After clinching their ninth League Club title against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, there was much excitement on Merseyside for the players and fans of Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, would have been concerned that his team would be flat in the subsequent games to follow. However, the team has managed to keep its focus and maintain the momentum in back-to-back wins to kick-start their campaign in March. In this article, we will review their last two matches and preview the important Champions League clash against Inter Milan.
1. Liverpool 2- Norwich 1: Liverpool’s first game after lifting the League Cup was a round of 16 FA Cup match against the Canaries. Klopp decided to drop 10 of his starters and retained only captain Jordan Henderson for the contest. I think it was the right decision to rest his top players in this matchup because they played 120 minutes of high-intensity soccer in the Carabao Cup Final. It also presented a chance for young and fringe players to present a case claim to play in the big games. Takumi Minamino grabbed the opportunity to shine by scoring the two goals on the night. On the 27th minute, poor marking allowed Divock Origi far too much time seven yards out to control and lay off a Kostas Tsimikas’ cross for Minamino to blast in the first goal. On the 39th, Norwich defender Ben Gibson on a ball inadvertently with Minamino smashing in a second into the onion bag. Liverpool could have easily added a third when Oxlade Chamberlain hit the post, and Diogo Jota wasted a chance. The missed opportunity set up a nervy finish because Lukas Rupp stroked a shot past Alisson in the 77th minute after a good build-up play to give Norwich a chance. However, with steely resolve, the defense held up to move the team into the quarterfinals to face Nottingham Forest. After the game, Klopp praised Minamino for his best performance in the red colors.
2. Liverpool 1-West Ham 0- the Liverpool stars returned to the lineup against a hungry West Ham team that had ended their 25 game win streak in November. Sadio Mane scored the all-important goal in this contest after latching on to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross-shot to fire beyond the Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski from six yards out. The game was in the balance right to the end with both teams missing opportunities. Luis Diaz’s effort was cleared off the line by Aaron Cresswell, but West Ham could have claimed an equalizer when Alexander-Arnold hooked Pablo Fornals’ effort away after the Spaniard had lobbed Alisson. Manuel Lanzini had the golden opportunity to win a point from the game but kicked the chance into the stand. It was a very difficult game but as a Liverpool supporter, I could care less. The team needs points, and the sign of a good team is to win even when you are not at your best. The win kept Liverpool three points behind Manchester City after a thumping 4-1 victory over their rivals Manchester United.
3. Preview Champions League Clash with Inter Milan- the Reds have the upper-hand heading into this clash against the reigning Italian Champions. That is because Liverpool won the first leg of this matchup 2-0 in Italy. However, the tie is still in the balance, and Virgil Van Dijk will have to be at his best to keep Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko at bay. It is difficult to see Liverpool losing this match when you consider their record in Europe. The team is undefeated in 7 games this season and currently enjoying a 12 game winning streak in all competitions. Inter Milan have not reached the heights of last season and are 2 points off the leaders, AC Milan in the Serie A. I have Liverpool winning this match 2-1 which means a 4-1 win on aggregate.