FC Midtjylland 1-1 Liverpool: 5 talking points as Mohamed Salah breaks two records | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
Liverpool faced a stern test against FC Midtjylland in their final game of Group D in the Champions League, and could only come away with a point.
The Reds got off to a brilliant start. Mohamed Salah took advantage of a mix-up at the back to poke home the opener inside the opening minute. The goal was struck just 55 seconds into the game.
Despite the early set-back, Midtjylland settled into the game quickly and troubled the away side with their pressing and neat passing. They created some decent openings, but finally equalised in the second half courtesy of a 62nd-minute Alexander Scholz penalty.
Midtjylland will be happy with the draw, as it was only their second point of the group stage. Without further ado, let’s look at the talking points from the game.
#5 Midtjylland’s proactive approach
The Danish side ran Liverpool close at Anfield, and they adopted the same approach at home against the Reds.
Liverpool gave some of their key personnel a rest for the game, and Midtjylland took the game to the much-changed lineup as they were extremely proactive. They finished the game with more tackles, more dribbles, and more shots than the Premier League champions.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were not able to play out as frequently as they would have hoped for, and a majority of their possession was in their own half.
The most telling stat of the night was perhaps that 39% of the action took place in the Liverpool third, while just 20% of it was in the Midtjylland third.
#4 A tough outing for Liverpool debutant Leighton Clarkson
It may have been a calculated move by Klopp to deploy Clarkson in the Liverpool midfield three against a team who like to press from the front.
The 19-year old made his full Champions League debut for the club, and had to deal with the Midtjylland press every time he received the ball in his own half.
With Takumi Minamino and Naby Keita alongside him, it was essentially a midfield Liverpool had never tried before, and they struggled for cohesion.
Clarkson finished the game with a pass success rate of just 72%, as he misplaced several of them and his square passes were often over-hit or were too behind.
It would be wrong to judge the midfielder on this performance alone, as he is extremely talented and technically proficient. He showed his tenacity as he recovered the ball more than any other player, and is definitely one for the future.