Though Liverpool have become accustomed to the Champions League, their star man Mohamed Salah is no stranger to Europe’s second-tier competition, the Europa League.

Jurgen Klopp’s outfit now have time to reflect and recuperate after finishing 5th in the Premier League and out of the Champions League spots for the first time since the 2014/15 campaign.

Unai Emery – now in charge of high-flying Aston Villa – put the sword to Liverpool in the final of the 2015/16 Europa League final, with Coke’s second-half double proving crucial for Sevilla that day.

As they exchange their Tuesday and Wednesday nights for Thursday’s, Klopp, who had pledged to make the Europa League “our competition” will look to Salah in particular to prevent a repeat of that torrid night in Basel seven years ago.

Mohamed Salah battling it out with Chelsea captain Frank Lampard / Michael Regan/GettyImages

FC Basel plummeted out of the Champions League after failing to meet their aim of reaching the group stage in 2012/13.

The Egyptian King, in the infant years of his career, made more appearances from the bench than he did as a nailed-on starter in Basel’s Europa League campaign but he was a star nonetheless.

Salah scored his first of eventually many goals on the European stage in the quarter-finals as Basel edged past Tottenham on penalties after drawing 4-4 on aggregate scoring.

His scoring exploits did not halt there as his future employers Chelsea were at the hands of a Salah double in west London. Although the Egypt international crashed out of the competition thanks to the Blues, his Europa League showings earned him a rightful move to the English giants a few months later.

Salah helped Basel to their best-ever finish in the competition, performing when it mattered the most and often being the difference-maker.

Mohamed Salah celebrating his goal in Fiorentina’s 2-0 win at home against Tottenham / Gabriele Maltinti/GettyImages

Wedged in between his other two Europa League campaigns came his least successful one, with just a goal and assist apiece.

12 days after scoring his first goal for the club against Sassuolo, Salah added one to his European CV against, once again, Tottenham. Spurs had become a familiar sight for the tricky winger and a match-up that he flourished in.

Bearing in mind his spell in Fiorentina was merely a loan, Salah enjoyed positivity for the majority of the season and spurred his side into the semi-finals of the Europa League. His influence – goals aside – was undeniable, though his game time was limited on the centre stage.

A theme begins to reoccur with Salah and the Europa League as he helped Fiorentina – very much a surprise package of the 2014/15 Europa League season – reach the semi-finals of the competition for only the third time in the entirety of the club’s history.

Mohamed Salah celebrating his goal in the first leg of Roma’s round of 16 tie against Lyon / Jean Catuffe/GettyImages

Salah’s most recent Europa League campaign came just before his high-profile move to Liverpool, featuring in six games for Roma in 2016/17.

The Italian side endured a torrid campaign in Europe, preventing Salah from showing the footballing world his undeniable talent. Domestically, Roma finished in second place and secured themselves a spot at Europe’s top table for the following campaign, but cracked under pressure when vying for European silverware in the same season.

Neither goal amounted for anything in this term, either. Roma’s four-goal thumping over West Ham’s conquerors in Astra Giurgiu was already wrapped up before Salah’s effort came, and he managed to grab his second of the competition in a last 16 defeat to Lyon.

At the top end of the Premier League table, there will be no final day drama like there was in the Bundesliga today as the season comes to a close on Sunday.

Manchester City has already been confirmed as champion, and is eyeing up the FA Cup and Champions League next. Arsenal can only finish second, while third and fourth — the remaining Champions League places — are Newcastle and Manchester United’s.

Liverpool, of course, can only finish fifth and will be playing in next year’s Europa League, but across the park at Everton, things are a lot more consequential for the Blues.

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Sean Dyche and his players need a result to guarantee safety, with that astonishing 5-1 win at Brighton potentially having saved Everton from heading down to the Championship.

Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the other big sides in the Premier League and around Europe to take a look at the news going on at the other clubs.

This time, there is plenty more happening elsewhere — which Liverpool will hope is not something that is repeated again any time soon.

Everton relegation chances

While there might be nothing riding on Southampton vs Liverpool on Sunday, the same cannot be said for a few other games around the country — with the one at Goodison Park likely to have plenty of attention from Reds fans.

Everton needs to beat Bournemouth to guarantee its position in the Premier League is retained, though it could lose and still avoid relegation if Leeds United and Leicester City fail to win against Tottenham and West Ham respectively.

All three of the relegation-threatened teams are playing at home, as are already-relegated Southampton. But Opta rates the chances of Everton staying up at just under 80 per cent, compared to 17 per cent for Leicester and three per cent for Leeds.

Liverpool.com says: Everton is in a good position and certainly would have taken these circumstances a few weeks ago. Sean Dyche’s men need to start well and score early. Do that and Bournemouth could be on the beach. Offer encouragement and the home support could start to get tetchy.

Newcastle send $123m transfer warning

Having beaten Liverpool to a Champions League place, Newcastle United has unlocked another level of spending power that it can take advantage of thanks to the increased revenue attached to being part of that competition.

“There would be players we’d love to bring in that would be classified in that [marquee] bracket, I’m sure,” Eddie Howe has said after he asked about Newcastle’s transfer plans.

“For me, it’s more about the role they can fulfill in the team, whether that’s viewed positively or as a marquee signing then great. I’m not in my mind thinking, ‘We have to have one of those players that ticks that box for the supporters’. As much as I’d love to do that, it’s about finding the right player in the right position who I think makes us better.

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“The Champions League makes us more attractive and desirable to players, to a point. But we have challenges ahead, it’s not as easy as everyone thinks to navigate the transfer market.”

The Daily Mail reports that Newcastle is set to spend more than $123m (£100m/€115m) this summer as it strengthens its squad again.

Liverpool.com says: Newcastle has been fairly sensible up to now, but it has still spent a lot of money. Alexander Isak was a $78m (£63m/€73m) signing, for example. By being in the top four, Newcastle can now take that to the next level.

That was inevitable at some stage, but perhaps not quite so quickly. And for Liverpool, it means that the challenge will only continue to increase. FSG does not have the finances of the teams above Liverpool in the table and this is another reminder that the money required to compete at the top is only going in one direction.

This summer, the Reds simply have to get it right, with the warning of more spending by Newcastle (and others) the latest reminder.