Jurgen Klopp took a team selection risk ahead of the Atletico Madrid second-leg but it has already paid off.
The Liverpool boss put out the strongest team available to him against Bournemouth on Saturday. We’d wondered how he’d go about things and clearly decided the momentum was more important than rest.
The Reds won the game 2-1 after trailing, with both Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah scoring goals. Liverpool weren’t brilliant but they showed fight.
And importantly, the forwards scored goals. It’s what Klopp would have wanted when he picked his team.
The risk was that it would leave his players tired, though. Especially if Atletico rested players to keep theirs fresh – that would be a major backfire.
Instead, Atletico went full-strength in their 2-2 home draw with Sevilla. That essentially vindicates Klopp decision already, given he got the momentum he wanted and didn’t lose out on a fitness battle.
This was the only way the choice could pay off. If Klopp had rested players, there would be no momentum at all. If Atletico had rested players, the Reds would face a fitter side next week.
Instead, Liverpool got what they needed, with the added bonus of a frustrating draw for their opponents.
Liverpool need to take that momentum into Wednesday, of course, but this was a good start to the clash. The two teams enter in the same state, with their respective plans clear.
Atletico need to keep things tight and probably keep another clean sheet. Liverpool will want the latter, too, but their focus has to be on breaking their opponents down.
Fortunately, Saturday’s games suggest they’ve got the best chance of having their way against Atletico and that’s thanks to Klopp taking a risk.
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