Team News
Jurgen Klopp made five changes to the side that lost to [team 11] at Anfield. Fabinho played in the midfield for the first time in nearly five months alongside Wijnaldum and Thiago. [player 5640817] was chosen to play alongside [player 1494396] at the heart of the Liverpool backline. The other changes saw Trent, Thiago and Mane returning after missing the weekend’s Premier League game.
[coach 458813] made two changes to the side that lost the first leg. [player 32586] and [player 32587] came in for [player 53625] and the injured [player 4337]. With Leipzig pushing [team 503] in the [league 82], a strong response was expected from the technically away side.
First-Half
As [team 8]usually do, they started the game well, and the midfield three dominated the ball. Due to the return of Fabinho, the balance in the midfield was impressive. The Brazil international, along with [player 1365], was providing an excellent platform for Thiago to make offensive movements. The fast start very nearly got Liverpool the lead when Thiago’s pass for Salah was excellently intercepted by [player 32641].
With Liverpool’s much-criticized high line, it was clear that [team 277]’s best way of hurting Liverpool was to attack the space in behind. With ten minutes gone, [player 129820] saved Liverpool with a heroic piece of shot-stopping. [player 74060] had a good chance after a chaotic moment in the Liverpool box. However, Alisson’s stop prevented the 2 goal aggregate lead.
Later, the former red’s goalkeeper, [player 2283], made a vital save, denying Jota a headed goal from a [player 1917] corner. Once again, Liverpool were in behind Leipzig after a spectacular pass for Salah. The Egyptian’s finish was poor, which was due to his bad second touch leading up to the chance. However, the ball rebounded in Mane’s path, whose header was poorer than Salah’s initial shot. Leipzig were once again saved.
[player 159917] had another chance when his effort was saved by the Leipzig goalkeeper, who kept the German club’s [league 2] hopes alive.
The first half ended with no goal, but Liverpool could have easily scored three or four after the clear cut chances they created. However, with lousy finishing, the game was far from over as the German side looked to respond in the second half.
Second-Half
Leipzig started the second half with more thrust as they began to win more second balls. Not too long before, [player 25514] had his header come off the crossbar and was eventually cleared by Phillips. Liverpool were defending well, but Leipzig’s pressure was increasing.
Liverpool kept missing some genuine chances as Leipzig’s European hopes were hanging by a thread. The introduction of [player 26803] brought more pace and dynamism in Leipzig’s attack, and the Dutch youngster was a handful for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Leipzig did have a good spell of attack, but Liverpool were never troubled.
After consistently missing some big chances, Liverpool finally scored after [player 4125]’s clinical finish into the bottom corner. This came after Leipzig pushed for their goal, leaving too much space for Salah and Mane to run into.
With the quarter-finals almost confirmed, Klopp replaced Jota and Thiago with [player 32640] and Origi. [player 1472]got the ball the right-wing and then flashed a low cross across the goal with [player 1389] on the far post with the tap in.
Over the course of two legs, Liverpool were brilliant despite their ongoing terrible form in the [league 8]. With their top-four hopes getting slimmer per week, a Champions League triumph will be a miracle. However, with the teams like [team 9], Bayern Munich and [team 591] still in the competition, Liverpool’s chances are close to nothing.
Eye-Catching Performers
Thiago (Liverpool)
The Spanish international has been widely criticized around the globe for his performances at his new club. However, that was down to the team’s lack of balance, especially in the midfield around him. With Fabinho’s return to the midfield as the anchor, Thiago was given more freedom to float with Wijnaldum late runs into the box.
The 29-year-old completed 30 passes, including 1 key pass. Impressively, he completed all 4 of his attempted long balls along with 1 big chance created.
Out of possession, [player 31857] had a tremendous game with 7 duels won, completed 2 clearances and 1 interception. The stat that stands out is he completed 6 tackles which is something he is not known for. However, to play under the intensity of [coach 455353]’s gegenpressing, he will have to add more robustness to his game.
With Liverpool targeting an unlikely Champions League triumph, the little magician will be ket in the process.
Fabinho (Liverpool)
As mentioned above, [player 96099]’s return saw what Liverpool have been missing in their midfield since he moved backwards to cover the defensive absentees. His anchoring, game reading ability, and footballing quality were pivotal in Liverpool’s win over Leipzig.
There were moments in the second leg where one pass could have allowed Leipzig to get in behind Liverpool’s high line. Most of the time, it was Fabinho’s interceptions as well as a few tactical fouls which made Liverpool’s midfield layer stronger as it used to be before the injury crisis.
He completed 2 clearances, 3 interceptions as well as 3 tackles. Just like Thiago, Fabinho’s role in the remainder of this season will be essential for Klopp to achieve any sort of potential success.
