Posted by Here are my three takeaways from a late 3-2 Liverpool win, which puts them in the driver’s seat in Champions League Group C.
Improvised PSG Midfield Struggle
Both sides came into this match in superb league form, with five wins on the bounce to begin their respective domestic competitions. PSG’s start had been particularly impressive, with the Parisians having scored at least three goals in all of those wins. These victories were made more impressive by the absence of key midfielder Marco Verratti, who returned from a groin injury in his side’s weekend match against Saint-Étienne. However, the Italian international was on the bench here.
Without Verratti, head coach Thomas Tuchel selected Marquinhos and Ángel Di Maria alongside Adrién Rabiot. Between the three, Frenchmen Rabiot was the only natural central midfielder. Marquinhos lined up at center-back for Brazil in the recent FIFA friendlies and has been deployed as a center-back or makeshift right-back since he moved to Europe with Roma. Although Di Maria was influential in a shuttling central midfield position at Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti, he had rarely played there since leaving the Spanish side.
Unsurprisingly, the Parisian midfield looked disjointed, as Rabiot and Di Maria struggled to get on the ball and influence proceedings. Even though Marquinhos could often be seen dropping between the two center-backs to help his side play out from the back, PSG struggled throughout the match to break the Liverpool press in midfield. Even when the French Champions found more space centrally in the early stages of the second half, they failed to take advantage, with Rabiot playing a simple pass to Juan Bernat out of bounds and Di Maria losing the ball minutes later when he was given the space to turn.
Even though their Qatari owners have spent $882.4 million since their takeover, PSG’s lack of midfield options is striking. Without Verratti, PSG lack a player who can sit deep and control the play. After Thiago Motta retired this summer and Giovanni Lo Celso was loaned out to Real Betis, it is surprising that PSG did not attempt to sign a quality midfield operator in this past transfer window.
Vaunted Front Threes Fail To Impress
Much of the buildup to this match was centered around the opposing front threes. PSG’s $547 million attack of Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappé was set to come up against Liverpool’s fearsome trident of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino. Jürgen Klopp had stated in the lead-up to the game that he would not trade his front three for PSG’s. Given his attacking threesome’s role in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final last year (where each player scored at least 10 goals), his statement could be justified.
Although PSG’s three stars all started at Anfield, Liverpool were without Firmino, who had not recovered from an eye injury suffered against Tottenham in time. Nevertheless, both attacks were off the pace for much of the match. Salah and Mané seemed to miss the link play and mobility that Firmino provides, with the more static Daniel Sturridge struggling to get involved in the first half. Even though Salah and Mané were unable to open up the PSG defense, they helped to contribute to Liverpool’s voracious press with smart running from the front.
The same can not be said for PSG’s attacking trio. Mbappé, Neymar and Cavani contributed little defensively, and spent the majority of the match isolated from their midfield and defense. There was an apparent lack of synergy in the PSG attack, with Neymar and Mbappé in particular attempting to dribble too often and losing the ball cheaply. As a result, Cavani did not receive adequate service, and did not have a good chance to score before he was taken off for Julian Draxler in the 80th minute. While PSG had difficulty getting the ball into their front three in good positions, players of the talent of Neymar, Mbappé and Cavani have no excuse for such ineffective displays.
Premier League or Europe For Liverpool?
This win marked Liverpool’s 17th consecutive European match without defeat. The last time the reds lost at Anfield in Europe was in October 2014, with an inspired Cristiano Ronaldo helping Real Madrid to a 3-0 win. Back then, Brendan Rodgers was still the Liverpool coach, and Mario Balotelli started the match at center-forward.
It is a sign of the improvement that Jürgen Klopp has overseen that wins over European heavyweights such as the French champions are not a huge surprise. Besides their devastating attack, Liverpool have looked much more solid since the purchase of Virgil Van Dijk last January. With the summer arrival of Alisson Becker in goal further strengthening the rearguard and Klopp’s concepts fully embedded in the squad, Liverpool look set to challenge for the Champions League title once again.
What could ultimately keep Liverpool from European glory are their domestic concerns. Coming into the season, Liverpool were seen as the most likely challenger to Manchester City’s hold on the Premier League title. With 15 points from a possible 15 to start the season, Liverpool fans are dreaming of a first league title since the 1989-1990 season. That title marked Liverpool’s 18th league crown. Since then, hated rivals Manchester United have passed them, and have now won the most league titles with 20. If Liverpool have to choose late in the season between a Premier League challenge and the Champions League, it is likely that Europe will take a back seat.
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