Liverpool talking points: Jurgen Klopp's latest milestone shows how far team have come

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David Lynch6 November 2019

It is four years ago today that Jurgen Klopp secured his first European win as Liverpool manager.

On that evening in 2015, a Jordon Ibe goal earned the Reds a 1-0 Europa League win at Rubin Kazan that few will remember fondly, if indeed at all.

The German’s latest continental victory is unlikely to go down in history either, but the difference between those two games says plenty about the journey undertaken since.

Here, Liverpool were able to make six changes ahead of a win that took them top of their group in the Champions League - a trophy they are, of course, defending.

Still, any enjoyment from the hard-fought win over Genk that fans were treated to tonight is unlikely to last long, with all thoughts on that upcoming meeting with Manchester City,

But Klopp’s latest milestone should perhaps serve as a reminder that these halcyon days might not last forever and, as such, they should be relished at every opportunity.

Champions League | Group E

Pos Team P W D L GD Pts
1 Liverpool 4 3 0 1 3 9
2 Napoli 4 2 2 0 3 8
3 Red Bull 4 1 1 2 2 4
4 Genk 4 0 1 3 -8 1

Perfect night for Reds in Group E

AP

Liverpool were, of course, only given the chance to claim top spot in Group E this evening thanks to results elsewhere.

A draw between Napoli and Red Bull Salzburg at San Paolo Stadium was the outcome the Reds needed to leapfrog the Italians into top spot, and that is exactly what they got.

Klopp’s men now have the chance to take themselves out of the qualification equation by beating Carlo Ancelotti’s team at Anfield later this month.

That result would also take the pressure off a December trip to Salzburg - the ideal scenario given the fixture logjam that awaits in that period.

Oxlade-Chamberlain knocking on the door

AP

He may have netted three brilliant goals in his last two starts for Liverpool coming into this one, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still wanted more.

Speaking after scoring another stunner against Arsenal a week ago, the Englishman insisted he still felt some way short of top form in terms of his overall performance.

But here, he combined goalscoring exploits with a more rounded showing that proved he is the midfielder most likely to break up Klopp’s current preferred trio before too long.

Genk simply couldn’t cope with Oxlade-Chamberlain’s penetrating runs and link-up play all night, and we are soon likely to be saying that about Premier League opposition too.

Alisson frustrated as Reds concede again

Getty Images

Appearing at a press conference to preview this game, Alisson Becker warned Liverpool that their tendency to concede ‘stupid goals’ this season would come back to haunt them.

While Genk’s strike here was more a well-worked set-piece than an idiotic moment from the hosts, and ultimately didn’t prove too damaging, the Brazilian still won’t have been best pleased to concede it.

That’s just three clean sheets for the Reds from their 19 games so far this term - a statistic that proves they are some way short of last season’s incredibly stingy best.

With Manchester City on the horizon, they must find a way of getting back to that level in the next few days, or Alisson’s warning is sure to prove prescient.

Big performance from LFC’s No1

Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Of course, any Alisson frustration over that lack of a clean sheet is likely to be tempered by his own performance this evening.

Liverpool’s No1 played a large part in his team avoiding the concession of further goals, with one save from a powerful Bryan Heynen effort the standout moment.

Beyond that, the Brazilian showed excellent handling under the high ball and pushed away two or three dangerous crosses into the hosts’ box late on.

If he was suffering from any ring-rust as a result of that early-season injury, then it is well and truly gone.

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