SINGAPORE - They clamoured for him, and Mohamed Salah obliged – mere minutes after taking to the pitch at the National Stadium.

Liverpool’s Egyptian superstar scored the second goal in the Reds’ comfortable 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Standard Chartered Singapore Trophy exhibition match at the National Stadium on Friday (July 15) night.

Salah’s shot took a deflection which deceived Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, but that mattered little to the 50,217 fans in attendance, almost all of whom were Liverpool supporters and decked out in red.

The turnout was a sight for sore eyes – it was by far the biggest at a sports event here since the pandemic began. The Sports Hub had recently welcomed crowds of between 10,00 and 12,000 for the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup (December 2021), HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens (April) and mixed martial arts showcase UFC 275 (June).

The last time the 55,000-capacity National Stadium was almost filled was when Harry Kane led Tottenham Hotspur to a 3-2 win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus in July 2019 in front of 50,433 fans.

And star power was what the fans wanted again last night.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp named a half-strength line-up, but his side still took an early lead when skipper Jordan Henderson put Liverpool in front with a cool finish in the 12th minute.

Many expected a goal rush for the 19-time English champions, given Palace had brought with them a depleted squad without stars like Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke.

But that never happened, as the tropical heat and humidity got to the players and the game slowed down.

With the match crying out for some inspiration, the fans made themselves heard by roaring when an image of Salah, sat on the substitute’s bench with a bib on, flashed on the stadium’s two giant screens, and again when he warmed up.

The fans even gave him a standing ovation when he nipped down the tunnel and to the dressing room for a toilet break.

They got their wish when Klopp introduced Salah, as well as a host of other first team stars like Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, at the start of the second half.

Salah wasted no time in delivering, finding the target even as the stadium announcer was still reeling off the half-time substitutions over the public announcement system.

But while the forward was bright and energetic and showed glimpses of the quality which has earned him a reputation as one of the best attackers in the world, he and his teammates could not break down a resolute Palace side further.

Still, Klopp was pleased with the win, which came just three days after a 4-0 loss to arch rivals Manchester United in another friendly in Bangkok.

“We were much more competitive,” he said. “We still played really good football, like we did against United, but we scored twice, so it was a clear step in the right direction and it makes me happy.”

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira was satisfied with his inexperienced side's showing, saying: “We are never happy to concede goals in matches but on the other hand you have to look at the quality of the Liverpool squad... I was really pleased because physically it was really demanding, and tactically we needed to be good not to concede too many chances.”

If the Singaporean fans were dissatisfied with the scoreline, they did not show it as many stayed behind to watch the team lift the pre-season trophy, with the hope of more to come after the new season kicks off in August.

They were rewarded by the entire Liverpool squad, led by Klopp, strolling around the pitch to acknowledge their support by returning applause, although the lap of honour was briefly interrupted by an overeager supporter who jumped the barricades and invaded the pitch, before he was apprehended by security officials.

Klopp said he was grateful for the hospitality Singapore had shown.

“The city looks beautiful... obviously we didn’t see a lot, but the first impression was outstanding and it will not be the last time I come here,” he said.

“If it were closer, I would be here more often, but the 14-hour flight... let’s just say it’s not around the corner. But really, thank you for everything. It was top.”