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If Liverpool’s brilliant 5-0 beating of Atalanta earlier this month created the perception that the much vaunted Italian team is not as good as the publicity suggests, then tonight it emphatically demonstrated why they are so highly regarded.
There’s a reason they reached the quarterfinals of this competition last season and scored the most goals (95) of any Serie A team in 60 years, and it’s because they’re a serious soccer team.
Unlike Liverpool, they showed up at Anfield with a level of intensity and pace about their game that reflected a team absolutely desperate to make a statement and redeem themselves for what happened in the first match.
Liverpool, by contrast, looked extremely lethargic and disjointed from the first whistle, and remained so throughout the 90 minutes. Whether it’s from the volume of changes, unfamiliar faces playing side by side for the first time, some players are still tired from recent efforts, or just the fact that they knew they didn’t have to win, Liverpool were neither. close to the races and absolutely deserved the defeat inflicted on them.
In the grand scheme of things should not matters too much, and of all the moments to produce such a drab and lifeless screen, this was probably the least damaging to do so, although it does mean Liverpool still has Some work to be done to ensure their passage to the knockout stages, which could have been mathematically secured tonight.
A much improved performance will be required this weekend against Brighton.
Here’s the podium …
Gold: no injuries
Pretty much the only genuine positive to be drawn from the game was the fact that Liverpool apparently came out unscathed without losing any more players to injuries, which, based on the last few weeks, is a minor miracle.
Andy Robertson, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota only participated for the last half hour, so the quartet should be fresh and eager to take on Brighton on Saturday lunchtime.
It was also a huge relief to see Joel Matip pass without seeming to have any kind of problem, which means that he has now started three consecutive games with Liverpool for the first time since September 2019.
Small victories.
Silver: Jürgen Klopp’s spiel after Sunday’s game
Jürgen Klopp was very clear in airing his thoughts on the crowded nature of the match schedule when he spoke to Sky Sports after Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Leicester City on Sunday, and how player demands are having an effect. significant adverse. to affect.
Whether it’s injuries or players simply unable to consistently perform at the highest level due to a lack of adequate recovery time, he, and many other managers, feel that he has reached a crisis point in the That product (for television audiences) will be drastically worsened as a result.
That’s not to fully excuse how poor Liverpool were on the night, because their decision-making, passing accuracy, and tactical cohesion were far below the standards they set, but it adds valuable context that could. partially Explain why many of them appeared to be running on smoke.
It is an issue that is not going to go away any time soon, and one that will undoubtedly affect all teams during the festive period as the games continue to progress rapidly and intensely, especially those that have European commitments to face.
Bronze: Jordan Henderson
It’s a line that often comes up after Liverpool underperform, but with good reason: you really notice Jordan Henderson when he’s not there. You notice him when he’s there, of course, but his influence is just as obvious in his absence (if not more so).
When Liverpool fight to get the ball moving quickly, you see exactly why Henderson’s ability to set tempo is so valuable, as well as his utter intolerance of complacency and carelessness that characterized Liverpool’s performance tonight.
That’s not to say that Liverpool would definitely have won if they had been on the court, but it surely wouldn’t have allowed them to sleepwalk through the game the way they did. It is no coincidence that Liverpool’s two worst performances of the season so far (tonight and Aston Villa away) have come when they have been injured.
Must do better
All of them, basically. It does not seem reasonable to single out any individual as particularly poor, as none of them covered themselves with any kind of glory.
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