Liverpool left behind a string of unfavourable results for a refreshing show against RB Leipzig in the first leg of their UEFA Champions league round of 16 clash on Tuesday. Second half strikes from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane helped Liverpool to a 2-0 win in a contest that was shifted from Leipzig to Hungarian capital Budapest due to the strict coronavirus restrictions in Germany.
Liverpool have thus ended a run of three successive defeats and their cause was helped by some uncharacteristic errors from Leipzig who allowed both the goals due to poor defensive efforts. However, it was Julian Nagelsmann’s men who took the first chance of going ahead in as early as the fourth minute with a close-range header from Dani Olmo hitting the post.
As the contest progressed, Liverpool started imposing themselves and created more chances. In the 53rd minute, Salah took full advantage of a poor backpass from Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer to score the opener.
And then five minutes later, Mane benefitted in a similar fashion with the ‘visitors’ doubling their lead.
Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, was happy with the game and claimed the expectation was that his team will slip again. “It was the game we wanted, the game we needed,” Klopp told BT Sport. “Leipzig can be a real monster, they overrun teams, they are really physical and tonight we controlled them in an exceptional way. We played a really good game and we got the result we deserved.”
“We defended really well and had good recovery. It was a tough game with only two days since the last one. It’s only the first leg, we know that but a lot of people were waiting for us to slip again. For two years we were really good and this year we have problems, that’s fine. A lot of people expected us to slip again but the boys didn’t,” he added.
It was a good night for Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker who has been in the firing line of late after a spate of poor performances. “…a clean sheet helps, as you can imagine. Ali will sleep really well in the plane on the way home! As always, he helped us a lot,” Klopp said of Becker.
“I think that his attitude was good. I’m very happy with his performance. And Hendo (Jordan Henderson), he can play this position perfectly. It’s not that Leipzig didn’t have a chance, Ali had to intervene also, but that’s normal. Overall I can say that, the whole package, I’m very pleased with the performance,” the German added.