Liverpool front three ride to the rescue of an unsure defence

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool had to do the job twice over on Champions League upstarts Salzburg to get their defence of the competition back on track, but again relied on a prolific front three to cover over the cracks of an unsettled defence.

Mohamed Salah finally secured a thrilling 4-3 victory with his second of the night at Anfield after the holders had let an early 3-0 lead slip to the free-scoring Austrian champions.

However, the Egyptian’s strike partners were just as impressive as Sadio Mane opened the scoring against his former club and Roberto Firmino played a huge part in three of Liverpool’s four goals.

“It was far away from being a perfect game, but it was a typical Liverpool game, very exciting,” surmised the Reds’ manager Jurgen Klopp.

There was plenty to concern Klopp, who insisted  the whole world now knows what he already did — that a side crowned champions of Europe in June and on a 16-match winning streak in the Premier League remains a work in progress.

Salzburg have scored 51 goals this season and while few teams may match the fearless attacking prowess of Jesse Marsch’s young side, Liverpool’s defensive frailties were too easily exposed.

Joe Gomez endured a torrid night deputising for the injured Joel Matip, stand-in goalkeeper Adrian nearly had another horror moment as an attempted pass out from the back was charged down, and even the normally flawless Virgil van Dijk was left floundering on the floor by Hwang Hee-Chan for Salzburg’s first goal.

“Everyone wants to panic and stress and maybe look for all the negatives but we shouldn’t,” said Van Dijk.

“There’s no reason for panic at all, we just need to relax, have a look at what can be better.”

– Reliable strikeforce –

Klopp will hope to have Brazilian number one Alisson Becker and Matip back for the rest of the group stages to restore the solidity to a defence that kept five clean sheets in six Champions League games at Anfield last season.

But with their team in need, after a 2-0 defeat to Napoli on matchday one, the ever-reliable trio of Salah, Mane and Firmino stepped forward to ensure a nervy night for the hosts did not turn into a nightmare.

Mane made his name in European football at Salzburg and did not celebrate his goal in front of the travelling fans, but that was the only sign of grace he showed his former employers.

from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/2nbaiTx