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Jurgen Klopp says there is room for improvement for Joe Gomez and Fabinho’s defensive partnership, but was encouraged by what he saw in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Ajax.
The Reds got off to a great start to the Champions League thanks to Nicolas Tagliafico’s own goal in the first half in Amsterdam.
Fabinho was selected in the unknown role of center-back after Joel Matip stayed in Merseyside due to a muscle ailment.
With Virgil van Dijk set for surgery for an ACL injury and Matip struggling to demonstrate his long-term fitness over the past year, Fabinho will likely be asked to substitute regularly alongside Gomez in the future.
And while the Brazilian was one of the Reds’ most prominent players in the victory at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Klopp believes it will take time for the partnership to develop after being named a pair for the first time.
“Fabinho can play better, that’s right,” Klopp said. “This combination with Joe and Gomez, I don’t think they’ve played together before.
“They need to get used to each other. They need to get used to the verbal demands in that position, what you have to say to help the midfielders and all these things.”
“It was a good performance, but there is a lot to improve, that’s good.
“How high or how low is the last line, at what time for protection situations, back pressures, how do we act with that. No problem tonight, it was absolutely fine.
“A clean sheet is huge, but we’re not foolish enough to think we don’t need a little luck.”
Liverpool were indebted to Fabinho for holding the lead when he hooked off the line after Dusan Tadic looped the ball over Adrian in the first half.
Klopp compared it to a similar incident from last season involving James Milner when the Reds beat Bournemouth at Anfield.
Klopp added: “Fabinho needed to make a proper stretch to get him off the line and they hit the post. I don’t care right now, we won the game and we did it.
“We didn’t hang the clean sheet too high because there were two situations where we weren’t far from perfect. We have to recover now and be ready for Saturday.
“Yes, it was clear that the two of them played together in the first back games. In fact, he likes to play there. If I asked him to play right back, I don’t think he would have enjoyed it that much.
“We have to keep those guys in shape and they can help us a lot. Fabinho does not surprise me that he plays well in that position, otherwise we would have thought of a different solution.”
“Millie had one against Bournemouth, which was huge and tonight it was huge. Not only for that, she had a huge turnout in tonight’s win.”
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