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So this is the December that will break with tradition then.
For the first time in Jurgen Klopp’s tenure, Liverpool will head to the final day of the Champions League group stage with the certainty that their pass is assured.
Group D has traded safely with little, if not minimal, fuss.
Save for one of the poorest European performances in many seasons last week against Atalanta, it has been easy for Klopp’s side.
That night at least you can now crawl into room 101 and drop the season-ending DVD.
Liverpool’s standings put an end to the trend of 2017, ’18 and ’19 where they have taken steps to the final match. In Denmark they won’t bite their nails for eight days.
Fans can now sit back and relax when the Reds take on Midtjylland next week to close out what generally equates to three months of Champions League football in seven weeks.
They know whatever happens, they are in the round of 16 with the potential to visit whoever they are paired with for their return to competition in mid-February.
Music to the ears of fans who haven’t been to a game since March.
What a transformation this has been in Europe for the Reds under the current leadership. Five years ago qualifying for the competition itself would have been cause for celebration and seemed a bit far off.
Now, they compete in the round of 16 as a matter of course and have serious plans to become European champions at all times.
With three appearances in the Champions League final on his résumé, including victory in 2019, Klopp’s tactical acumen at this elite level sometimes curiously passes outside the confines of the red bubble.
And while coming out of a tricky-looking Group D with relative ease will do little to improve his overall reputation as a manager, qualifying for the later stages should always have a pat on the back in store for him at Anfield.
The injury crisis and the backlog of matches remain almost chronic sources of frustration for Klopp, but the Champions League now offers him an opportunity that he simply has to seize next week.
The meeting with Midtjylland on December 9 is a dead rubber giving injured Liverpool some much-needed respite. Expect Klopp to rest, turn and recover as he negotiates these seven games before the end of a truly unforgettable 2020.
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Klopp was a bit surprised when team news reached 6.45pm with Ireland Under-21 international Caoimhin Kelleher named in the goal ahead of regular substitute Adrian.
With Alisson Becker out of the game for the better part of two weeks with a hamstring problem, the Kelleher threw the glove when Klopp gave the Cork-born goalkeeper a huge vote of confidence.
If the 22-year-old was feeling nervous in his fifth first team appearance, an excellent save from Noussair Mazraoui’s long-range effort would have been just the tonic.
Another expert stop in the later stages of the wily veteran Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was the icing on the cake on a perfect night for the young goalkeeper.
Kelleher could now be ready to play in the Premier League at Wolves this Sunday. This was an ideal way to justify his coach’s faith on the big stage.
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Liverpool looked dangerous during the first half, but were let down by a series of wrong decisions or hard touches and the closest they came was when Curtis Jones hit the post with a shot from the edge of the area.
It would be the local boy who applied the final touch in the second half to give the Reds a victory that assures them the status of winners of Group D.
After weathering something of a storm from the Dutch giants, the hosts had the upper hand when Jones snuck undetected from the back post before launching a Neco Williams cross that goalkeeper Andre Onana misjudged completely.
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From one Academy graduate to another, Alex Inglethorpe and his team will have toasted this particular Liverpool goal.
If last season saw Jones decorate games with any glimmer of quality, this season has seen him come of age with more sustained but understated excellence in the games he participates in.
His growing maturity has been evident in a more disciplined central midfield role, but he was still alert enough to enter the area when he felt the all-important opening just before the hour.
While Klopp has had to deal with injuries in plenty of central midfield options, Jones has won while misfortune has shone, playing himself an increasingly important role on this Liverpool team.
And praise for Williams, who, perversely, has had to deal with a fair amount of criticism already in her fledgling career. The Welsh international can aim for his best game so far here, advancing where possible but without exposing his central halves.
The Reds should have increased their lead at the end, but backup Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah squandered glorious opportunities.
Yet in truth, his goals would have stolen the spotlight from the likes of Jones, Kelleher and Williams, who stood up to be counted when their exhausted seniors needed them most.
Should Caoimhin Kelleher start for Liverpool against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend? Let us know in the comments.
This was a famous night for the Kirkby staff.
The name of Liverpool enters the hat once again. In two weeks, from Nyon, they will know their fate. Then the hard work really begins.
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