Diogo Jota is experiencing Cristiano Ronaldo problem he'd never have at Liverpool

Mohamed Salah might be Liverpool’s star forward but Jurgen Klopp has built a side that ensures no-one is in the Egyptian’s shadow.

The 29-year-old is the Reds’ most attacking threat, there is no doubt about that.

He boasts 125 goals from 203 appearances in four seasons at Anfield with his lowest season tally standing at 23, winning two Golden Boots and narrowly missing out on a third while helping Liverpool to Premier League and Champions League glory.

But it’s not at the expense of his team-mates with Sadio Mane returning 84 goals (189 matches) and Roberto Firmino boasting 64 goals (200 matches) since the formation of the Reds’ triumvirate in the summer of 2017, with the Egyptian’s consistent returns just the result of him still firing home the goals when his colleagues’ levels drop

During that period the Senegalese has won a Golden Boot himself and broken the 20-goal barrier three times while the Brazilian boasted a career-best 27 goals in the trio’s first season together.

Salah, Mane and Firmino bring out the best in each other and the best in Liverpool, and that fluidity has been highlighted by Diogo Jota’s adaptation alongside the trio since his £45m move from Wolves last summer.

Despite missing a chunk of last season through injury, the Portuguese still returned an impressive 13 goals from 30 appearances as he quickly settled into life at Anfield.

For the first time since the foundation of Liverpool’s famous front three, the trio’s places in the side were no longer undisputed with Salah, Mane, Firmino and Jota all starting the occasional game from the bench and Klopp sometimes even utilising all four together.

Having broken into the Portugal starting XI over the past year, the Reds’ £45m man was already accustomed to such a scenario thanks to his international exploits and his homeland’s attacking depth.

But while Liverpool’s set-up is never about one individual, it’s rather a different story for Portugal.

Of course, would you expect anything else when you boast the services of Cristiano Ronaldo?

With three goals to his name at Euro 2020, this summer the 36-year-old has become the outright leading goalscorer in European Championships history as well as the first player to score at five major finals.

Meanwhile, with 107 goals for Portugal, the Juventus forward is closing in on Ali Daei’s all-time record of 109 international goals for Iran.

Captain of his country, he carries such an aura and such power that it is impossible not to build the Portugal team around him.

Even if it comes at the cost of his team-mates.

On paper an attacking quartet of Ronaldo, Jota, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva should be one of the very best at Euro 2020.

And that’s without considering the likes of Joao Felix, Andre Silva and Goncalo Guedes in reserve.

But, in truth, it has not quite delivered as it should so far.

Portugal opened the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Hungary with Ronaldo scoring a late brace, but all three goals came in the final six minutes.

Meanwhile, the main talking point from the game came courtesy of Jota as the Liverpool forward earned the wrath of his captain by opting to shoot rather than pass to Ronaldo in the first half, with the veteran’s displeasure with his team-mate obvious in the tunnel at the break.

All was forgiven between the pair as Portugal faced Germany in their second match, with Jota squaring for Ronaldo to opening the scoring into an empty net, when the Reds man could easily have gone it alone.

However, the 24-year-old did get on the scoresheet in the second half, providing the finishing touch to a looping Ronaldo strike over Manuel Neuer.

But despite the duo both getting on the scoresheet, Portugal were not at their best as Germany came from behind to clinch a 4-2 victory.

While Jota impressed, Ronaldo endured a quiet game, while Bernardo and Fernandes were both withdrawn early after ineffectual performances, with accusations that they were struggling in their captain’s shadow forthcoming.

Second in Group F after the loss, Portugal now face France in their final group game in a match which is likely to result in the winners topping their group.

And while Jota will continue being forced to find a way to shine on Ronaldo’s stage, such an experience will leave him in good stead to build on his impressive maiden campaign at Liverpool where he will be encouraged to be more than just a supporting act.