Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool players deliver the next exceptional emotional game at Anfield. Despite a difficult game, the “Reds” beat a tough team from bottom of the table.
Jürgen Klopp is one step closer to winning the championship title in England. Thanks to a 3-1 (1-0) win against Sheffield United, the team manager and his Liverpool FC moved back to first place in the Premier League.
The “LFC” clearly dominated against the bottom of the table, but at times found it unusually difficult. Especially after the interim equalizer with an own goal from “Reds” youngster Conor Bradley (58th minute), which fueled the outsider’s hopes of a sensation after Liverpool took the lead through Darwin (17th).
But in the 76th minute, Alexis Mac Allister brought the stadium at Anfield Road to a boil with a remarkable long-range goal and paved the way to Liverpool’s victory, which Cody Gakpo finally secured shortly before the end (90th).
The team manager Klopp, who is leaving at the end of the season, still has the chance of the “triple” of the English championship, Champions League victory and the League Cup that he has already won.
This is how the game went
The game started with a moment of shock for Klopp. Shortly after kick-off, Sheffield’s James McAtee missed a great chance to take the lead from close range when he was denied by the strongly reacting “Reds” keeper Caoimhin Kelleher (1st minute).
Then it became painful – especially for former Munich and current Liverpool player Ryan Gravenberch. The Dutchman, who came into the team to replace the injured Wataru Endo, collided with Vinicius Souza in an aerial duel in the fourth minute, after which they both ended up lying on the ground. Klopp looked skeptical on the sideline, but after a good half a minute both players continued.
Two minutes later, Mohamed Salah got the ball in the penalty area after an inaccurate save from keeper Ivo Grbić, but the Croatian United goalkeeper skillfully defused the subsequent shot from Liverpool’s star striker with a flying save.
In the 17th minute, Grbić made a serious mistake when he shot the ball from the edge of the penalty area directly at the approaching Darwin, from whom the ball bounced into the goal. Well anticipated by the Liverpool striker, but a big miss from the Sheffield goalkeeper.
Liverpool then clearly took command of the field and Darwin again missed the 2-0 with a low shot from eleven meters only because Grbić parried well this time (22′). The LFC restricted the bottom of the table in their own half, and Sheffield was hardly able to provide any offensive relief.
Busy midfielder Mac Allister narrowly missed the goal with a slightly clipped shot from around 18 meters in the 34th minute. There were no other top chances in the first half.
The second round started slowly. Neither LFC, who continued to have superiority in the field, nor the guests from Sheffield got in front of the goal worth mentioning. In the 58th minute, Klopp had sheer horror written all over his face: After a quick counterattack and a wide cross from the right, Gustavo Hamer headed the ball to the feet of the 20-year-old Bradley, from whom the ball went past the hopeless Kelleher found the Liverpool goal.
The equalizer left Liverpool somewhat unsettled. If so, then it was set-pieces that allowed Klopp’s protégés to take the lead again. Like in the 65th minute, when captain Virgil van Dijk failed with a powerful header to Grbić, who reacted brilliantly. A good ten minutes later, Andy Robertson had the score 2-1, but the Scot’s risky direct shot at full speed just missed the goal (74′).