Salah: Champions League final not me against Ronaldo

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has rejected the notion that the Champions League final will be a battle between himself and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Reds joined the defending champions in the Kiev showpiece, despite a 4-2 loss against Roma on Wednesday. Holding a 5-2 advantage from their home match, they progressed 7-6 on aggregate.

In Ukraine, they will face the two-time holders, with Zinedine Zidane’s men having defeated Bayern Munich 4-3 on aggregate following a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu 24 hours earlier.

Salah and Ronaldo have been the undisputed stars for their side in the competition to date, but the Egypt international says that does not mean the final will be about only two men.

“It is not going to be a final between Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo, I am playing for a great club, and we have great players, so qualifying to the final came with great team work, that I cannot do alone,” he said.

The pair are liable to be leading protagonists for the Ballon d’Or, with the Egypt international representing a strong challenge to the Ronaldo-Lionel Messi duopoly that has dominated the award over the past decade.

However, the 25-year-old, who has scored 43 times in 49 appearances in what has been a record-breaking campaign, is not casting his mind towards individual glory.

“I know all of the Arab people wish the best for me, and they are happy every time I win, but now at the moment I am only thinking about the final and to bring the Champions League trophy to Anfield,” he said.

Meanwhile, Salah rejected the notion that Liverpool could be undone by their defence.

“It is collective work, when we score a goal it's because we are all doing good, when we concede, it means we all need to work harder,” he said.

The final, which will be played on May 26, will be played out between two of the most storied teams in European football history, with Liverpool chasing a sixth title while Madrid are after a 13th – and third in succession.