Liverpool suffered a crushing 2-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg meeting last night.
Reds boss Arne Slot made the bold call to change formation to a three-at-the-back set-up. He benched talisman Mohamed Salah, who didn’t fit into the system.
The tactical move yielded no tangible results, and Slot still didn’t bring on Salah to turn the game around.
However, Slot defended his decision to leave the Egyptian on the bench for the entire 90 minutes, a call that has not gone down well with the fans.
Slot said (via Sky Sports), “I think the last part of the game was more about surviving for us than there was ever a chance we could score.
“I think this was a 20 to 25-minute period where we were only defending.
“Mo has so many qualities, but him defending for 20 to 25 minutes in his own box? It is better to save his energy for the upcoming games.”
Slot’s risky experiment flops
Slot can try to justify it however he wants, but his experiment backfired badly.
The switch to a back three looked unnecessary at best and reckless at worst, stripping Liverpool of their usual structure and leaving players visibly unsure of their roles.
The midfield lost its rhythm, the wing-backs were pinned, and the attack lacked any real focal point without Salah.
Most baffling of all was the decision to keep the club’s most dangerous player on the bench for the entire game.
Even in a backs-to-the-wall situation, Salah’s presence offers an outlet – something for opponents to think about.
Liverpool were passive, predictable and second best throughout.
In truth, the 2-0 scoreline flatters them. PSG were in complete control and could have put the tie to bed.
Slot must abandon this idea quickly because it clearly doesn’t work.
