Match data from WhoScored, except average position from the SofaScore app.
Man, it's been a while since Liverpool had space to play like that away from home. And Liverpool did what Liverpool does with space.
Just 42% possession. Just ten shots. But six on-target. And three goals: two from long passes – one behind the back line, one a quick set play – and one from a corner.
The defense to soak up the pressure – even if there were some frights in the first half – and the attack to punish multiple times when given the chance.
It's Liverpool's Champions League recipe. We saw it in all of the knockout rounds last season. And, once again, the Champions League Round of 16 is Sadio Mané's time to shine.
This wasn't as emphatic as those knock-out rounds last season, but this Bayern Munich side is better than Roma or Porto, and Liverpool aren't quite as vicious in attack as they were a year ago. Liverpool very much took its chances in the first legs against all three opponents, and did *enough* in the second.
This time, Liverpool needed the performance under second-leg pressure, at the ground of a side who'd qualified for the Champions League semi-finals in five of the previous six seasons. This is a Bayern side that's top of the Bundesliga on goal difference and in form; they were six points behind Dortmund at the winter break and are now on pace to win the damned thing yet again.
But make no mistake, this could have gone differently. Liverpool were under frequent threat in the first half, both before and after Mané's opener. But a threat without fruition as Bayern also had little to show for their possession dominance. Liverpool were disjointed, struggling to link passes together, whether to get out of their half or get into Bayern's. And we were frightened. But Bayern weren't much more effective over the first 25 minutes, and then Liverpool scored, and the tie's finally completely different.
Sure, Bayern almost got back into it, an own goal equalizer 13 minutes after Mané's opener, but nothing more. Bayern took just one shot between their equalizer and Liverpool's second goal: Alaba's 30-yard free kick straight at Alisson. The rest of their efforts: Gnabry and Goretzka swiftly blocked by Robertson and Matip in the 78th and 81st minutes, and Sanches from distance not close in the 83rd.
Liverpool did to Bayern what too many sides have done to Liverpool lately, at least at Liverpool's end of the pitch. A struggle to get through, despite the impetus, needing an own goal to get their lone goal over 180 minutes. And then Liverpool, sharper at the other end of the pitch than United or Everton were against them, also needing to score because of the requirements of the competition.
Had Liverpool taken its chances at Anfield, this could have been a lot like City last season, rather than needing this performance in Munich to advance.
Two-legged xG map for Liverpool - Bayern.
— Caley Graphics (@Caley_graphics) March 13, 2019
Liverpool dominated the full 180 minutes of this tie. It just took a little longer for that to turn into a safe win than you'd expect. pic.twitter.com/Woi5MGkJZT
Sadio Mané loves him some Champions League. Two clear-cut chances missed in the first half of the first leg against Bayern, two goals from clear-cut chances two days ago: a perfectly-timed run behind Rafinha, with the control to dance around the on-rushing Neuer and chip retreating defenders for the first, a striker's run and headed goal just like his opener against Watford for the second. Mohamed Salah continues to struggle in front of goal, but almost totally makes up for it in his creation, looking for teammates as often as his shot when getting into the box, a delicious assist for Mané's game-killing third.
I like this attack, it's still a good attack. Especially when they've got space to counter-attack into, whether through the front three's runs on the ball or receiving passes from van Dijk, Matip, and Fabinho over the opposition's defense.
But I remain most impressed by Liverpool's defense. What did Robert Lewandowski over two legs? Sure, he'd have been on hand to tap in had Matip not stutter-stepped a clearance into his net own net, but otherwise? Two off-target shots, no key passes, just two seven when contesting aerial duels (including losing both on Wednesday), and the fewest touches by a Bayern player over two legs. And that was the case whether he drifted onto van Dijk or Matip, or even Fabinho in the first leg.
Last season's knockout stages were an announcement of that front three to the world. This season's, at least so far, announces Virgil van Dijk as the best center-back in the world.
And he wasn't even that busy in defense! A handful of interceptions and clearances, a tackle or two. But not even tested with a defense aerial duel, as Lewandowski found next to no joy in the first 10-15 minutes and shifted onto Matip early. He's there organizing the defense both in open play and on set plays, holding the offside line, compressing the space.
But there he is with long passes for Liverpool's first and third goals: over the back line to find Mané's run in perfect stride, then with the quick free kick to Origi in space. But there he is rising highest for the tie-sealing second, out-jumping the pretty-damn-good-themselves Hummels and Süle to head in Milner's corner for his fourth goal in the last three months.
Liverpool remain basically unbelievable at the back, with just those two flukes against Burnley and the own goal on Wednesday the only goals conceded in the last seven matches. Alisson, Robertson, and Matip have started all seven matches; van Dijk missed the first leg through suspension, Alexander-Arnold missed the Bournemouth and United matches when returning from injury.
It's almost hard to believe when facing this caliber of opponent, but Liverpool will have harder fixtures to come. Because as good as Bayern is, and as well as Liverpool's played, at least over the final 50-60 minutes, this remains the type of game we should worry less about. As strange as that is to write about a team with that pedigree. Liverpool defense is, more often than not, going to be really good. And Liverpool's attack can be as well. But they've more trouble when space is at a greater premium.
When Liverpool's opponents fear Liverpool far more than Bayern Munich did. Which the Premier League has very much learned to do by now.
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