There will be even tougher tests ahead, as Arne Slot Liverpool likes to remind us, but the confidence, quality and dynamism that this team exudes under the leadership of their new head coach is undeniable. Slot became the first Liverpool manager or head coach in history to record eight wins in his first nine games as Bologna were eliminated in a hard-fought game at Anfield.

Alexis Mac Allister marked his first Champions League home game for Liverpool with his first goal of the season. Mohamed Salah dashed Bologna’s growing hopes of a point with a stunning second-half strike, extending his European goalscoring record for the club in Liverpool’s 250th Champions League/European Cup appearance. New leader, new era it may be, but Liverpool’s authority on the European stage remains unchanged.

Bologna deserve Liverpool’s respect, Slot had stressed, after they qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history last season with a club record 68 points. Their boisterous, sell-out away support was certainly to be commended for their first away game in the competition. Slot was also aware of the problems Liverpool had against Atalanta’s man-marking style in last season’s Europa League. However, the respect had to be accompanied by the realization that Bologna later lost the coach who had led them to the Champions League: Thiago Motta moved to Juventus in the summer, along with striker Joshua Zirkzee and defender Riccardo Calafiori to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.

The Italians looked weakened and uncertain in their new, strengthened team when Liverpool took a deserved lead 20 minutes after a dominant opening period from Mac Allister. Bologna’s celebration of a Thijs Dallinga goal, cleverly shot over Alisson but clearly offside, had only just been halted when the Liverpool midfielder advanced and found Darwin Núñez on the edge of the penalty area. Núñez released Salah on the right and the Egypt international delivered an excellent cross behind a static visitors midfielder. After starting the move, Mac Allister finished it off by getting behind three Bologna players and firing a volley past Lukasz Skorupski from close range.

Liverpool looked to be in top form. Núñez beat the Bologna goalkeeper with a convincing finish but was offside when he picked up Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pass. After a clever exchange of blows with Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai’s ball rolled just a few centimeters past the far post.

But then the sloppiness that crept into Liverpool’s game against Wolves on Saturday, prompting Slot to criticize the “mediocrity” he would not accept, reared its ugly head again. The momentum was passed on to Bologna, along with several opportunities to equalize. A shot from striker Dan Ndoye was deflected onto the crossbar by Ibrahima Konaté, with Alisson appearing beaten after Szoboszlai lost the ball outside his own penalty area. Riccardo Orsolini headed a free header past his teammate Dallinga when he was found uncovered at the back post by Nikola Moro’s dangerous free-kick. Liverpool failed to clear the danger and after Alisson parried away a low cross from Juan Miranda, Ndoye shot against the base of a post. Bologna’s pressure and Liverpool’s mistakes continued and Alisson made a great save to deny Kacper Urbanski as Ndoye dispossessed Alexander-Arnold and gave the midfielder a clear view of goal.

Liverpool found their composure and rhythm again before the break. Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch were central to the improvement and Núñez had a good chance to double the hosts’ lead but he fired a volley straight at Skorupski. However, Bologna, 13th in Serie A and with just one win in all competitions this season, continued to cause Liverpool problems.

Orsolini fired a volley straight at Alisson when he was cleared by Miranda’s deep cross just six meters from the Brazilian’s goal. Urbanski had another free chance from Ndoye when the striker crossed Alexander-Arnold and found the midfielder 20 meters away in space. Urbanski burned over. Bologna captain Remo Freuler also came close but came close to scoring an own goal when he fired Andy Robertson’s corner just wide of the far post.

Any concerns Liverpool had about Bologna’s ongoing threat were negated by the consistent brilliance of Salah’s left foot.

The club’s leading goalscorer in European competition scored a stunning, trademark finish with 15 minutes left to settle the contest. Salah received Szoboszlai’s pass at the corner of the visitors’ penalty area and, using Alexander-Arnold’s overlapping run as a decoy, crossed left-back Miranda and curled an unstoppable shot into Skorupski’s top right corner. It was the 32-year-old’s ninth goal in his last nine Champions League games and his 48th goal in 77 European games for Liverpool. He also almost provided a wonderful assist for Mac Allister, but the Bologna keeper bravely saved from the feet of the midfielder so Liverpool finished the game in control.