Makeshift defence delivers in Europe Liverpool’s mounting injury crisis has forced Arne Slot into some rather unconventional tactical tweaks recently. You wouldn’t normally expect to see Ryan Gravenberch lining up in the heart of the backline. Yet, the 23-year-old midfielder was asked to do exactly that, dropping deep to partner Virgil van Dijk during the Reds’ emphatic Champions League victory over Qarabag. It worked a treat. Liverpool hammered the Azerbaijani outfit 6-0 to comfortably book their place in the tournament’s Round of 16. Gravenberch was essentially shoehorned into the defensive role out of sheer necessity. Ibrahima Konate currently remains unavailable due to compassionate leave, while Joe Gomez picked up a fresh fitness issue during Saturday’s dramatic defeat away at Bournemouth.
A cheeky nod to City’s new boy The sight of a central midfielder marshalling the defence certainly didn’t go unnoticed in the dressing room. French forward Hugo Ekitike couldn’t resist poking a bit of fun at his teammate’s unexpected positional shift. In a rather cheeky dig at Gravenberch, Ekitike made a pointed reference to Marc Guehi. The England international was heavily linked with a move to Anfield to solve these exact defensive frailties, only to sign for Manchester City earlier this month. Ekitike’s lighthearted comment brilliantly captured the irony of the situation, highlighting Liverpool’s current scramble for reliable centre-backs.
Gearing up for the Galatasaray decider Despite that comfortable progression against Qarabag, the relentless fixture list offers no respite. Liverpool now face another crucial test, this time against Galatasaray at Anfield on Wednesday evening. Slot’s men have a bit of a mountain to climb, as they need to overturn a frustrating 1-0 deficit from last week’s first leg in Istanbul. Preparations are already well underway to ensure the makeshift squad is ready for the challenge. The first team was out on the grass at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday afternoon, putting in the hard yards during a vital session on the eve of the tie. They will undoubtedly be hoping to channel their recent six-goal momentum to flip the script against the Turkish side.
