Liverpool go into half-time level at 1-1 with Atletico Madrid at Anfield in their Champions League opener.
It has been a fascinating first half, but there is certainly plenty for Andoni Iraola to think about.
Atletico strike first
Liverpool were caught out early when Marcos Llorente put Atletico ahead.
The Spanish side found space in behind the Liverpool defence and Llorente made no mistake.
It was another reminder of the threat Atletico possess on the counter-attack.
And with Llorente having already enjoyed some memorable nights against Liverpool at Anfield, seeing his name on the scoresheet again was particularly frustrating.
But Liverpool responded
The important thing is that Liverpool didn’t panic.
They continued to attack and eventually found the equaliser through Alexander Isak.
That is exactly what Liverpool needed.
Isak has looked dangerous since arriving at Anfield and another Champions League goal will only increase the excitement around the Swedish striker.
The biggest question before kick-off was whether Liverpool could provide him with enough service.
At times, they have.
But there is still room for improvement.
Atletico are making life difficult
This is exactly the sort of Champions League test we expected.
Atletico are experienced, organised and more than happy to frustrate Liverpool.
They are not going to give Iraola’s team acres of space.
Liverpool have had to work for their openings, and the Reds need to be more patient in the second half.
The passing has been good in spells, but Liverpool need to move the ball quicker and find ways of getting Barcola, Ngumoha and Isak into dangerous positions.
Barcola’s first Champions League night
It is also a big night for Bradley Barcola.
This is his first Champions League appearance for Liverpool and the French winger has shown flashes of why the club were prepared to invest so heavily in him.
There is clearly plenty more to come.
He’s still learning his teammates and Iraola’s system, but you can already see the pace and directness he can bring.
And Liverpool need exactly that against a team as disciplined as Atletico.
Iraola needs to find the answer
At 1-1, Liverpool are still very much in this game.
But Atletico have shown that they can hurt Liverpool whenever the Reds lose their shape.
That is the big concern.
Liverpool need to find the balance between attacking aggressively and making sure they don’t leave themselves exposed.
The second half could come down to which manager finds the right adjustment.
45 minutes to win it
A draw wouldn’t be the end of the world in the opening Champions League game, but Liverpool have home advantage.
Anfield is rocking.
The opportunity is there.
And with Isak, Wirtz, Barcola and the players around them, Liverpool have enough attacking quality to cause Atletico serious problems.
Liverpool 1-1 Atletico Madrid at half-time.
The Reds have responded well after going behind.
Now Iraola needs to find the next level.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
Leave a Reply