"Underestimated the strength of Inter" - Paolo di Canio names Liverpool star who is 'not suitable' for Jurgen Klopp's style of play
Former West Ham midfielder Paolo di Canio has stated that Thiago Alcantara is not suited to Liverpool's gameplan in the wake of their defeat to Inter Milan. The Reds suffered a rare home defeat to the Italian champions, losing 1-0 in the R16 of the Champions League. This saw them lose their year-long unbeaten home streak.
The Reds, however, qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League due to their 2-0 win in the first leg at the San Siro.
The Reds looked listless for most of the game against the Nerazzurri and Di Canio believes it was down to some questionable choices from Jurgen Klopp.
.@TrentAA detailed his excitement about the potential for Liverpool's season after securing a #UCL quarter-final spot 👇
Speaking to Sky Italia after the game, the former Sunderland manager said:
“Liverpool did not win 5-0 in the first leg. Tonight, they tried to manage by playing with a midfield that underestimated the strength of Inter. In fact, (Klopp) made the first two changes there, even if it is true that he also makes them in the Premier League."
He added:
“You can’t play with Curtis Jones, who is a reliable kid, along with two more experienced ones. And Thiago Alcantara, who's not suitable for Klopp’s game.”
Lautaro Martinez's wonder strike from distance helped Inter Milan secure a 1-0 victory over the Reds at Anfield. However, they lost the tie on aggregate and were subsequently eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool's narrow escape has left them in the hunt for a quadruple
Despite the loss, the Reds did enough across both legs to scale through to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
They will, however, need to perform at a significantly higher level when they come up against Europe's elites in the latter stages.
Jürgen Klopp felt Liverpool deserved to progress to the #UCL last eight as they held off Inter with a 2-1 victory on aggregate.
Their progress to the last eight in the competition means Liverpool are still in the hunt for a seventh UEFA Champions League crown.
They are also engaged in a tight Premier League title race with Manchester City and are just six points off with a game in hand in second place. They are through to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup where they are due to face Nottingham Forest.
Having already lifted the Carabao Cup in February, this means that the Merseysiders are on track to become the first English team to win a Quadruple.
Whether they will ultimately fulfill this dream remains to be seen.