5 Talking Points from the RB Leipzig v Liverpool UEFA Champions League match

Liverpool and RB Leipzig travelled to the Puskas Arena, Budapest for their first leg clash in the Round of 16. Goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane meant that Liverpool have a two goal advantage to take into the second leg on March 11. Both goals were preceded by unforced errors by the RB Leipzig players and Liverpool duly punished them for those mistakes. Here are the talking points from the first leg clash between Liverpool and RB Leipzig

1. Mohamed Salah delivers on his promise to Liverpool fans

After a string of demoralizing defeats coupled with Jurgen Klopp’s mother’s demise, life was really not good for Liverpool fans. To see the players confidence crumble and to see Jurgen Klopp feel so crushed and admit that they were out of the title race, life was hell for Liverpool fans for some days. Like a ray of light in a dark tunnel, Mohamed Salah issued an emotional message to Liverpool fans in his social media pages. It was a promise that revitalized the fans and his message was enough to give new hope to the fans.

Mohamed Salah is a person who doesn’t talk much on social media and does his talking on the pitch. All of a sudden he released an emotional message and made a promise to the Liverpool fans. That promise from him meant that the players were seriously trying their best and the fans gained lost hope. In these terrible performances, Mohamed Salah has been a standout performer as sometimes it seemed like he was the only one trying.

Against RB Leipzig he was a terror in the right side of the pitch and constantly made runs into their penalty box. It was no wonder that he was the one who opened the scoring when he pounced on a Marcel Sabitzer error. The RB Leipzig captain had played a back pass but it was off target and Mohamed Salah burst forward to steal the ball. He was not going to miss from close range and put the ball past RB Leipzig keeper Peter Gulacsi. Mohamed Salah delivered on his promise and fans will expect him to keep scoring for Liverpool now.

2. Ozan Kabak gets his first clean sheet with a commanding performance

Ozan Kabak was signed on deadline day from Schalke 04 and was given his first start against Leicester City. Up until the time Alisson crashed into him and Jamie Vardy scored a goal into an open net, Kabak had made a solid debut. However against RB Leipzig in the second leg, he proved why Liverpool scrambled to sign him on deadline day (despite the need for centre-backs). He played mostly as a right back as he covered for Trent Alexander-Arnold-who went further up the pitch.

He defended strongly and was not beaten for most of the time and deservedly was the man of the match for Liverpool. Alongside captain Jordan Henderson, Kabak was solid and will definitely get more matches now. Performances like this will definitely convince Liverpool to sign him on a permanent deal in the summer.

3. Curtis Jones continues to repay Jurgen Klopp’s faith in him with another commanding performance

You have to have serious talent if your manager prefers 19 year old you over Alex Oxlade Chamberlain. Curtis Jones showed on the pitch just why he is trusted by Jurgen Klopp so much as he danced around the middle of the park. He won 6 out of 9 attempted ground duels and made 3 interceptions too. He got an assist and now has 1 goal and 2 assists in this season of the Champions League. Curtis Jones has been given a trial by fire this season as Liverpool didn’t have midfielders for a certain point of time.

Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Curtis Jones were the midfield three for many matches and only now can he afford to be rested. Even with the presence of James Milner and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Jurgen Klopp prefers to use Curtis Jones. While he was ably supported and guided by Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones has the talent to become better than now.

4. Trent Alexander-Arnold shows that form is temporary and class is permanent

He has broken the assists record for a defender last season when he got 13 assists in the 2019/20 Premier League season. Across the 2018/19 and 2019/20 Premier League season he got 25 assists and now has 3 assists for the 2020/21 season. It is no wonder that when Trent Alexander Arnold plays well, Liverpool plays well too. Along with Roberto Firmino, Trent’s performances could very well lift Liverpool out from their rut.

Against RB Leipzig he created 4 chances and won all his duels (3), while also making 2 interceptions across 90 minutes. People criticized that he was defensively weak and today Trent showed that he has evolved in that aspect too. Slowly and surely, Trent Alexander Arnold has been improving his defensive side too and will become a complete full back soon.

5. Individual mistakes cost RB Leipzig dearly

Marcel Sabitzer played a bad back pass that went to no RB Leipzig player and was instead pounced on by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian winger put the ball into the net from close range while giving no chance to Peter Gulacsi of saving the goal. Marcel Sabitzer could only hold his head as Salah sprinted forward while Lukas Klostermann tripped over his legs trying to catch him.

Later Curtis Jones lofted the ball forward and RB Leipzig right back Nordi Mukiele was holding off Sadio Mane to get to the ball. In a moment of bizarre decision making, Mukiele went to the ground to clear the ball instead of heading it away. The way he fell meant that he was never going to touch the ball and Sadio Mane was free to race forward. He took the ball, assessed his options and buried the ball past a helpless Peter Gulacsi.

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