Natasha Dowie was critical of two Liverpool players over the manner in which Bayern Munich’s second goal in their 4-3 win over the Reds came about.
Jurgen Klopp’s team led 2-0 inside half an hour in Singapore but were pegged back to level terms before the interval, with Leroy Sane netting the equaliser from Serge Gnabry’s low delivery.
Dowie was on punditry duty for LFCTV and, in analysing the goal at half-time, she questioned the roles of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip in the build-up to the ex-Manchester City forward’s leveller.
She said: “You see here again it’s that area where Trent is caught flat-footed, his recovery was quite poor, but Matip has to do better. That’s a really poor goal to concede from Liverpool. These are the things they need to get better at.”
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With Gnabry able to run unchallenged from near the halfway line to the penalty area and his cross easily picking out Sane, both Trent and Matip will feel they could’ve done more to have prevented that equaliser.
Instead of just pointing fingers at those two, however, Liverpool’s defence as a whole must be determined to do better once the Premier League resumes in 11 days’ time, with 10 goals conceded in four pre-season games already.
Bayern had 16 shots altogether today, with Alisson called upon to make no fewer than eight saves (Sofascore), and only for the Brazilian’s heroics, Thomas Tuchel’s side could’ve subjected the Reds to a humiliating scoreline.
Klopp’s team shipped 49 goals in the top flight last term, their worst tally in his seven full seasons at the helm at Anfield (Transfermarkt); and unless the team as a whole are more alert when out of possession, such numbers could be repeated or even surpassed in 2023/24 if they’re not careful.
The Darmstadt game next Monday offers one last opportunity to iron out any defensive deficiencies before the competitive action returns, when mistakes at the back will prove costly.
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones
Matip and Gomez are well past their sell by date. Both now a liability and Tsimitas not far behind.