Mohamed Salah scores their second goal from the penalty spot during
the UEFA Champions league Group D football match between Liverpool
and Midtjylland at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on
October 27, 2020. AFP
Lacklustre Liverpool beat Midtjylland 2-0 on
Tuesday to make it two wins out of two in the Champions League but
their defensive problems mounted as Fabinho limped off
injured.
The Premier League champions were toothless in the first half
but finally clicked 10 minutes after the break when the impressive
Trent Alexander-Arnold set up Diogo Jota for a tap-in.
A late penalty scored by substitute Mohamed Salah gave the
scoreline unwarranted gloss.
The manager left his first-choice attack of Salah, Sadio Mane
and Roberto Firmino on the bench against the Danes, giving his
second string a chance to shine.
But Liverpool, lacking urgency and fluency at an empty
Anfield, struggled to break down the hard-working visitors, who
lost their Champions League opener to Atalanta 4-0.
The opening could have been worse for Klopp’s men.
Midtjylland had a chance to take a shock lead in the opening
minutes when a long clip down the middle sent Anders Dreyer in on
goal and Alisson Becker had to make a smart save.
Liverpool, who beat Ajax away in their Champions League opener,
hogged possession but struggled to create clear chances in the
early stages.
Most of what little threat there was in the first half came from
full-back Alexander-Arnold, who produced a cross which Takumi
Minamino failed to connect with.
Alexander-Arnold then danced through the Midtjylland defence
midway through the opening period but failed to find the Japan
international.
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But Klopp’s problems became a lot more serious just before the
half-hour, when Fabinho, filling in alongside Joe Gomez in central
defence, limped off with an apparent hamstring injury.
Klopp is already coming to terms with the absence of central
defensive lynchpin Virgil van Dijk, who could be out for the whole
season.
As half-time approached, Alexander-Arnold drilled another cross
to Minamo, who headed wide.
But Liverpool failed to register a single first-half
shot on target for the first time in 51 home games in all
competitions, since October 2018.
Gini Wijnaldum replaced captain Jordan Henderson at half-time
and after a few minutes Klopp ordered Salah and Mane to warm up on
the sidelines.
The breakthrough finally came when Alexander-Arnold received the
ball on the right and exchanged passes with Xherdan Shaqiri before
crossing for Jota to finish from close range.
It was Liverpool’s 10,000th goal in all competitions, 128
years after their first, netted by Jock Smith in September
1892.
Salah and Mane came on just after the hour mark for Minamino and
the disappointing Divock Origi but Liverpool still
struggled for rhythm.
Firmino missed a clear chance for Liverpool in the
closing minutes after yet more good work from Alexander-Arnold.
They almost paid the price immediately but Dreyer could only
find the side-netting after drifting past Gomez.
Liverpool escaped and Salah won the penalty which he
converted.
AFP