Salah signs off with assist as Liverpool draw with Brentford to reach Champions League

[p]Both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a] went into this last-day Premier League encounter with their European ambitions on the line, but the heat made for a sluggish start, and the first real chance had to wait until the 19th minute, when a mazy run from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gravenberch-ryan/Y5aFd8V4/"]Ryan Gravenberch[/a] earned Liverpool a free-kick in a dangerous position.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Salah[/a] pulled rank over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/szoboszlai-dominik/dERKtqoo/"]Dominik Szoboszlai[/a], and he nearly engineered his big moment, striking the post with a wickedly bending effort.[/p][p]The departing veteran looked in the mood, and moments later, he was testing former teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kelleher-caoimhin/4S8JqWN0/"]Caoimhin Kelleher[/a], forcing him into a save from a tight angle.[/p][image alt="Momentum" id="afdf02a0-54f1-4b4b-9ecb-5a3c00f03a88" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="0317122f-dc19-487d-9224-c02287bd9213" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p]The Irish stopper was compelled into action again to keep out a sweetly-struck Gravenberch effort from the edge of the box, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ngumoha-rio/rejpF30d/"]Rio Ngumoha[/a] came agonisingly close from a similar range.[/p][p]But the biggest chance of the half fell to the Bees against the run of play, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alisson/UZrQ3bwP/"]Alisson Becker[/a] just about spreading himself wide enough to deny [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schade-kevin/GOPUXXvG/"]Kevin Schade[/a] brilliantly from close range.[/p][p]The hosts broke quickly from the save, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kayode-michael/CrxJQ1Q8/"]Michael Kayode[/a] had to make a big block to deny [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a]’s header, ensuring the sides went in level at the break.[/p][image alt="Liverpool's Curtis Jones celebrates scoring their first goal with Mohamed Salah" id="9288cacd-51be-4fda-ad26-34f1b49b9ade" credit-line="REUTERS/Peter Powell" guid="f39528f3-0d57-4f37-a03a-d7952c790f8b" original-width="2052" original-height="1415" /][p]Into the second half, Salah continued to pose the biggest threat for the Reds, and he wasted little time in testing Kelleher again.[/p][p][b]He was central to the breakthrough when it eventually came, but in the guise of a provider, flashing the ball across the box with the outside of his left foot to give [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jones-curtis/OnQz9w8h/"]Curtis Jones[/a] a tap-in. [/b][/p][p][b]Yet just like in the first period, a chance then fell to Schade out of nothing, and this time he produced an excellent finish to restore parity, heading past a helpless Alisson.  [/b][/p][p]There was to be no final rescue job from Salah, who was withdrawn with 20 minutes to play, receiving a rousing ovation from all four corners of Anfield.[/p][embed guid="e3d48c59-0243-46d3-b8d7-0b4f0b9926bc" url="https://x.com/LFC/status/2058588746048561470" social-type="twitter" /][p]As the game neared its conclusion, Andy Robertson received the same treatment, with the Scot also bowing out without the desired win after nine years with the club. [/p][p]However, the result was enough to rubber-stamp Liverpool’s qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League, despite a testing campaign.[/p][p]Brentford will head into their summer break rueing a run of just one win in their final 10 matches.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kelleher-caoimhin/4S8JqWN0/"]Caoimhin Kelleher[/a] (Brentford)[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="d57e3968-2bb5-4eaf-b749-6e2a0cafd209" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="97b971b7-49e8-4c26-8865-ffde605b7cdd" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/brentford-xYe7DwID/liverpool-lId4TMwf/summary/stats/?mid=Iqg4E2qA"]Catch up on the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]