Christian Benteke
Benteke had two proper chances on debut, and sadly failed to take either. The first came from a Jordan Henderson cross which resulted in an air-shot, while his effort from Coutinho’s lay-off in the box was blocked by desperate Stoke defenders. He did hold the ball up well though, playing one-twos with midfielders, or gently laying it off to onrushing team-mates. On two occasions he made telling runs in behind the back-four, but didn’t quite have the pace to get onto first Coutinho and then Emre Can’s through-balls – but it’s great to see that he will give us that option in behind. The forward’s work-rate wasn’t relentless, and he didn’t press defenders when in possession a la Luis Suarez, but this isn’t his style. His strength and touch was noticeable, but a harsh critic would note a lack of movement at times. Still, there’s plenty of time for him to get up to speed and his manager was delighted with his efforts.
“With Christian Benteke up front, you saw his quality,” said the Liverpool manager, via the Daily Mail. “You saw his movement, his strength, his power and that ability in the air. He was outstanding.”
