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Liverpool's Mohamed Salah vies with Roma's Kevin Strootman during the UEFA Champions League semifinal. (Photo: Oli Scarff, AFP/Getty Images)
Mo Salah produced two goals of pure quality to send Liverpool on its way toward a spot in the Champions League final on Tuesday, but nothing oozed class as much as the way he celebrated - or didn't celebrate - both strikes.
The Egyptian forward notched his 42nd and 43rd goals in all competitions this season by putting his side up 2-0 against Roma at Anfield in the semifinal first leg, sending the home crowd into delirium.
Amid the madness though, Salah was the calmest man in the stadium, refusing to join in the celebrations as a mark of respect to Roma, his former club.
After firing home Liverpool's opener at 35 minutes with a perfect shot that cannoned in off the base of the crossbar and left goalkeeper Alisson no chance, Salah merely raised his hands to shoulder height as his teammates engulfed him.
Moments later, he put his palms together as a symbol of thanks, and glanced at both the Liverpool fans and the traveling Roma support base.
When he added the second goal 10 minutes later, chipping the ball over Alisson following a perfectly-timed run and a pass from Roberto Firmino, the response was the same.
Salah can do nothing wrong right now. His form is such that calling him the third-best player in the world currently, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, is subjective - but certainly not ridiculous.
He has invigorated Liverpool and has the club dreaming of a Champions League title, while Egypt is seen as having the potential to cause upsets in the World Cup largely thanks to his presence.
It is easy to forget that Salah washed out during his first crack at the English Premier League, leaving Chelsea after struggling to settle upon moving there in 2014. However, he rebuilt his career at Roma before the Italian club sold him to Liverpool before the start of this season.
The price tag - $51 million plus potential add-ons - seemed hefty at the time. Now, it looks like an absolute bargain, even more so after Salah set up Sadio Mane for the third goal and Firmino for the fourth early in the second half, to put Liverpool on the brink of a spot in the final.
Firmino added a fifth before Roma staged a mini-comeback with two goals that gives the Italian side some kind of fighting chance in the second leg. But, with Salah on top of his game, Liverpool will like its chances.
Follow Rogers on Twitter @rogersjourno