Jurgen Klopp should be worried by his Liverpool defense… THINGS WE LEARNED from the Reds’ 4-3 defeat against Bayern Munich
After conceding four goals in a 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich to end their Singapore trip, questions will be raised about Liverpool’s defense going into the new campaign.
After just two minutes, Cody Gakpo gave the Reds the lead, and new captain Virgil Van Dijk made it 2-0, but Bayern drew even at halftime with two goals from Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane who took advantage of a weak Bayern defensive.
Luis Diaz restored Liverpool’s lead, but goals from Frans Kratzig and Josip Stanisic allowed the German champions to win.
Here are five things that Lewis Steele of Mail Sport discovered while he was at the Singapore National Stadium.
The defense case
Jurgen Klopp has made it a point to emphasize in his press briefings that Liverpool’s defense needs to substantially improve if they were to improve upon their unsatisfactory fifth-place result from the previous campaign.
There is a lot of work to be done in that area, based on the defense for Liverpool’s performance in this game. Both of Bayern’s first-half goals, both of which featured Serge Gnabry at the center of them, were the result of the Reds being far too exposed on their right flank.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s much-discussed switch to midfield is a contributing factor to the issue. Even though the Englishman is listed as a full-back on the roster, he drifts into center areas and is given the freedom to control play from deep when Liverpool is in possession.
But this leaves a gaping gap in his usual position, with Joel Matip or Ibou Konate left with too much space to cover when Liverpool loses the ball. Both goals came from this side, with Gnabry finding expanses of space in between the usual right-back position and Matip.
It continues a trend of a leaky defense for the Reds, who have conceded 10 goals in four pre-season games, and it feels like Klopp leaves Singapore with more questions than answers in that regard.
Gakpo to lead the charge?
One believed that the starting lineup would serve as a good indicator of the lineup that Klopp may deploy at Stamford Bridge for the first Premier League match, with Gakpo serving as the likely permanent central striker.
After only two minutes, Gakpo scored here, and it was perhaps the move of the game. The Dutchman took possession of the ball at the midway point, exchanged passes quickly with Diogo Jota, and then made a strong finish with his weaker left foot.
Klopp will be pleased with that linkup play because he is aware of Darwin Nunez’s limitations outside of the penalty area. Gakpo, who took Alexis Mac Allister’s place in midfield due to an injury, excels in terms of creativity and enjoys working in constrained spaces.
How did Jones perform as the No. 6?
Can Klopp trust Curtis Jones in such a disciplined role in important Premier League matches, especially away from home? Curtis Jones has started both Singapore friendlies in the No. 6 position and on both occasions has demonstrated he is a superbly calm player with the ball at his feet.
Early on, Jones, 22, scooped up the ball facing his own goal a few times and appeared to be set to lose possession before using his athleticism to escape trouble. He was constantly willing to take quick passes.
Off the ball, though, Jones was skipped past a couple of times – notably by Jamal Musiala and several darting runs from pacy Alphonso Davies – and this might be a concern if he was to play there against Chelsea.
Liverpool made a second bid of £41million for Southampton defensive midfielder Romeo Lavia on Tuesday – which was swiftly rejected with the Championship club demanding £50m – and Fluminese anchorman Andre is also on their shortlist.
Diaz seizes his opportunity; can he now make a move?
In his early months on Merseyside, Luis Diaz was one of the Premier League’s brightest sparks, but he was hampered by injury last season and missed a significant portion of the season.
The Colombian should therefore consider this season to be a fresh start, and Diaz was Liverpool’s finest attacker against Bayern Munich in the second part of this match. He scored to give Liverpool a 3-2 lead and ought to have contributed an assist had Nunez been wearing his shooting boots.
After Mo Salah recognized Diaz’s deft run off the ball from the left, Diaz successfully finished the goal. The winger avoided a tackle from Josip Stanisic with a calm touch before making a strong finish.
With Liverpool in the Europa League this season, Diaz might be called upon more regularly and he should use that to build confidence and get back into the Premier League starting XI.
The kids are all right
Speaking of that Europa League run, it’s hard to imagine that players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk, and Mo Salah would be put in danger on Thursdays in the most impoverished part of Eastern Europe, especially in the group stage.
All of the players who have played frequently on this tour should be looking at it as an opportunity to show Klopp what they can do against quality competition because it provides a platform for young players to thrive.
On this trip to Singapore, Bobby Clark displayed his proficiency as a box-to-box midfielder. He scored against Leicester, and perhaps he ought to have done so again tonight against Bayern, but he was unable to muster enough force to overcome Sven Ulreich.
Ben Doak, a quick winger who was recently acquired from Celtic, was the brightest star, though. In a quick cameo, he excelled on the right wing and made many skips past Bayern defenders.
The Scotsman set up Clark and Nunez for goals that might have been scored, but Doak was denied an assist to go along with his goal against Leicester three days earlier due to poor finishing.