Liverpool lost 0-1 to the end of the list in the last round of the league Nottingham Forest , and he really has the strength to deal with this Champions League battle, which is related to Liverpool's advance to the top 16. Forward Darwin Nunes was missed due to a muscle injury in the last round of the game and was very important for Liverpool to come back in this game. It is very important for Liverpool to cooperate with Salah and Roberto Firmino to attack. In addition, Jordan Henderson and Arnold also returned to the starting lineup at the same time, replacing Curtis Jones and James Milner. The overall lineup is indeed relatively complete. Klopp still uses a 442 formation in this game, but Salah is not on the right wing, but instead forms a double arrow with Darwin Nunes. Roberto Firmino moves sideways and serves as the offensive midfielder, using a 442 diamond formation. Harvey Elliott and Jordan Henderson help both sidebacks assist in defending the right and left midfields respectively.
Three comments on the match:
1. Darwin Nunes scored goals in the last 4 starts
About four months after joining Liverpool, Darwin Nunes began to find his position in the team. He played in 12 games in the Champions League and the league, and scored 5 goals and 1 assist. As a new player, he performed very well. Compared to the , Luis Dias scored more goals when he first joined in the first round of , Luis Dias scored more goals in the last five games, and scored 4 goals in the last five games. If it were the starter, he scored goals in 4 consecutive starters. This game, he headed the ball again, and the top skill has been confirmed to be more accurate than using his feet. Liverpool is the team with the most crosses and set-piece attacks on both wings. I believe Darwin Nunes' header goals will come one after another. He was replaced after less than 60 minutes, probably because he was afraid that he would strain again. His absence had a great impact on Liverpool. The elderly Salah needed a strong and fast partner like Darwin Nunes to draw away the opponent's central defender for him. Of course, Darwin Nunes's performance is still a big difference compared to Manchester City 's Haaland , but for foreign players who joined Premier League at a high price this season, Darwin Nunes' performance is better than Manchester United 's Anthony .
2.Xavi Elliott releases goals ability
Young young player Xavi Elliott is often criticized by Liverpool fans for lack of physical confrontation and mediocre creativity. As a midfielder or right wing, he is just an engineer. However, after Klopp changed into the 442 Diamond Headquarters in this battle, Salah and Darwin Nunes were the two forwards, and Xavi Elliot was the right midfielder. He occasionally switched positions with Salah and Roberto Firmino. The best example was the goal he scored in the second half. Roberto Firmino walked to the right wing to take off the midfield position, and Salah moved from the forward to receive the pass from Xavi Elliott. Xavi Elliott took the opportunity to insert the open space in the penalty area after Salah moved out of the penalty area. A simple one two removed Ajax's defense line, and Xavi Elliott was able to shoot with his right foot in the upper corner of the post in the narrow position on the right. The opponent's players may be very clear that he is a left-footed player, so he unexpectedly could shoot a wonderful shot with his right foot.
has scored 3 goals in 16 matches this season's league and Champions League. The data is actually quite good. Liverpool's midfielder has always been criticized for his low goal ability. Now Xavi Elliott is more flexible in the 442 Diamond Headquarters. I believe that with Salah and Roberto Firmino assists, he will have the opportunity to challenge the double-digit goal number this season.
3. Andrew Robertson Reappearing assist abilities
Andrew Robertson not only handed over the assist to Darwin Nunes in this battle, but he responded to Alisson long pass on the left and handed over a wonderful pass to Roberto Firmino in the open position. Roberto Firmino crossed again and Darwin Nunes shot at the tail post, but unfortunately he didn't enter the post, otherwise the organization would be simple and cooperated very well.Liverpool was under pressure until the 33 minutes in the first half. Andrew Robertson pressed his opponent several times on the left. His cooperation with Jordan Henderson was actually very efficient. This combination is also the effect of Klopp's change of the lineup. Andrew Robertson hit the bottom and Jordan Henderson would pass the tail post again. In addition, the physical Darwin Nunes kept harassing the opponent's left foot, which made Ajax's right-back position. When Arnold reduced the assists on the front to ensure the defense of the right-back, pressing forward on the left became the top priority of Liverpool.
After defeating Ajax, Liverpool has successfully advanced to the top 16. Although he still has the strength to compete for the first place with Naples in the Champions League group stage, he has to defeat Napoli at least 4-1 at home to have the chance to calculate the goal difference. For example, both teams are serious about defeating Napoli, and there is a low chance of qualifying for the second place this season. In addition, there is also a chance to meet other first-ranked teams that are not too strong in other groups, such as Porto and Benfica, etc., which are actually not too bad. Even if they draw strong players Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain , Liverpool is not necessarily at a disadvantage in its configuration of being better at counterattacking. Therefore, Klopp can attack half hard in the remaining battle of the group stage, and make a big rotation rest in the intensive period. It is best to let some main players get on the verge.
