Liverpool maintained their flawless record in the UEFA Champions League with a victory over RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena. The only goal of the game was scored by Darwin Nunez on Wednesday night, ensuring Liverpool's continued dominance in European football.
Arne Slot, Liverpool manager, singled out three players for their significant contribution to this victory. Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Caoimhim Kelleher were instrumental in securing a clean sheet when the Reds found themselves under pressure at the Red Bull Arena.
Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Kelleher particularly stood out with two impressive saves during crucial moments towards the end of this European fixture. However, Slot expressed his wish that these players had not been required to make such substantial contributions.
Lone goal and unconverted dominance
Darwin Nunez's goal turned out to be pivotal as it was the only one scored during this match. Despite earlier dominance from Liverpool which could have potentially led to a greater lead, they failed to convert their opportunities into more goals.
Nevertheless, this did not deter them from earning their sixth successive away win since the start of season under Slot’s leadership. This victory marked an 11th win for Slot out of his first 12 matches as manager. Despite overseeing another successful outing for his team, former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot expressed frustration over how his team were forced into defensive mode towards the end in Germany. He believed that despite a slow start, his team played well for most parts of game.
Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, said:
"Yeah. I don’t think we started the game really well in the first 10 or 15 minutes, but after that I liked a lot what I saw," he said following the game.
"Many, many, many times we played through their press, opened up their midfield and went for an attack. That led to the first goal, that led to a few chances – more than a few and then in the end it’s a pity that you still need your two centre-backs to play such a big game and your goalkeeper to make two such important saves because a game like this should have been ours after 60, 70 minutes and it wasn’t. That’s why the last 20 were still difficult for us."
Improvement from Chelsea game
Slot also highlighted that he saw major improvements compared to their Premier League fixture victory over Chelsea last weekend. In response to suggestions that Liverpool didn't dominate against RB Leipzig, he expressed disbelief stating clearly that he believed otherwise.
While the victory over RB Leipzig was a hard-fought one, it demonstrated Liverpool's resilience and ability to perform under pressure. The trio of Van Dijk, Konate and Kelleher were particularly noteworthy in this match, showcasing their individual skills and contributing significantly to the team's success. Despite some frustrations, Slot remains confident in his team’s performance and is optimistic about future matches.
