Liverpool have one foot in the Champions League final.When it was revealed that the Reds would be facing Villarreal in the semi-finals, there was a quiet feeling amongst Kopites that they couldn't really have asked for a kinder draw.Yes, Villarreal aren't to be sniffed at on the back of wins over Juventus and Bayern Munich, but they still represented a more straightforward task than you would usually expect at this stage of the competition.

Liverpool get the better of Villarreal

And Liverpool really did put their best foot forward during the first leg at Anfield, battling their way to a 2-0 win courtesy of Pervis Estupinan's own goal and Sadio Mane's one-on-one finish.

It might not have been the blockbuster clash that we saw at the Etihad Stadium the previous night, but it was nevertheless a sensible and considered performance from Jurgen Klopp's men.

Assuming that the Reds can avoid a major upset at the Estadio de la Cerámica, then their quadruple dreams could duly hinge on a clash with either Manchester City or Real Madrid.

Salah dazzling for Liverpool in 2021/22

And you can rest assured that none other than Mohamed Salah will be play a massive role if Liverpool do indeed go onto make history in what has arguably been his finest season at the club.

The Egyptian is up there with the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema in the Ballon d'Or hunt, amassing 30 goals and 14 assists that could be joined by four major honours.

And while the 29-year-old might not be scoring as freely as he was at the start of the campaign, he's still continuing to produce stunning moments that get fans and pundits alike on their feet.

In fact, the Villarreal win was absolutely no different with Salah still sprinkling a moment of magic into 90 minutes where Liverpool had to grind down a typically canny performance from Unai Emery's men.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Semi Final - First Leg - Liverpool v Villarreal - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 27, 2022 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in action Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine

Henry blown away by Salah's assist

That's because the Liverpool star provided a touch of class with his perfectly-weighted assist for Mane's goal, even catching the eye of Thierry Henry in the CBS Sports studio in the process.

It might not have leapt off the screen like Luka Modric's assist against Chelsea, but it was nevertheless a flash of quality that was more than enough to impress a modern great of the men's game.

In fact, Henry was so taken aback by Salah's work that he spent the best part of one minute fanboying over the pass, even dismissing Micah Richards putting blame on the Villarreal defence.

You could really tell that it was respect amongst masters with Henry clearly revelling in praising a player for which he has so much respect, so be sure to check out his brilliant analysis down below:

Henry revelling in Salah's magic

"To put the ball in between the legs of the defender, that's outstanding," Henry eulogised. "The pass from Salah was just outstanding. We can talk about the line or whatever, Salah made that happen. It's outstanding. You can't defend that."

The Arsenal icon then added: "That pass: this is why Mo Salah this season is better than what he used to be. Because to make that ball to go through the legs at that particular moment - and he meant it - to pass it to Mane... wow."

Now, the stage is set for Salah to spring one more moment of magic on Villarreal during the return leg in Spain, which could well springboard Liverpool towards a truly historic achievement.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Semi Final - First Leg - Liverpool v Villarreal - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 27, 2022 Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring their second goal with Mohamed Salah Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine

Only time will tell whether the Reds can add the FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League to their collection, but moments of inspiration like that from Salah will certainly be crucial along the way if they do.