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Van Dijk vs Skriniar, rocks in stock
The two defensive leaders of the two camps will have shone tonight.
On one side the indispensable Virgil Van Dijk, armband on his arm and reassuring commander.
On the other, the aptly named Milan Skriniar, tireless fighter still capable of a supersonic return to preserve the hope of his people (88th), ultimately vain despite the victory (0-1).
Dominant in the duels, the two men will have extinguished their vis-à-vis in their camp, Skriniar participating in the insipid performance of Mané, Van Dijk repelling everything… except Lautaro's strike
(see below),
where he may be slow to throw himself.
But the two control towers will have contributed both defensively and offensively, sometimes at the start of the action, sometimes at the conclusion.
Like when "VVD" thought to open the scoring with a header from a corner.
A ball saved… by Skriniar (32nd).
Lautaro finds and maintains the flame
Mute for ten matches with Inter before his resounding return last week (treble against Salernitana, 5-0), the Argentinian struck again this Tuesday evening at Anfield.
And how, a clear strike in the opposite corner of Alisson, helpless (62nd).
Long muzzled by Van Dijk, he took advantage of the little freedom he had to seize his chance.
And will not have gambergé, two minutes after a big opportunity wasted for lack of promptness (60th).
Lautaro will therefore have scored his first goal of the season in C1, at the best of times, to maintain hope.
Artisan therefore this almost useless exploit (first defeat of Liverpool at home for a year), the striker of Albiceleste (37 caps, 19 goals) finds shine at the time of the final sprint, and it
Lautaro Martinez allowed Inter to believe in the feat on Tuesday evening.
PAUL ELLIS / AFP
Alexander-Arnold at the wand
His quality as a center and pass is no longer a secret to anyone.
Author of 17
assists
this season, “TAA” came close to adding an 18th line to his list.
The most decisive full-back of the five major championships thought he gave the ball for the opener to Matip, whose helmet hit the bar (31st), or to Van Dijk a minute later (32nd ).
Always placed close to the surface, the British international side (16 caps, 1 goal) will have fueled the game on his side (126 balls, match record), combining (not always wisely) with Salah.
Above all, he almost unblocked the situation himself with a master free kick which grazed the post of Handanovic (45th-6).
Read alsoChampions League: for Liverpool, “the important thing was to qualify”, says Salah
FLOPS
Jota misses the double confrontation
Surprise holder in place of Luis Diaz, much more prominent in recent weeks, the Portuguese has missed out.
As in the first leg… date of his last tenure (excluding the Cup).
He was then replaced at the break by Jürgen Klopp, who this time left him until the 82nd minute.
Without more success: 40 balls played, 12 lost and a litany of bad choices.
Twice, his hazardous transmissions endangered his team, as when he made a big mistake to recover, before the following free kick made his team tremble (41st).
Without a goal for a month, he is again too short in the box on a sequence that almost benefited Salah (52nd).
And he lacked promptness as soon as he had the ball, like on this failed dribble on the counter (74th).
Sanchez ruined everything
We were waiting for Edin Dzeko, we had Alexis Sanchez.
The Chilean, who left the Premier League lawns in 2019, found them lackluster.
Without stopping off-time (three times offside in the first period), the former Arsenal player rarely improved his few balls played (35, 10 lost).
Conversely, he came close to the correctional on a violent tackle on the knee on Thiago Alcantara, his former playing partner at Barça (45th + 4).
The ax will fall in the second half on a new uncontrolled tackle, on Fabinho (63rd).
To his credit, a decisive pass (which was essential) towards Lautaro (62nd)… a minute earlier.