Mohamed Salah questions referee and “very aggressive” Monterrey

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah believes the referee did not do enough to protect the Liverpool players against a “very aggressive” Monterrey last night.

The Reds claimed a 2-1 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final victory over Monterrey thanks to goals from Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino.

Throughout the game, it appeared that Monterrey were trying to disrupt Jurgen Klopp’s side by being very physical.

Salah believes Chilean referee Roberto Tobar could have done more to protect the Reds, as he felt the Mexican outfit went over the top.

“I think it was a tough game,” Salah told a news conference.

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DOHA, QATAR – DECEMBER 18: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool breaks away from Leonel Vangioni of C.F. Monterrey during the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final match between Monterrey and Liverpool at Education City Stadium on December 18, 2019 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

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“They were very aggressive against us and all of us were complaining about our legs and they were really aggressive.

“I think the referee doesn’t protect us too much. But I’m not here to complain about it.

“I think in the end we showed our quality and we won in the last minute. I think we deserved it.”

It was a very physical contest and there were a number of occasions when Salah and his teammates were not getting the protection they deserved from the referee.

With the contest being a semi-final, it was always going to be a heated battle. However, as the referee did not stamp his authority on the game, someone could have been seriously injured.

Nonetheless, there were no injuries for the Reds. Klopp’s side will play Flamengo in the final come Saturday.

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Source: anfieldhq.com