Ipswich Town 0, Liverpool 2 - Match Recap: Slot’s Reds Win Opening Match
It was a slow start, but the Reds kept a clean sheet and came away with three points.
Ipswich Town 0 - 2 Liverpool
Liverpool: Jota 60’, Salah 65’
Pre-Match
Another season, another match where Liverpool gets screwed over with the early kick-off. Maybe Arne Slot’s Liverpool will have better luck with them than Jürgen Klopp’s. Jarell Quansah gets the start beside Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson is back in the team. Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo are both on the bench while Diogo Jota leads the line.
First Half
Unsurprisingly for an early kick-off on the first game of the season, the Reds took their time to work into the game. Ipswich, on the other hand, also unsurprisingly, are absolutely chomping at the bit. Lots of heavy tackles as they throw themselves into it, leading to three early yellows for them in the first 20 minutes of the match.
Trent Alexander-Arnold looked sharp as he deftly contained an Ipswich break.
Liverpool had a flurry of early corners but couldn’t capitalize on any of them. On one, Ipswich got a lucky break when Alexis Mac Allister was skinned and Hutchinson was well away. The defense did a good job getting back to slow the momentum, and luckily Hutchinson went for glory with a left footed shot straight at Alisson instead of playing in his onrushing teammate.
Luis Díaz nearly got his foot on the final ball in a scrappy break where the Ipswich defender clumsily nicked the ball right in his path. Unfortunately, the keeper was alive to the threat and dove onto it before Díaz good get a foot on it.
So far, this first half was a game of unsuccessful fast breaks on either end of the pitch with little going on in the midfield from either team. The first half ended with Ipswich the better side though neither team managed to score.
Second Half
Slot made a halftime switch, taking out Quansah for Ibrahima Konaté. It’s unclear if it’s a tactical or injury issue. Liverpool started the second half strong, earning another early corner and pressing the Ipswich players when they tried to play it out from the back.
Liverpool get very lucky as a bad tackle that should have been a penalty for Ipswich is overruled by a call of offside. However, that luck ran out on the other end when Díaz missed on his own break and calls for a penalty on him were ignored.
The Reds continue to push some more. Jota nearly scored minutes later, but headed the ball wide from about six yards away. He looked frustrated, but at least they are creating some chances here.
It paid off in the next moment on yet another break. Mohamed Salah slides it to the onrushing Jota who doesn’t miss twice.
Once the first goal went in, it was only minutes until Liverpool grabbed a second. Salah set up Jota last time, this time it’s the Egyptian who got the goal with a clean poke home of Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass.
At 75’, Alexander-Arnold went off for Conor Bradley as the team looked to see out the final 15 minutes of the game. Cody Gakpo then came on for goalscorer Jota, and a gassed Robertson is relieved by Kostas Tsimikas. It’s interesting that nearly the entire back line, save van Dijk, has been substituted out in the second half. Looked like Slot was conserving his players’ fitness in preparation for a long season ahead. Hey, if that means we avoid another debilitating defensive shortage in February, then I’m all for it.
Over the eight minutes of added time, Liverpool pushed for a third goal, but didn’t quite have enough to get another one in the back of the net.
Final Thoughts
It was a slow start in the first half for the Reds, but that’s understandable. The second half was markedly better, and Liverpool left their first match with three points. Next is Slot’s inaugural game at Anfield against Brentford.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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