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It is not very often that Liverpool enter a day knowing that losing would not be the worst in the world. That may sound a bit strange, given that the stature of the club demands success on both the national and European stages.
Tonight’s trip to Atalanta poses possibly the toughest test that Jürgen Klopp and his players will have faced in the Champions League this season. The Serie A club have scored 23 goals in eight games in all competitions this season and will undoubtedly pose a significant threat to Liverpool’s defense.
Not only would you not be surprised to see a number of changes to the starting lineup tonight, it is probably something that many would encourage. Let’s not forget that one of the most important games of the season awaits us this weekend: Manchester City away.
Of course, there will be at least one change with Nat Phillips dropping out for not being on the Champions League squad. As for the rest of the team, it remains to be seen how experimental Klopp is, if at all. What it will tell us is how determined the boss is to ensure qualification to the knockout stages as soon as possible.
It is quite obvious that all the coaches in the competition would want qualification for the next round to be closed with games to spare, and the same applies to Liverpool. But with the emergence of tough Premier League matches every week, combined with the string of injuries that have already occurred, Klopp hasn’t had the luxury of starting his first-choice eleven in every match.
Hopefully the boss will rotate his team again tonight, especially with a trip to the Etihad Stadium at the weekend. Liverpool can afford to lose tonight and still qualify for the knockout round of the Champions League with relative ease. However, if they lost to City on Sunday, that could hamper their chances of retaining the league title, even at this early juncture.
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After the weekend’s match in Manchester, there will be a two-week international break before the intense series of matches leading up to Christmas and New Years begins. After the mid-season interval, Liverpool have 12 matches over the course of the festive period, which will provide an ordeal of the team at Klopp’s disposal, not just in the sense of quality, but primarily of his fitness.
Tonight’s game could be a sign of how Klopp views those games. If he goes with a solid lineup, it shows that securing qualification early is a priority, but if there are major changes, then it could be a sign of looking to future games rather than the one in front of him.
Let’s be honest, any team that is sent has more than enough quality to add all three points at the Bergamo Stadium. While losing may not be as painful as in other games, you can be sure that the players have no intention of dropping their intensity levels. They will go out to win and you have to be sure that this will happen.
What I read on Liverpool.com
Joel has written a fascinating article on Liverpool’s urgent numbers this season, and how they seem to have fallen drastically in recent games.
There’s also an interesting read here on Ajax defender Perr Schuurs and how after being linked with a move to Anfield, he could be the player Liverpool need right now.
What i am seeing
Liverpool broadcast their training session before flying to Italy for tonight’s match. It’s certainly worth looking at it to try and find any indication of possible team news or tactical form.
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