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There are things we all miss about going to Anfield. Things that stood out last night after Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Leeds United. Draining the stadium with electricity running through your veins one Saturday night in a city awakened by Jürgen Klopp and his team hit many who would be lucky enough to feel such excitement.
But there are other things I pick up from my seat at The Kop that often tell a deeper story and offer subtle clues as to how this team operates. Breaks are always a matter of intrigue, especially when it comes to Klopp and his assistant Peter Krawietz, also known as “the eye,” as Klopp nicknames him for his penchant for in-depth details on opposition tactics.
Krawietz generally disappears down the tunnel approximately 40 minutes into any game to prepare the video clips together with Liverpool analysts for the players to consume. When the whistle blows, Klopp will normally run through the tunnel to prepare for the break and be briefed on the information that will be relayed to the players.
It is a system that works. Liverpool have emerged victorious from a difficult first half in all sorts of situations and tactical surprises from the opposition over the years. From Salzburg to Southampton, there has been countless evidence that the Reds are getting the right information, and yesterday’s game showed that they haven’t bucked the trend.
Liverpool was rightly surprised by much of what Leeds did. The visitors employed a press and system that was designed entirely for their opponents and executed with incredible desire. It was notable in the first half that, while brave in beating the Leeds press in the shots (8/12), Liverpool were also being dispossessed by their opponents at a rate not generally applicable to champions (12).
Klopp and Krawietz tweaked some very miniscule details to win the game. For starters, both full-backs squeezed higher up the field, allowing for more sustained attack pressure and territory. Another side change was in the throw-ins. Leeds marked man to man rigidly, which meant there was often no room to maneuver. After the break, the hosts repeatedly lengthened or lost a man, something that ironically led to the visitors’ third goal.
Overall, Liverpool’s stats fared much better in the second half in terms of chances created (four to nine), xG overall (1.3 to 2.05) and attacking third passes (49 to 60). Despite all the perceived performance concern, Klopp will have plenty of positives to make when it comes to application and finer details. That detail is no more exemplified than when it comes to Krawietz and his entry into halftime.
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