Let-off for dithering Reds defence
EVERYONE thought the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez would cost Liverpool defensively. While the makeshift centre-half pairing of Joel Matip and Fabinho kept a clean sheet — no mean feat against Bayern Munich — their reluctance to play the ball forward invited trouble on the home side. Defence was a problem area and Liverpool never look in control when goalkeeper Alisson has an off-day. The amount of time he dwelt on the ball was criminal and it kept putting his team under pressure. Both Alisson and opposite number Manuel Neuer are renowned for using their feet but the goalkeepers looked nervy in the first half. When I was playing in defence for Arsenal, nothing made Arsene Wenger more angry than when we passed back to David Seaman. Go forwards and the opposition are deterred from pressing your goalkeeper. Go back and you only invite them on. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, Jurgen Klopp’s first-choice pairing are usually effortless in possession. They always look to play forwards, giving Liverpool the platform from which to build their attacks. The opposite was true last night. Matip, in particular, panicked in possession, passing to Alisson eight times in the first half alone. It may have been the easier option for the defender but it meant that the Bayern forwards — Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman and Robert Lewandowski — started to anticipate what he would do. On huge nights like these, the biggest mistake you can make is being afraid to make one.