This video can be seen with full footage here.
Looking to confirm their automatic qualifying place for the Champions League last sixteen, Liverpool hosted Qarabag at Anfield.
Arne Slot made two changes to the side that lost to Bournemouth, as Andy Robertson and Hugo Ekitiké replaced Joe Gomez and Milos Kerkez. This saw Liverpool return to their usual 4-2-3-1 formation.
Qurban Qurbanov made a full eleven changes to the team that lost to Kapaz at the weekend, presumably resting players for this trip.
Qarabag started the game well. They passed the ball around quickly under pressure from Liverpool, and would then try to break forward with attackers running in behind, often with support from the full-backs. They mainly looked to play it towards Joni Montiel, who would turn and dribble through the centre.
Out of possession, Camilo Duran would step up towards the centre-backs, however this left him outnumbered, and it also left Montiel alone against two Liverpool midfielders, making it easy for Liverpool to play out.
After just a few minutes, this strategy was dropped, seeing Duran drop back next to Montiel. This saw the pair block the passes into midfield, but did leave the Liverpool centre-backs with more time on the ball.
This would prove to be Qarabag’s downfall. With time to pick out a pass, Virgil van Dijk sprayed a long ball in behind, and this eventually led to Liverpool winning a corner. Qarabag’s players were more concerned with wrestling Liverpool’s than trying to clear the ball, so when Alexis Mac Allister escaped his marker, he was free to get it across the line.
Liverpool then doubled their lead minutes later. Robertson played a pass forward to Ekitiké, and despite two defenders going for him, he held onto the ball and advanced. Pedro Bicalho followed Cody Gakpo, leaving Kevin Medina alone against Ekitiké. The Frenchman offloaded the ball to Florian Wirtz just as Medina attempted a challenge, and he had the space to pick out a finish.
Qarabag did continue to attack. They often had Medina push forward with the ball, and they were still mainly looking for Montiel to use his dribbling, although they would also look to outnumber Liverpool in midfield to play around them, with Abdellah Zoubir sometimes coming inside.
Their willingness to push men forward left them open to being countered though.
At the beginning of the second half, Qarabag made a greater effort to press Liverpool high, although this didn’t work for them, with Liverpool passing around them before they got close, and the situation soon got worse for them.
With Qarabag trying to pass out from a throw-in, Liverpool pounced and won back the ball, then won a free-kick on the edge of the area. Mohamed Salah then converted it.
They then added another minutes later. Qarabag broke forward on the attack, but Liverpool got men back, and Van Dijk cleared it. Ekitiké got a touch ahead of Behlul Mustafazade, then again ahead of Medina, putting him through on goal to score.
Liverpool then again robbed Qarabag as they tried to play out and sprung forward. They misplaced a pass, but Matheus Silva accidentally provided an assist, touching it into Mac Allister’s path to round the keeper and finish.
Qarabag continued trying to pass out only to be robbed of the ball, and Liverpool would round out their win with a sixth. Qarabag again passed out, only to find it intercepted by Van Dijk, and Liverpool sprung forward on the counter, quickly exchanging passes to feed Federico Chiesa to finish.
Liverpool took the lead without really having to work for it, and as Qarabag refused to simply give up and defend, instead continuing to push in the hope of giving their supporters something to cheer for, the goals kept coming for Liverpool.
No responses yet