This is the game when our attacking players must finally click into gear – looking at the next few fixtures I would pretty much say it's now or never, because for the past few games we've been creating fewer and fewer chances (in the last two games our xG, the expected goals based on quality of chances, has dipped below 1 for the first time) and that trend will catch up with us unless we reverse it. Last season the games against Maribor and Spartak allowed our forwards, Salah in particular, to dramatically increase their confidence in creating and finishing chances, which they then carried through for the rest of the season – now is the perfect chance to do the same.
I'm far from an expert on Red Star, but I forced myself to watch their highlights (or at times "highlights" in name only) against Napoli (0:0), PSG (1:6) and the last domestic game (3:1), so here are some observations:
– They play with 4 at the back and that back line seems vulnerable to passes in behind and they also leave a lot of space on the flanks by trying to be compact laterally. Trent needs to play to take full advantage of this.
– Midfield is physical and combative; sometimes they fly into tackles and concede dangerous free-kicks
– Generally they don't seem set up to be overly defensive; the players all have technical quality to pass the ball around neatly – that could again play into our hands if we try to catch them with some high pressing. They have some pride and will try to score a consolation goal if losing by a big margin; however if the game is tight expect lots of time-wasting and play-acting.
– The main attacking threats seem to be the former Werder and Chelsea winger Marko Marin and a striker from Comoros (I really had to Google where it is – turns out it's a small island near Mozambique) named Ben; he seems quite fast and skillful.
From our perspective, I think the team pretty much picks itself. Klopp doesn't start with 4 attacking players all that often; even when Coutinho was here it was the games against the likes of Maribor and Spartak where all of the "fab 4" started. Red Star should be very much in the same category: get as many attacking players on the pitch as possible, don't forget about physicality in midfield and quality delivery from the flanks and we should be set.
Mane is back in training, so I expect him to start; Shaqiri deserves to be picked ahead of Lallana and Sturridge on current form and Gini and Fabinho should perfectly complement him in midfield. The defense surprisingly has the most options here; I would personally completely rest Van Dijk for this one and go with Matip-Lovren "2016 defensive dream" partnership. Lovren is a must for some entertaining Serbo-Croatian banter and to harass the hell out of Salah when he scores.
4-3-3:
---------------Alisson--------------
---------Matip-----Lovren--------
Trent------Fabinho------Robbo
------Shaq---------Gini-----------
Salah-------Firmino------Mane
Subs: Mignolet, Gomez, Moreno, Milner, Lallana, C. Jones, Sturridge
I'm far from an expert on Red Star, but I forced myself to watch their highlights (or at times "highlights" in name only) against Napoli (0:0), PSG (1:6) and the last domestic game (3:1), so here are some observations:
– They play with 4 at the back and that back line seems vulnerable to passes in behind and they also leave a lot of space on the flanks by trying to be compact laterally. Trent needs to play to take full advantage of this.
– Midfield is physical and combative; sometimes they fly into tackles and concede dangerous free-kicks
– Generally they don't seem set up to be overly defensive; the players all have technical quality to pass the ball around neatly – that could again play into our hands if we try to catch them with some high pressing. They have some pride and will try to score a consolation goal if losing by a big margin; however if the game is tight expect lots of time-wasting and play-acting.
– The main attacking threats seem to be the former Werder and Chelsea winger Marko Marin and a striker from Comoros (I really had to Google where it is – turns out it's a small island near Mozambique) named Ben; he seems quite fast and skillful.
From our perspective, I think the team pretty much picks itself. Klopp doesn't start with 4 attacking players all that often; even when Coutinho was here it was the games against the likes of Maribor and Spartak where all of the "fab 4" started. Red Star should be very much in the same category: get as many attacking players on the pitch as possible, don't forget about physicality in midfield and quality delivery from the flanks and we should be set.
Mane is back in training, so I expect him to start; Shaqiri deserves to be picked ahead of Lallana and Sturridge on current form and Gini and Fabinho should perfectly complement him in midfield. The defense surprisingly has the most options here; I would personally completely rest Van Dijk for this one and go with Matip-Lovren "2016 defensive dream" partnership. Lovren is a must for some entertaining Serbo-Croatian banter and to harass the hell out of Salah when he scores.
4-3-3:
---------------Alisson--------------
---------Matip-----Lovren--------
Trent------Fabinho------Robbo
------Shaq---------Gini-----------
Salah-------Firmino------Mane
Subs: Mignolet, Gomez, Moreno, Milner, Lallana, C. Jones, Sturridge
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