How did the stars perform as Bayern hold Liverpool at Anfield?
Liverpool failed to take a lead into a second leg after putting in a tame effort against Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16 at Anfield. The Reds had two to three good chances to go ahead in the game, but they failed to convert those and the game ended 0-0.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich were happy to sit back and invite pressure to deal with it brilliantly. Lately, the Bavarians were accused of their defensive vulnerabilities at the back, but their backline stood strong to secure a clean sheet. With their game plan, it was evident that Nico Kovac had come for a draw.
Jurgen Klopp will be discontent, but he will be relieved at the other end as the unconventional centre-back pairing of Joel Matip and Fabinho dealt with Robert Lewandowski brilliantly to nullify the Polish striker and come away with a clean sheet and concede nil goals in the first leg.
Nothing is lost for Liverpool as they head into the away fixture in order to score and pile pressure on the Bavarians. With Virgil Van Dijk back for the second leg, the Liverpool forwards and midfield will have enough assurance to roam forward and convert chances.
The draw was the outcome, but there was some brilliant stand out performers in the defensive part of the game. In this article, we shall look at 5 hits and flops from this game.
#1 Jordan Henderson stands tall
When the team needed a standout player for the night, Jordan Henderson produced a stellar performance in the middle of the park to save Jurgen Klopp's men. The Liverpool skipper was the best player on the pitch and won four out of five attempted tackles which was the most by any player on the pitch.
Besides, he made countless interceptions and recoveries to bail his side from trouble throughout the night. Not only did Henderson have a good game, but his midfield partners Georginio Wijnaldum and Naby Keita were also brilliant to break down the opponent's midfield which had very little to do because of the setup of Bayern Munich.