The XXL match of Trent Alexander-Arnold, the activity of Diogo Jota but also the red of Felipe and the ghostly performance of João Félix: find our tops / flops after Liverpool / Atlético Madrid (2-0)
Tops
Trent Alexander-Arnold, the decisive marathoner
The British side delivered a very high level performance this Wednesday evening. Hyperactive on his right lane, he annihilated several Madrid offensives by making speak his speed and his sense of placement. But the England international was especially decisive by distilling two offerings in the first half. The first for Diogo Jota with a millimeter center which rebounds just in front of the Portuguese who only has to conclude. Less than ten minutes later, his right-footed attempt turned into an assist for a well-placed Sadio Mané. Since the 2018-2019 season, only Kevin De Bruyne, among the players playing in the Premier League, has delivered more assists than Trent Alexander-Arnold in all competitions. After a more delicate last season, the right-back is back to his best level this season and it is not his evening game that will say the opposite.
Diogo Jota, what an activity!
Elusive, the Portuguese, placed at the forefront of the Reds attack, did a lot of harm to the Colchoneros rearguard by increasing the calls in the back of the opposing defense. It was he who opened the scoring in the 13th minute by taking a perfect header from a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Portuguese could even have doubled the bet without a masterful intervention from Jan Oblak on a point blank header shortly before half-time. The ex-Wolverhampton player came very close to a brace on the way back from the locker room but saw his goal canceled for an incredibly light offside position. A match of very high level for the former Porto decidedly well installed in this well-oiled collective.
Sadio Mané: power, finesse and talent
The Senegalese spent only half time on the lawn of Anfield. Largely enough to dazzle the English speaker with his immense talent. The former Southampton – trained in Metz – also made his sense of goal speak by perfectly resuming a right-footed shot from Trent Alexander-Arnold after an action he was responsible for. Perfectly positioned in the box, his flat left foot left no chance for Jan Oblak. A few minutes later, it was he who caused the exclusion of Felipe by overtaking the Brazilian defender. Sadio Mané recalled this Wednesday evening how essential he was in this Liverpool team.
Flops
Felipe: an expulsion that costs dearly
Felipe saw red this Wednesday evening. First, because he saw a succession of red waves pass in front of him during the entire first half hour. Then because his tackle, or rather his trifle, on Sadio Mané earned him a red card which almost ended the game. In his defense, one could consider that the decision of the Dutch referee is severe since the fault takes place in the center of the field and the Brazilian does not annihilate a clear chance of goal. Still, if the Madrid defender had been more solid in front of Sadio Mané, he would not have received this red card which put his partners, already badly embarked, in a very unfortunate position.
João Félix: the invisible man
Recruited for nearly 120 million euros in the summer of 2019, the Portuguese striker has struggled to justify such an amount since his arrival in the Spanish capital. If his talent is undeniable, he is able to completely miss his matches as was the case tonight. Transparent, he did not bring anything offensively and was perfectly contained by the rearguard of the Reds. Is he playing in a team that is too cautious offensively to be able to express his qualities? May be. Still, the former Benfica did not shoot once on goal this Wednesday and he only touched 23 small balls in an hour spent on the lawn.
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