Last week in the Parc des Princes Arne Slot changed his system radically for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Liverpool head coach opted for a five-man defensive system – with Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk featuring as centre-backs.
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Out wide were Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez as wing-backs – with the move clearly designed to stem the flow of attacks through PSG’s fluid front three.
It didn’t work.
Liverpool overwhelmed in the first leg
Liverpool were overwhelmed at the back owing to a lack of cover in midfield – with PSG’s midfielders passing and probing their way through.
The contest went in Luis Enrique’s side favour – 2-0 on the night but it could have been so much worse. The European champions failed to take their chances on the night – leaving Liverpool in with a shout of rescuing the tie at Anfield.
But any fears of Arne Slot naming the same team – or more accurately persisting with the same failed experiment – can now be put to rest following the announcement of Liverpool’s XI for the second leg.
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Rather than a 3-5-2 Slot has gone back to the 4-2-2-2 system by the looks of things.
Isak in, Rio dropped
In terms of personnel the only change is Alexander Isak for Joe Gomez – but there is plenty of movement in the team compared to last week.
Slot is set to unleash Isak after his return from injury from the start in tandem with Hugo Ekitike – a rare sight – and even more welcome for Liverpool fans will be the sight of those two being played with Florian Wirtz from the outset.
There is no start for Curtis Jones following an injury scare in the Premier League at the weekend.
Rio Ngumoha meanwhile will have to content himself with a place on the bench despite his goal and man-of-the-match display on Saturday.
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Of course this system means Mohamed Salah is once again dropped to the bench having got back in the team for the weekend win against Fulham.
Is it the end for Salah?
A goal against the Cottagers wasn’t sufficient for Slot to start him – with the head coach perhaps aware of the upper hand Nuno Mendes has enjoyed in his clashes against the Egyptian King.
So Salah may have already played his LAST Champions League game for Liverpool having reached 50 goals in the tournament against Galatasaray in the round of 16.
If he doesn’t get on tonight then there will never again be another famous Anfield night with Salah in the lineup. So let’s hope that doesn’t come to pass and Liverpool can summon the spirit of 2019 and overturn a tie against the odds – a la “corner taken quickly”.
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It’s going to be a tough job but Slot has got one tick in his plus column already. Last week felt like a surrender whereas this lineup looks like there’s some fight left in the beleaguered head coach.
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