in the Liverpool dugout but, on this largely forgettable Champions League night, the new manager set one impressive record.

None of his predecessors managed to win eight of their first nine games in charge of the famous old club but now, thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah, the Dutchman can make that claim.

When Mac Allister fired Liverpool into the lead after 11 minutes of dominance, it looked like this would be an exercise in padding their goal difference, something that could be worth an extra point in this expanded, 36-team division.

It was a well-worked goal, too, as the Argentinian produced the close-range, left-foot finish at the end of a flowing move featuring Darwin Nunez and a Salah assist.

Nunez had the ball in the net soon after, from a Trent Alexander-Arnold through ball, only to be ruled out for offside, and Dominik Szoboszlai rolled a shot just wide as Liverpool began to purr.

It was looking like an ideal first taste of Anfield on a European night for new manager Slot who had spoken with boyish enthusiasm of his “debut” on the eve of the game.

But a curious thing happened midway through the first half as Liverpool, whether through a lack of concentration or surfeit of complacency, appeared hellbent on conceding an equaliser.

It came in an extraordinary five minute spell, in which the Italians might have scored four goals, all of them gift-wrapped and hand delivered by their hosts.

First, Szoboszlai gave away the ball in midfield, setting up a Bologna attack which resulted in Dan Ndoye thumping a shot against the bar, via a deflection off Ibrahim Konate.

Then Liverpool defended badly at a Nikola Moro free-kick and Riccardo Orsolini was unmarked at the far post, with his cross-shot striking one of his team mates and flying to safety.

The hosts failed to clear that attack and Ndoye, with a shot on the turn, struck the Liverpool post, the second time their woodwork had been tested in a matter of minutes.

Finally, Alexander-Arnold was beaten, far too easily, by Ndoye on the left before Kacper Urbanski forced Alisson to save well at full stretch.

It was a bizarre explosion of Italian chances because Liverpool had looked so comfortable to that point, and well in the mood to add to their opening day league victory at Bologna’s Italian rivals AC Milan.

The second half offered more of the same, initially at least, with Nunez heading over from a half-chance and Alisson required to preserve his team’s lead, blocking a half-volley from Orsolini as he met Juan Miranda’s cross.

Bologna skipper Remo Freuler, formerly with Forest, almost headed an Andy Robertson corner into his own net, in his haste to bet Luis Diaz to the ball, but Liverpool were making life unnecessarily difficult for themselves.

Ryan Gravenberch had enjoyed a quietly effective night and set up Salah for a chance which he curled wide and Slot threw on Diogo Jota, who had not trained this week due to a slight injury concern, to try and break through the Italian defence.

Finally, the goal came, on 75 minutes, from Salah, who had been curiously ineffective for large spells, but latched onto the ball after a strong midfield run from Szoboszlai and cleverly made a couple of mini surges, forcing defenders to back off before curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 5 (Bradley 85), Konate 6, van Dijk 6, Robertson 7 (Tsimikas 71, 6); Szoboszlai 7 (Jones 85), Gravenberch 9, Mac Allister 7; Salah 7, Nunez 6 (Jota 61, 6), Diaz 7 (Gakpo 71, 6). Substitutes (not used) Jaros, Kelleher, Gomez, Endo, Quansah, Morton, Nyoni.

Bologna (4-1-4-1): Skorupski 6; Posch 7, Beukema 6 (Casale 62, 5), Lucumi 7, Miranda 7; Freuler 7 (Fabbian 84); Orsolini 5, Moro 6, Urbanski 5 (Aebischer 61, 5), Ndoye 8 (Illing-Junior 79, 5); Dallinga 5 (Castro 79, 5). Sunstitutes (not used) Bagnolini, Ravaglia, Holm, Erlic, Corazza, Odgaard, Lykogiannis.

Referee: N Dabanovic (Montenegro) 7