liverpool Head coach Arne Slot set higher demands on his team after the team struggled. 1-0 win In the Champions League, he said he was “very unhappy” with the performance.
Liverpool looked far from their best at the Montilivi Stadium but Mohamed Salah After the free throw in the second half Donny Van Der Beek considered a foul Luis Diaz within the area.
The victory means Liverpool continue their perfect record in Europe, having won all six of their Champions League games this season, but Slott insists their performance must improve if his side have ambitions to go all the way in the competition. improve.
In an interview with TNT Sports after the game, the Liverpool coach said: “If you ask me about all six games, I am very satisfied with all the results and performances in the five games.
“I’m not happy with tonight’s performance. Two things in particular. If you play against a team that has a good idea of ​​the football and knows how to move the ball around like the teams we’ve played recently. real Madrid and Manchester Cityyou need it so strongly.
“But if you wait to press and get beat easily, this team will cause you problems. That’s what they have shown throughout the Champions League, apart from [against] Eindhoven.
“I feel sorry for them because they deserved more than three points. We have an unbelievable goalkeeper. We weren’t aggressive enough when we conceded the ball. There was almost no control the whole game. Maybe the second half will be a little better.”
A big positive for Liverpool is the return of Alisson to the starting line-up, with the goalkeeper out since October 5 with a hamstring injury. The Brazilian made a series of saves to help Liverpool keep a fifth clean sheet in Europe this season, and Slott was quick to call him “the best goalkeeper in the world” after the game.
“He definitely didn’t look like he had left,” Slaughter said. “I joked that the players wanted to test his fitness today [giving up chances].
“He showed today what I have said many times, that he is our first goalkeeper. This has nothing to do with Cao Yixin.” [Kelleher]who did a good job, but [Alisson] Today’s performance showed that, in my opinion, he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. We hope he can continue these performances and stay healthy. “
Slaughter also defends forwards Darwin Nunezhe turned down many opportunities to oppose Girona He has played 19 times for Liverpool this season and scored only 3 goals.
Asked if the Uruguayan was low on confidence, Slote said: “What I can agree with is that he missed some chances; then whether he was low on confidence is a question.
“I think every striker has a moment when everything clicks and then there’s a period of working really hard but not scoring. But the good thing is we have a lot of players who can score goals. He’s a threat but unfortunately He can’t score”.
Regardless of the outcome of the rest of the day, Liverpool will be guaranteed to finish the sixth of eight league rounds in first place with 18 points.
The final two rounds will take place in early 2025.
ESPN’s Sam Marsden contributed to this article.
