It had been well publicised before this game that Liverpool had not won an away group game in the UEFA Champions League in the last two years. Obviously, that is quite a remarkable statistic considering their recent success in this competition. As they travelled to face Belgian side Genk, there was an expectation that Jurgen Klopp’s side would break this duck. They did so emphatically, winning 4-1, and importantly ensured they stayed only one point behind group leaders, Napoli.
This tactical analysis delves into the tactics used by both Liverpool and Genk from Wednesday night’s Champions League group stage fixture.
Lineups
Liverpool fielded a 4-3-3 formation as expected. However, due to Trent Alexander-Arnold being unavailable due to an illness, James Milner came in at right-back. This was surprising, with most predicting that it would be Joe Gomez slotting into this position. Klopp went with Naby Keita alongside Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the middle, with Fabinho behind them. Dejan Lovren came in at centre-back for the injured Joël Matip.
Genk went with a more defensive-minded 4-4-1-1 rather than their usual 4-2-3-1. Mbwana Samatta, who normally plays as a lone striker, dropped into the 10 role, whilst Paul Onuachu was given the nod to play in front of him. This set up provided Genk’s attack with plenty of pace.
If you want to read the full tactical breakdown of this game, head over to totalfootballanalysis.com or click HERE
If you love tactical analysis, then you’ll love the digital magazines from totalfootballanalysis.com – a guaranteed 100+ pages of pure tactical analysis covering topics from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and many, many more. Buy your copy of the October issue for just ₤4.99 here
