Liverpool are within touching distance of the Champions League last 16.
A sixth straight win in the competition this season, secured through Mohamed Salah’s penalty, controversially awarded after a VAR check for a foul on Luis Diaz, tightened Arne Slot’s grip on first place in the league phase.
This was far from Liverpool’s best display but Slot is unlikely to be concerned. Here, we analyse the major talking points.
Was that really a penalty?
The game’s key moment came just after the hour when former Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek was adjudged to have fouled Diaz in the box just after the hour mark.
Initially, referee Benoit Bastien had not seen fit to take any action on Van de Beek, who had stood on Diaz’s heel, removing his boot, before hooking his leg around Diaz from an awkward angle.
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It looked a soft penalty, and was all the more surprising given Bastien had not taken action on the field, but Salah made no mistake from the spot, sending Paulo Gazzaniga the wrong way.
The decision reflected a scrappy game but Liverpool will not care. With the club’s progress to the last 16 almost assured, Slot should have some leeway to rotate his side in their final two fixtures, offering crucial respite during a busy January: if they progress in the Carabao Cup next week against Southampton n the quarter-finals, they will have eight fixtures that month. Rotation will be key to keep players fresh and avoid injuries.
In a confident and composed manner, Liverpool have put themselves in a comfortable position.
Nunez fluffs his big chance
The sight of Diogo Jota taking part in first-team training was welcome for everyone at Liverpool. Well, almost everyone.
The Portugal international, who has been missing since the start of October, is due to return to action soon and for Darwin Nunez, that might not be good news.
During Jota’s absence, Nunez has rotated with Diaz in the No 9 role but has struggled to stake a claim for a regular starting spot. The Uruguay international has shown moments of promise and has improved his work rate off the ball, but he has continued to be frustrating in front of goal.
Against Girona, it was another one of those nights that suggested a player is lurking in there somewhere, only to leave everyone disappointed.
It was summed up by a promising counter-attack that saw a ball loop up towards him seven yards out from goal. He could have directed it goalwards or laid it off to one of his team-mates, but he got the header all wrong, barely brushing it, and the attack came to nothing.
There were also two one-on-one misses in the first half. Both were created with some good initial movement, but on each occasion, Nunez failed to apply the finishing touch, with Gazzaniga able to save.
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The confidence seemed to keep draining out of Nunez around the penalty box as the game went on and he cut a disconsolate figure as he made way for Cody Gakpo in the 71st minute.
He will know that Jota will soon have the chance to reestablish himself as Liverpool’s first-choice centre-forward.
Alisson back with a bang
If Alisson was hoping for a quiet return to action following a two-month lay-off, Girona had other ideas.
The Brazilian goalkeeper had not played since suffering a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace at the start of October but was fit enough for his first start in Spain and showed no signs of rustiness against a lively home team.
His first save came when he denied Bryan Gil, who was following up Daley Blind’s miskick from a couple of yards out. Two minutes later, Alisson, 32, was in action again to deny Gil, although the Girona attacker would probably have been called offside if he had scored. Alejandro Frances and Yaser Asprilla also tested Alisson in the first half.
The saves underlined why Slot feels Alisson is his No 1 goalkeeper, despite Caoimhin Kelleher’s fine form while he has been out, although the head coach may not have been happy to see him so heavily exercised.
Alisson was back in action (Manaure Quintero/AFP via Getty Images)
Defensively, Liverpool were exposed by Girona’s pacy counter-attacks. They struggled to retain a compact shape and their control was lost when they ceded possession. Girona should have scored in the first half and were let down by poor finishing in the second, too, notably when Arnaut Danjuma blazed over after bursting into the area. The former Bournemouth winger also had a shot saved by Alisson earlier in the second period.
This did at least end a run of four consecutive away games where Liverpool have conceded at least two goals, although the defensive frailties still showed themselves. Without the injured Ibrahima Konate, work is required to resemble the formidable defensive outfit they were away from home at the start of the season.
Alisson was also called into action to block Bryan Gil’s effort (Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images)
“I said as a joke that maybe the players wanted to see how fit he really was, so to give him so much work,” Slot said afterwards. “Alisson showed again today why I said so many times that he is our first goalkeeper and why he is one of the best or, in my opinion, the best in the world.”
What did Slot say?
Liverpool’s head coach was far from happy with his team’s performance, accusing his players of lacking intensity.
“If you play against a team that has such a good idea about football, you need to be so intense if you want to make it difficult for them,” Slot said. “But if you are waiting a few seconds to press them then this team can cause you a lot of problems. I almost feel sorry for them as they deserve so much more.
“We have an incredible goalkeeper. But the other thing is every time we lost the ball, we were not aggressive enough and they could go almost all the way to our goal and have a shot. We had hardly any control at all over the game.
“Maybe the second half was a bit better – I’m trying to be positive. But at the start of the second half for maybe the first five or 10 minutes they went on a counter-attack one or two times.
“It wasn’t always easy for us to press them well but I don’t think it had that much to do with tactics. In general we were by far not aggressive enough without the ball.”
