Liverpool defeated RB Leipzig with five goals, with Darwin Nunez scoring four of them in less than half an hour. And here are some key takeaways from the Reds’ third preseason friendly.
Nunez shines in Liverpool vs RB Leipzig
Darwin Nunez was in light of some unnecessary criticism for not showing any impact in Liverpool’s first two pre-season friendlies. But the Uruguayan has shut down his critics in a convincing fashion.
Nunez scored not one, not two, not three, but four goals against RB Leipzig.
To this, Jurgen Klopp responded:
“Pandora’s box is open.”
This served as a preview of what the Uruguayan can bring to Liverpool in the future.
Last week, Klopp declared that he was “totally confident” of Nunez’s talent. And that his teammates will eventually figure out how to play to his advantage.
Mohamed Salah rarely lets someone else take a penalty, though!
Even though it is still only preseason, Nunez’s face clearly showed relief after the first goal was scored. His burden was lifted as a result, and his subsequent link-up play with players like Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott was superb.
He has well and truly arrived.
Salah Masterclass
We are in for a big treat this season if Mohamed Salah continues to perform like this.
The Egyptian was equally as razor-sharp today as he was during the 45 minutes he played against Crystal Palace last week.
He was actively involved right away, scoring in the eighth minute following an excellent combination with Roberto Firmino.
Left-back for Leipzig Angelino has his work cut out for him.
Salah suffered as the haziness surrounding a prospective new deal persisted toward the end of 2021–2022.
Now that everything has been agreed upon and secured, may we be in for the finest Salah performance yet after a well-deserved, lengthy summer break?
The Pressing game
Even though it’s only preseason, the gap between the two teams here was clearly evident.
Leipzig is a team that competed successfully in the Champions League in recent years and finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season. But Liverpool made them appear quite ordinary.
You might argue that Liverpool’s pressing strategy plays right into their hands. Or you could admit that the Reds were superior to them in every way.
Only three preseason games have been played, but the Reds came out strong and dominated Leipzig in their home stadium.
There shouldn’t be any worries regarding team press or fitness levels. That much is certain.
Carvalho again shows his class
Darwin Nunez will dominate the conversation, and for good reason.
However, another player who Liverpool added in the summer also put up a really strong second-half performance.
It is easy to understand why Fabio Carvalho appealed to Klopp and his coaching staff. He was appealing enough to convince them to sign him away from Fulham.
He was brought here in the second half on the left side of the attack, and he certainly fit the bill.
Carvalho was solely responsible for setting up Nunez’s fourth goal. He did it with a deft header into space, followed by a spirited drive forward and pass on the edge of the box.
Fabio appears to be a class act.
