A classic away European performance from Liverpool in neutral Budapest saw them come away from what was predicted to be a difficult tie against an in-form RB Leipzig, currently second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich, with a two-nil win and one foot in the quarter finals of the Champions League.
Leipzig started both halves well and created chances that Alisson Becker, showing no signs of the dip in form that has badly cost Liverpool in Premier League matches against Leicester and Manchester City, dealt with in the way we’ve come to expect from the Brazilian goalkeeper.
These Leipzig forays weren’t sustained and in between Liverpool were comfortably the better side, the traditional front three of Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mané looking their old selves, sharp, hungry and in tune with each other. They gave the Leipzig back-line a torrid time, with the much-touted Dayot Upamecano – who Liverpool had been linked with as a solution to their defensive problems – looking particularly uncomfortable with the high press, struggling in possession and misplacing passes,
The breakthrough came on 53 minutes, when Marcel Sabitzer’s wayward pass fell into the path of Salah who, two perfect touches later, was in the opposition area where he waited for Peter Gulacsi to dive one way while he stroked the ball the other and Liverpool were one up.
Five minutes later, another Leipzig defensive nightmare in which Nordi Mukiele made a mess of a hopeful ball from Curtis Jones and Mané sprinted through for another one-on-one with Gulacsi. The Senegalese striker took his cue from Salah and in an identical finish cooly slotted past the onrushing keeper.
Liverpool controlled the remainder of the game, only giving up a chance at the very end when Leipzig’s South Korean sub Hwang Hee-Chan found himself through on the Liverpool goal only to squirt the ball past Allison and the Liverpool post.
The second leg is not due to be played at Anfield for another three weeks, and Liverpool can look forward to the game with confidence.
A two-nil advantage won’t be overturned unless the Reds put in one of the lethargic, error-strewn performances they’ve been putting in for the last six weeks. Hard to imagine this will be the case, especially when injured players, like Diogo Joto, Naby Keita, Fabinho, James Milner, should all be back, not only for the Champions League but for the Premier League run-in, where Liverpool now lie sixth, having been overtaken by Chelsea and West Ham after the London duo won Monday games, and where the campaign resumes at the weekend with the derby against Everton.
Liverpool have good reason to remember the Goodison game earlier in the season. Virgil Van Dijk suffered a grotesque long-term injury following a sickening and stupid challenge from Jordan Pickford; Thiago Alcantara was sidelined for two months after a shocking, out-of-control tackle from Richarlison – for which the Everton striker saw red; and Liverpool were denied a late winner from Mané after a perplexing VAR reversal.
