Liverpool secured their first victory in the new Champions League campaign over AC Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday evening, thanks to goals from Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Arne Slot’s side dominated the game for large spells despite going a goal down early on after former Chelsea ace Christian Pulisic put the hosts ahead after just three minutes.
However, the Reds produced a magnificent display, putting right the wrongs of the weekend’s performance which saw the club fall to a shock 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at Anfield.
Numerous players produced some much-improved performances, helping the club get off to the perfect start for the new European campaign in 2024/25.
Liverpool’s star performers against AC Milan
Cody Gakpo took full advantage of his recall to the starting lineup last night, producing some phenomenal figures despite failing to get on the scoresheet.
The Dutch international registered the assist for Szoboszlai’s second-half strike, whilst completing four dribbles – the most of any player in Slot’s side during the victory.
The 25-year-old also managed to win seven duels, the most of anyone who featured at any point during the outing for both sides, highlighting his impact at both ends of the pitch for the Reds.
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Cody Gakpo’s stats against AC Milan (17/09/2024) |
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|---|---|
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Statistics |
Tally |
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Minutes played |
68 |
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Assists |
1 |
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Passes completed |
18/22 (82%) |
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Key passes |
2 |
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Dribbles completed |
4/7 (57%) |
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Duels won |
7 |
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Shots on target |
2 |
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Stats via Sofascore |
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Centre-back Konate also produced an admirable display alongside Van Dijk, with the pair starring at the heart of the Reds’ defence once again.
The Frenchman registered a 93% pass accuracy, whilst winning all of the tackles that he entered and making eight recoveries, helping the Reds defence turn around the early deficit in Milan.
However, despite the duo’s respective displays, one first-team member produced yet another dismal showing, with Slot needing to take action upon the club’s return to Premier League football this weekend.
Diogo Jota was lucky to retain his starting spot after his showing against Forest last weekend, which saw him be replaced on the hour mark by fellow forward Darwin Núñez.
However, he started the victory last night, but once again failed to impress, being replaced after 68 minutes – once again by Uruguayan forward Nunez.
The Portuguese international registered two shots during the victory, but also managed to squander both of his efforts, which were both deemed as big chances.
He also only managed 23 touches, which was even fewer than teammate Alisson (27) achieved in the sticks – further showcasing his lack of impact. That makes for even more grim reading when considering that Alisson only actually had one save to make, with much of the play having been dominated by the visitors.
Equally, Jota also lost possession eight times, whilst also only managing to win 13% of the duels he entered – often coming out on the wrong side of the battles with the opposition defenders.
Jota was subsequently handed a 6/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo journalist Paul Gorst, an indication as to how poor the forward was during the European outing.
There’s no denying the 27-year-old is a talent who has excellent qualities in the final third, but he’s desperately struggled to make any form of positive impact on Slot’s side.
Given his lack of form, Slot needs to take him out of the firing line, immediately replacing him for the league meeting against Bournemouth at Anfield this Saturday.
