New style makes Liverpool an immediate Champions League threat

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Liverpool displayed a new style over their last two games. It’s one that makes them an immediate Champions League threat.

These last two games have been very promising. Firstly, Liverpool saw off RB Leipzig, winning 2-0 on the night.

Then they went to Wolves and earned a scrappy 1-0 win. That’s two wins, two clean-sheets and two games relatively under control.

Because that was the real positive – Liverpool appeared to have both games handled. Each went as planned and we saw their opponents struggle. That hasn’t happened much in 2021.

So what’s the secret? Well, two things certainly changed. Fabinho returned to midfield, adding a level of control and a shield for the defence.

Diogo Jota played as a striker, too. That makes Liverpool more direct and faster up top. Both opening goals came from Jota’s runs, after all.

But both changes play into a bigger overall style difference – Liverpool are playing without the ball. Instead of controlling games through possession, they’re controlling them through pace.

Shake up

As we recently pointed out, Liverpool had a minority of possession against both RB Leipzig and Wolves. It’s the first time that’s happened in back-to-back games since October 2018.

And back then, the fixtures were against Napoli and Manchester City. Against the latter, certainly, you’d always expect a minority.

So to us, it felt like a strategy change. Liverpool were happier to go long, with Jota constantly looking to get in behind. They also had Fabinho to win the ball back quickly and mount another attack.

Liverpool are back to being a counter-attacking side, it seems. And that bodes well for a Champions League pursuit.

No matter who Liverpool get in the competition, you can safely rely on them wanting the ball. Top teams usually do.

But it works in Liverpool’s favour if they’re set up to play without it. Opponents in the competition will naturally push forward, play with more attacking intent, and leave space.

Space Liverpool’s forwards can gleefully attack themselves. We firmly expect the Reds to look good in Europe with this playing style.

The Jota, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane triple-threat will offer a constant outlet. The likes of Thiago and Fabinho will find them, let alone the full-backs.

Hopefully, Liverpool stick with it. Because we can see teams playing right into the Reds’ hands over the next few months.