"Key Takeaways from Liverpool's Last Friendly Match: Mac Impresses, but Concerns Arise over High Defensive Line"
Liverpool defeated Bundesliga team Darmstadt 3-1 at Deepdale to wrap up their 2023 preseason campaign.
The Reds won their final friendly with a well-deserved victory with to goals from Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz, but they were denied a clean sheet because Mathias Honsak scored for the Germans.
Here are five takeaways from a match that Jurgen Klopp would hope prepared his team for the next Premier League campaign.
Starting XI for Chelsea settled?
.
.
We always anticipated that the starting lineup for this final exhibition game would reveal Klopp’s intentions for Sunday’s trip to Chelsea.
It’s also fair to say that the team for that trip to Stamford Bridge appears to be decided after every starter played for at least an hour.
Even putting aside the fact that Fabinho has not yet been replaced in the center of the park, this is not a team without its peculiarities.
Despite his outstanding performances up top, Diogo Jota seems to have beaten out Darwin Nunez for the starting position, and Cody Gakpo seems suited for a midfield position.
Now that the difficult Premier League season opening against Mauricio Pochettino’s team is approaching, Klopp must hope that these significant choices pay off.
Mac Allister tries out holding role
.,
Of course, it would be negligent to omit mentioning the individual who was selected to serve as the holding function on this particular occasion.
Because of a little niggle he felt during warm-up, Curtis Jones was left off the starting lineup. It was decided not to risk a protracted runout.
But that setback gave the chance to test Alexis Mac Allister in the anchorman position, a role he frequently played for Brighton.
The Argentine certainly made an impression, displaying both class in possession from deeper areas and perseverance in the face of difficulty by forcing numerous turnovers.
Long-term, you could be concerned that Mac Allister’s small stature will hinder him against teams that simply want to win flick-ons in front of the back four.
But Klopp probably saw enough against Darmstadt to be persuaded that his new summer acquisition is the best choice for the position, at least against Chelsea.
High line exposed again
.
.
.
Maybe it’s time to reluctantly accept that Liverpool’s defense will be shaky in the beginning of the upcoming season.
Their high line, which has been exposed throughout the preseason, was once again exposed in this game when Darmstadt, amazingly, scored their first goal of the summer on a straightforward ball over the top.
However, if prior campaigns are any indication, regardless of who is signed in the upcoming weeks, that kind of lapse is likely to be a frequent occurrence for a while.
It is frequently overlooked that Liverpool rarely has a strong defensive start to a season under Klopp, with discussions about their high line being a common occurrence in August and September.
Fortunately, things usually calm down, and a steady stream of games contributes to rhythm and familiarity with the best strategies for defending against each scenario.
Of course, the question at hand is whether this is just the same old narrative, or whether Liverpool’s defensive problems this time are deeper-seated ones that can only be fixed by a signing.
In either case, it is challenging to envision Chelsea maintaining a perfect record.
Set-pieces looking sharp
It can be challenging for clubs to play their best attacking football early in a season as they adjust to playing competitive football again.
And in those circumstances, the significance of a game-winning set-piece goal multiplies tenfold.
In light of this, it is heartening to watch Liverpool play so well in these circumstances, with two of their goals coming from corners.
Virgil van Dijk mentioned in an interview he gave in Singapore that there has been a lot of work done on set-pieces, which has become somewhat of a motif throughout pre-season.
The Reds may need a boost as they attempt to find their groove later in the season, so maybe this deadliness from dead-ball situations can continue.
