Midfield restart button pressed
Jurgen Klopp had kept his powder dry long enough. Now Liverpool have been given a first glimpse of what they hope will be a bright future for their midfield.
Having this summer splashed out £35million on Alexis Mac Allister and £60m on Dominik Szoboszlai, the Reds boss paired the new boys together for the first time in this glamour friendly against Bayern Munich.
Much is being invested in the duo, who Klopp had earmarked as the priority of a necessary midfield rebuild even before Fabinho and skipper Jordan Henderson moved to Saudi Arabia.
The Reds boss spoke of this season being an opportunity to introduce a “new culture” at the club with vice-captain James Milner also departing. And while it would be wrong say Klopp has pressed the restart on his team, he has in the engine room.
Szoboszlai, understandably, isn’t quite as much up to speed just yet as Mac Allister, lacking the Premier League experience of his new team-mate and having missed one earlier friendly with an ankle problem.
At least the former RB Leipzig man was up against familiar opposition here, and quietly impressed with his mobility, strong pressing and tidy play
Mac Allister, meanwhile, had enjoyed the midfield skirmish until taking a heavy blow to his knee that saw him helped off hobbling after the half-time whistle, cutting short the first outing with Szoboszlai.
Klopp later played down concerns of a major problem. Already with one midfield concern, he doesn’t need another.
Gakpo edging Nunez battle
If Liverpool are suffering a famine in defensive midfield, they are enjoying a veritable feast in attack.
That became obvious just two minutes into this match when two of most encouraging performers of the summer combined to score a goal that lit the blue touchpaper on another strangely entertaining friendly for the Reds.
Cody Gakpo turned on the halfway line and played the ball wide left to Diogo Jota, and then continued his run to receive a fine return pass and race in behind the Bayern defence before finishing expertly with his left foot.
soar
Gakpo has perhaps just been ahead of Darwin Nunez in the battle to lead the line at Stamford Bridge later this month, the Uruguayan – after four goals in his previous three games – spurning two decent opportunities in the second half to improve his tally.
Mohamed Salah could rarely outpace Alphonso Davies but still managed to lay on an assist midway through the second half for Luis Diaz, whose well-taken goal was reward for his persistence.
Liverpool have had better individuals, but rarely can they have had five top-class options from which to choose up front.
And it will surely soon be six if Ben Doak continues his rise, the 17-year-old wowing the crowd with two trademark thrusts down the right during his 15-minute outing.
Defence cannot be ignored
It was the perfect way for Virgil van Dijk to celebrate being named Liverpool’s new club captain.
Andy Robertson’s 28th-minute corner from the right was swung in with his left foot and Van Dijk, rising highest, thumped home an emphatic header, much to the delight of the 40,000-plus crowd inside the Singapore National Stadium that Thomas Tuchel later admitted made his Bayern side feel like the away team
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