Mix-and-match midfield
All the post-match talk midweek was over the selection and the performance level in midfield, neither of which turned out to be good enough.
Changes against Villa were inevitable, therefore, but it was still a curious alignment that Jurgen Klopp chose.
Fabinho, Wijnaldum and Milner is not the most adventurous, lightning-quick or goal-laden trio, though they all show their worth in stamina levels, positional play and winning back possession.
Perhaps that was the point, as this was very much like a diamond midfield off the ball, Firmino dropping in deep again, Jota narrow and the Gini-Milner duo performing an awful lot of work both in the channels and centrally – maybe more shuttling work than an option like Thiago would be best-served being asked to perform.
Gini insists it ain t over - but squad silence says it all after Madrid defeat - Liverpool FC
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A failure in the dark arts leaves Liverpool with season-defining challenge - Liverpool FC
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@HenryJackson87
A wretched Liverpool were beaten 3-1 away to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with far too many Reds players well short of their best.
Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool
April 6, 2021
Alisson (out of 10) – 5
Sporting his beauty of a moustache, Alisson was hoping for a night as quiet as the one at Arsenal last weekend.
Unfortunately, that didn’t prove to be the case, with the Brazilian powerless to do anything about Madrid’s two opening goals.
He had to do far better with Vinicius’ second of the night, though, summing up his below-par form for too much of this season.