Neil Atkinson’s post-match review for The Anfield Wrap after Girona 0 Liverpool 1 in the 2024-2025 Champions League group stage…
GOOD to see the goalkeeper back.
Less good to see quite so much of him in the first half.
Liverpool were able to go strong in this one because the Merseyside Derby was postponed, but you couldn’t have known it from the way the first half went after about the 10th minute. Control was surrendered and the game became fractured, more like an FA Cup quarter final than a European game.
Credit to Girona – the openness appeared to be their plan. They gambled on the idea of rattling Liverpool and going direct when it was there to be gone. Liverpool lacked both intensity without the ball and control with it during that first half.
It could, should, have resulted in goals for both sides – 2-2 would have been a fair scoreline at half time. Then 2-2 would have meant Liverpool had yet again conceded two on their travels.
But the goalkeeper. And the general luck of the draw. Being clear, at Newcastle, Liverpool didn’t get the luck of the draw. Isak’s shot could have gone high and wide and we’d have reflected on a first half without incident, in all likelihood.
Instead, it flies in and Liverpool end up all at sea. It is worth acknowledging, though, that the firm grip this manager wants at all times hasn’t been as firm as he’d like.
Second half, after the first minute anyway, it is. Liverpool smother Girona and push them back without quite looking like they’d have the guile you’d like to open the scoring.
The goal, when it comes, is one of Schrodinger’s Penalties. It both is and isn’t. It is bloody stupid from Donny van der Beek who finds himself not entirely in control of his body, a suddenly lumbering force.
He impedes Luis Diaz enough in a number of ways at exactly the moment it is clear Diaz is going nowhere. Regardless though, the goal was coming. Precisely how and where was up for question, but only one side was taking the lead at that stage.
It would be easy to say here “it probably wasn’t coming through Darwin Nunez”, but in a way that would be unfair. It was a relief to see him actually get decent shots away, a relief too to see them being taken first time and close to the goal.
Liverpool need to create opportunities for their number nine whoever he may be. Luis Diaz’s hat trick – where one of the goals came as he was wide left – against Leverkusen is very much an outlier.
Nunez is under-performing his expected goals in Europe, but is out-performing it domestically. The issue isn’t the finishing, it isn’t even the shot selection. It is the shortage of shots and last night is, therefore, a step forward.
It’s worth also pointing out that the goals and chances aren’t flowing from the 10 position either and this further makes matters feel structural as much as personnel orientated.
Liverpool are excellent at arriving onto situations from wide areas, but less good through the middle. Diogo Jota coming back may help this but, barring one away game against Crystal Palace, he wasn’t exactly being knocked over with chances either.
Today, though, Dominik Szoboszlai plays well in terms of his midfield contribution. As does Ryan Gravenberch, second half especially. Andy Robertson ends up with the award on the day. Trent Alexander-Arnold will hopefully feel better for the minutes and the goalkeeper is back.
And here we are, with all our problems, top of the leagues. All the leagues. It’s been a phenomenal start across the board, but especially remarkable in Europe. Liverpool are left with a perfect record and their pot three teams to play home and away, almost certainly without much in the way of pressure.
The manager can pick whoever he likes in the context of form, fitness and rhythm in the remaining games. That is to the credit of him and his players, who have been deadly serious even when not deadly.
From December 30 to March 3, even if Liverpool remain in the domestic cups, they need only pick what Arne Slot thinks is his first 11 eight times. That’s really something when you break it down in this season which looks for all our rivals like quite the slog.
We are in good shape, we are in at least one of the big two come March and able to now focus on the other, on our bread and butter. Do we need to be better than last night? Well, yes. But Arne Slot has the video and he knows what to do with it.
And the goalkeeper is back.
