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Liverpool maintained an ideal document on the prime of the Champions League as Arne Slot‘s large choices had been justified in a 1-0 win over Girona.
Girona 0-1 Liverpool
Champions League (6) | Estadi Montilivi
December 10, 2024
Objectives: Salah (pen) 63′
1. Slot’s robust lineup justified
There have been requires Slot to rotate his staff for this midweek Champions League sport, however his method was confirmed the most effective one and it totally paid off.
Having not needed to play Everton on the weekend, there was much less purpose to rotate, and if something it made sense to maintain his key starters in motion.
Though Harvey Elliott didn’t substitute Mohamed Salah on this sport, the Englishman getting back from damage offers Slot the choice to rotate Salah sooner or later.
There have been damage points in key positions on this early a part of the season and the Reds boss has discovered a option to work by way of them.
Gamers returning in attacking positions will give him extra choices if the others can keep match throughout a busy Christmas and New Yr interval.
Liverpool’s good document on this Champions League league stage thus far virtually ensures them a spot within the spherical of 16.
This can give them a matchday off later within the match, and permit for rotation within the remaining group video games. With this in thoughts, Slot’s robust lineup made good sense.
2. Gravenberch’s confidence continues to shine
The primary probability of the sport fell to Darwin Nunez – who stays frustratingly inaccurate – following an excellent piece of play from Ryan Gravenberch in midfield.
It’s grow to be a well-known sight this season, however this was a very excellent instance of it.
He makes it look straightforward as he receives the ball and breezes previous his man, receiving the ball throughout his physique and turning ahead into area, but it surely’s not a straightforward talent underneath strain.
It requires strain to be executed within the first place, so it wants confidence in addition to talent.
That he even has a signature transfer on this Liverpool staff exhibits a flip in fortunes underneath Slot the place he has grow to be a key a part of the staff.
The Dutchman completed the sport in Girona having accomplished 54/57 passes for a hit fee of 95 p.c – solely Virgil van Dijk completed with a greater document, as per FotMob.
3. Alisson helps climate the storm
Liverpool’s weekend sport towards Everton was referred to as off as a result of harmful winds and inclement climate, however they needed to climate one other storm initially of this sport.
Girona had the higher probabilities within the opening phases, with Alejandro Frances and Bryan Gil testing Alisson.
The hosts performed with confidence and had been maybe unfortunate to not make one thing of a type of early probabilities. It was definitely a wake-up name for the Liverpool defence.
It was virtually just like the Liverpool gamers had been giving Alisson some early motion in his first sport again from damage, serving to him get again within the swing of issues.
However the Brazilian confirmed no indicators of needing to blow off the cobwebs after 11 video games out, showcasing precisely why Slot has been insistent he would come straight again in when totally match.
As has been the case so many occasions this season, the Reds got here by way of this tough interval and emerged out of the opposite facet victorious.
4. Girona the most effective Metropolis Soccer staff?
Liverpool have now confronted two Metropolis Soccer Group-owned groups within the area of three video games, and there’s a case to say that Girona had been the most effective of them.
Slot’s facet dispatched Man Metropolis with relative ease, and the scoreline may have been far more than 2-0, however Girona put up loads of resistance and likewise had probabilities of their very own.
Per FotMob, Liverpool racked up an xG of three.57 of their sport towards Metropolis a few weeks in the past, which is a formidable quantity even with out the xG from the penalty added.
In opposition to Girona, it was only one.89, once more together with a penalty to supply a extra correct comparability.
Although the penalty was properly received by Luis Diaz, Liverpool definitely wanted the spot kick to win the sport.
Man Metropolis will undoubtedly endure some sort of resurgence within the Premier League this season, however that one of many groups beneath Metropolis within the CFG pecking order can seem extra spectacular exhibits the struggles skilled by Liverpool’s aggressive rivals this season.
5. Defence stays stable, surprisingly?
It doesn’t at all times really feel prefer it’s the case when watching Liverpool, however there’s something about this staff that has led to one of the crucial stable defensive data on the continent.
The midfield typically appears defensively suspect and there was the occasional second within the again 4, however the staff are nonetheless stopping objectives.
They’ve solely conceded as soon as within the Champions League to date this season — the aim scored by Christian Pulisic three minutes into the primary sport away in Milan — and still have the most effective defensive document within the Premier League with solely 11 objectives conceded.
Van Dijk has been the common presence all through all this, reinforcing his standing as the most effective defenders, and the most effective gamers, in Europe for the time being.
Apart from the captain, although, there have been accidents throughout the again 4 and goalkeeper at numerous factors this season, and it makes the staff’s defensive effort all of the extra evident.
One foot into the final 16 and now to press forward within the league on Saturday.
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