Digging Deeper into Liverpool’s 2-3 Loss to PSV
The Reds finish top of the Champions League table despite losing their final match.
What could have been a fun encounter between a team of scrappy second stringers trying to impress and one of Europe’s most exciting attacking sides quickly devolved into a surrealist one man show, as the referee took centre stage with one of the most remarkably impenetrable performances in recent memory.
Liverpool were predictably incoherent, starting as they did with a past his best left back in central defence and a mishmash of young talent and second stringers throughout the XI. A Cody Gakpo penalty sent them ahead before a wonderfully worked equaliser that had Reds defenders flying around the pitch like a water slide pegged them back.
Harvey Elliott re-established the visitors’ lead, but a pair of injury time goals — a close range finish from Ismael Saibari and an unfortunate own goal by Andy Robertson — saw the hosts go to half time one up.
The second half was a mess, with little in the way of coherent play, and only three shots taken between the two sides before debutant Amara Nallo was sent off four minutes into his first ever appearance for the Reds. Some banter towards the visiting manager and a meaningless amount of injury time later, the game ended.
Winners
Cody Gakpo: Got to score against his childhood club. A nice moment for a nice young man.
Federico Chiesa: There wasn’t much attacking thrust in this Liverpool side from the start — even less so once Gakpo left the pitch five minutes into the second half — but the Italian stood out as willing to go forward, at least. Chiesa created both Liverpool goals, one through pressing and the other with a driven effort from range, and while he was shunted out to the left wing in the second half to little effect, he finished the match as the Reds’ most potent attacking threat.
Finishing top: With Barcelona drawing at home to Atalanta, Liverpool’s result tonight meant nothing for their standing in the final Champions League table, and the Reds end the inaugural 36-team group stage at the very top. This means they will — after the end of the playoff round that takes place in the second and third week of February — face one of the teams placed between 15th and 18th in the table, namely Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco or Brest.
Recovery: Twelve Liverpool players were left back on Merseyside for this one. Squad rotation has not been a significant factor under Arne Slot, but tonight showed the man is willing if a sufficiently welcoming opportunity arises, and the extra days of rest will hopefully be reflected in both squad health and future performances.
Losers
Amara Nallo: Rightly sent off four minutes into his debut. Just rough on the youngster.
Tobias Stieler: One of the worst individual performances on a football pitch this writer can immediately bring to mind. Got one penalty and the red card right, but made at least a dozen utterly incomprehensible calls, failed to establish any sort of baseline throughout, and seemed to be completely disconnected from what was happening on the pitch. The haphazard quality of the second half was in no small way related to the arbitrary interventions of the referee.
Hopefully we won’t see him again in a game that matters.
What Happens Next
The Reds travel to high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday, where the two sides should be equally refreshed following a midweek off, as they look to increase their lead at the top of the Premier League table, before they host Tottenham Hotspur in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi final, in what could potentially be Ange Postecoglu’s last match in charge.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
Post a Comment