With a 1-0 win at Girona on Tuesday, Liverpool maintained their 100 percent record in this season’s Champions League, with the only goal of the game coming from a second-half penalty from Mohamed Salah.

A sixth win from six leaves Liverpool top of the league stage on 18 points, five ahead of Inter Milan, who are in action at Bayer Leverkusen later on Tuesday, while Girona remain in 30th with three points.

Girona suffered their fifth defeat of the competition but allowed Liverpool to work towards victory and had chances to take the lead in the first half but were denied by the visitors’ goalkeeper Alisson.

Liverpool struggled against a team that liked to hold back and bide its time, but made a breakthrough from the penalty spot when Salah converted in the 63rd minute after Luis Díaz was fouled.

“Six out of six wins, you couldn’t ask for much better. “It’s not easy, otherwise there would be more teams that could do it,” said Liverpool defender Andy Robertson.

“We played a lot better than tonight, we weren’t at our best level, but now it’s about winning the games and securing qualification.”

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Girona were forced back by pressure from Liverpool in the opening minutes and the visitors created two early chances.

Defender Joe Gomez was denied his first goal for Liverpool as Paulo Gazzaniga parried a close-range header, and minutes later the goalkeeper also parried a shot from Darwin Núñez.

Girona, with all players behind the ball, rejoiced in the counterattack and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, making his first appearance since early October after a thigh injury, was soon called into action.

Daley Blind completely missed a cross on the edge of the six-yard box, but the ball fell to Alejandro Francés and Alisson saved his effort at the second attempt and later beat down a shot from Miguel Gutiérrez.

“We were able to keep up, we had our chances and, well, we have to accept that we lost,” said Frances from Girona.

“It’s time to move on. The main thing was to have chances against a great team, and we had them.”

Núñez saved another attempt when passed through by Salah and Girona responded with a long-range shot from Yáser Asprilla, which Alisson parried for a corner, giving Girona greater confidence.

Alisson was involved again in the opening seconds of the second half, parrying from Arnaut Danjuma and Liverpool struggled to break through the stubborn Girona defense before a foul by Donny van de Beek on Diaz Salah gave Salah his chance from the penalty spot.

Salah missed a penalty in Liverpool’s last Champions League game against Real Madrid, but this time he made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and sending the ball into the bottom corner.

Girona never really seemed to get the equalizer as Liverpool kept the ball much better than in the first half and left the Estadi Montilivi with all three points.