An off day in a semifinal must have been the last thing on Jurgen Klopp's mind but his team had just that against Southampton as they conceded a 1-0 advantage to the Saints in the first leg of the EFL Cup semifinals. Nathan Redmond scored the only goal at St. Mary's as a result of some shoddy defending by the Reds.
Liverpool, it seems, had their eyes on Sunday's clash against Manchester United and forgot to turn up against Claude Puel's men. Southampton took full advantage of Red's sloppiness as the team sitting second in the league table lost the possession on a massive 42 times last night.
Let's take a look at the player ratings from Southampton's deserving victory over Liverpool (all of them have been adjudicated on a base of 10):
Southampton
Fraser Forster - 6.5
The towering custodian made one super save against Roberto Firmino in the first half but did not have much to do after that. He was calm in set pieces and collected the ball well.
Cedric Soares - 6.5
The Portuguese fullback put in a great shift and did a good job in containing James Milner. He had one golden opportunity in the second half to give his side a 2-0 lead.
Maya Yoshida - 7
Yoshida replaced Jose Fonte in the lineup and did not put a foot wrong. He was strong in the air and also made some important interceptions in the second half.
Virgil Van Dijk - 7.5
Van Dijk displayed a commanding performance and was calm when on the ball. He played out with the ball on a number of occasions and was the sort of performance which did his reputation no harm.
Ryan Bertrand - 7
The fullback's forward surges made the game hell for the Reds back line. He was solid in containing Roberto Firmino and effective going forward.
Steven Davies - 8
The Irishman was colossal for the Saints as he beat Liverpool's midfield at their own game by closing them down incessantly and winning the ball back. He made some terrific passes and was crucial in his team's slender win.
Jordi Clasie - 7.5
Another solid display by the Dutchman who also made life difficult for the opposition's midfield and also dictated the tempo of the game at times.
Oriel Romeu - 8
Playing as a defensive midfielder, the ex-Chelsea man did all the dirty work his side and was important in stopping a number of Liverpool's attacks.
Dusan Tadic - 6
Tadic could not get going against a sluggish Liverpool side as his first touches were brilliant but end product often liked the needed bite.
Nathan Redmond - 8
He could have scored a hattrick if he had taken his shots well. Redmond was a real threat from the wings and finished the solo goal of this game with aplomb.
Jay Rodriguez - 6
Rodriguez who has scored four goals since his return from a long injury looked a bit tired. He was also isolated at times but put in a unselfish performance.
Substitutes:
Pierre Emile Hojberg - 6.5
Hojberg played the final quarter of the game and kept his game simple. He saw out the game effectively without any fuss.
Shane Long - 7
Long gave a glimpse of his blistering pace in just the 10-minute cameo that he was asked for.
James Ward-Prowse - 6
The youngster came on along with Long and delivered some defence-splitting passes.
Liverpool
Loris Karius - 8
This was the kind of performance which made Klopp bring the youngster from Mainz in the summer. Liverpool are in the running to reach the final because of their goalkeeper which proves how important he was. Karius made two brilliant saves and also punched the ball well at set pieces.
Nathaniel Clyne - 5
A rather surprising bad day in the office for Liverpool's Mr Consistent. He was susceptible at the back which is rare but also struggled to provide width to his team's attacks which has become a norm for the Reds going ahead.
Dejan Lovren - 6
He returned to the St. Mary's amidst boos and jeering from the home side but did well at times in clearing out the danger. He lacked his usual aggression in defence which made him look nervous at times and also made a goal-line clearance which was the need of the hour.
Ragnar Klavan - 4
He was at fault for Southampton's goal where he failed to clear the ball when he was under no immediate pressure. After that, his confidence dipped as he struggled to get hold off the game.
James Milner - 5
Another player who had an off day. He was dominated by Redmond in defence and going forward, the midfielder failed to create even one chance for the visitors.
Lucas Leiva - 5.5
The Brazilian was back at his midfield position and kept things simple in the middle of the park. Leiva gave away some unnecessary could which should have been avoided.
Emre Can - 4.5
The 22-year-old desperately needs some time off the game as he looks completely out of form and ideas at the moment. He gave away the ball on 10 occasions last night.
Georginio Wijnaldum - 5
The Dutchman also looked completely out of touch before he was put out of his misery by getting substituted at the hour mark. He could not offer much going forward which happened as a result of Southampton's dominance in midfield.
Adam Lallana - 5.5
The former Southampton captain made some stray passes and often slowed the game down. Liverpool need him at his best in the second leg to have a chance of going to Wembley.
Roberto Firmino - 6
Firmino's shot was the only one which troubled Forster with the others struggling to hold on the ball. He was defensively important for the Reds but failed to create anything worth mentioning.
Daniel Sturridge - 5
The England international went down far too easily at times and looked completely frustrated. He was denied the space to work out his way and he failed to take even one shot on target for the Reds.
Substitutes:
Philippe Coutinho - 7
Coutinho showed in his little cameo what Liverpool missed from the first minute. He made some terrific passes but it was the threat that the magician brings into the game which was the most important.
Divock Origi - 5
He could not do anything worth mentioning in his 8-minute appearance.
