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Liverpool 4 Hoffenheim 2 (Aug 23 2017)


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It’s been a while since we’ve seen a start like that. It was a regular occurrence in the season we challenged for the title, but it’s been rare that we’ve been treated to anything like that since. It was brilliant, and when we play like that few teams can live with it. 

Of course it’s difficult, impossible even, to keep up that intensity for an entire half let alone full game, and when the tempo drops we do look vulnerable at the back. Still, this team are fantastic going forward and could take the Champions League by storm this year. 
 
What is most satisfying about this attacking display is that it wasn’t just down to the front three. Mané was obviously terrific (he usually is) and Firmino was the best player on the park, but look at the contribution from the midfield three. Can scored twice, Wijnaldum had a hand in a couple of the goals and Hendo unselfishly put the fourth on a plate for Firmino. That’s great because we’ve understandably been concerned about the lack of creativity and goals from a midfield missing both Lallana and the other little tit. 
 
The goals were brilliant and we were rampant in that opening 20 minutes or so. Their coach had been a little bit too cocksure of himself in the build up and he came a cropper by picking a team that played right into our hands. A high line with a back three is asking for trouble against us and it reminded me a little of the Spurs game last season when Mané just toyed with that cart horse Dier. 
 
The first goal was us at our best. We won the ball back near halfway, Firmino had dropped deeper to pick it up and then played it into space for Mané. We’d seen the exact same thing a few minutes earlier when Firmino played a brilliant ball in behind but Mané was denied by the keeper. This time Sadio was held up by a defender but he waited for Can to overlap and then back heeled it into his path. There was a bit of good fortune about the finish as the deflection beat the keeper, but the goal was just trademark Liverpool. 
 
The second came soon after. Again, we picked the ball up near halfway, Can carried it forward, Moreno overlapped, he gave it to Firmino and when you look at the team movement it was terrific. Can didn’t go marauding into the box this time, he held his position on the edge and Wijnaldum drifted in unnoticed. Firmino did well to find him and although his shot came back off the post, there was Salah to put in the rebound. 
 
Salah is the best rebounder I’ve seen since Dennis Rodman. He’s great. He just drifts into areas where the ball might come to him, either off the keeper or the woodwork. He’ll score 15 goals this season easily and half of them will be tap ins, which is unheard of for a winger. 
 

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When you call Can big sexy, do you mean like Kevin Nash? Even though he won't sign a new contract?

 

I also can't agree with Firmino as man of the match, over Mane. When Mane got the ball 2 players surrounded him and the other 4 defenders were moving towards him, terrified that he was going to skin his markers. He did exactly that, and opened up the defence in quite an unselfish display, it was Suarezesque.

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Nobody seems to factor in that when you hand out and absolute pasting in the first 20 minutes like that the opposition have literally got nothing to lose. Of course they're going to come at you and with everything they've got. It's very easy to say well just defend it but in reality you've set up a team to go out and blitz someone. The mentality and formation is geared that way. Even if it wasn't it would be pretty difficult to deal with anyway because they are throwing so many players forward that a team wouldn't ever normally do.

 

After an initial 10 mins of giving them chances and then a goal I thought we didn't defend badly against it. Lovren and Matip did win their fair share of headers (considering Wagner is difficult to deal with) and the defence got the blocks in when needed.

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When the third goal went in Klopp was shouting "that's football that's football" and it was and it's​ great to watch. Mane is way better than I thought he was when we first signed him he's outstanding.

 

Loved seeing Klopp shout that. Probably the highlight of the night for me.

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