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Despite just being a pre season friendly, Liverpool gave their rivals a hint of what is to come this season against Bayern Munich. The stage was Audi Cup in the Allianz Arena and the opponents were the formidable Bavarians. Liverpool produced a scintillating performance to win the game 3-0 thanks to goals from Sadio Mane, Mohammad Salah and Daniel Sturridge.
The Reds were the better side in every department and looked eager to win this one whereas Carlo Ancelotti's men were pretty lethargic and lacked imagination. Liverpool will now face Atletico Madrid in the final of the Audi Cup with the Colchoneros defeating Napoli 2-1. Without further ado, let's delve right into the five talking points from the Liverpool vs Bayern Munich game:
#1 Gegenpressing of the highest order
Liverpool entered the field with a fixed plan where the forwards gave the Munich back line enough time on the ball and seldom pressed against them. But as soon as one of their midfielders received it, the Reds were quick to pounce on the chance which made life hell for the trio of Thiago, Renato Sanches and Tolisso. Roberto Firmino came deep while Coutinho and Emre Can join to force the opponents to rush their pass.
Meanwhile, Mane and Salah were quick to respond to the transition and were always on point to cut lines and get in behind. Jordan Henderson man marked James Rodriguez out of the game whereas Robert Lewandowski lacked service and came up short against the duo of Lovren and Matip. Klopp's side looked miles better than the mighty Bayern as the 'counter-press' gave way for the forwards to counterattack effectively.
#2 Mane and Salah forging a solid partnership
This was the first time Sadio Mane and Mohammad Salah started together for Liverpool and the wingers did not disappoint one bit. It took Mane just seven minutes to score past Sven Ulreich whereas Salah nodded home just after the half hour mark. More than getting themselves on the score sheet, the fluidity with which the duo were playing was the attractive part in their partnership.
The duo showed their usual destructive pace and combined that with some intelligent movement off the ball. Coutinho playing in a deeper role helped their cause as the Bayern full-backs hardly challenged them. Sadio Mane was the best player in the first half and looked sharp as ever after his long injury layoff.
#3 A preseason to forget for Bayern Munich
The reigning German champions had travelled to the Far East for their pre season tour. But just one win in four games reflected that manager Carlo Ancelotti still has a lot of work to do. They were brilliant against Chelsea in Singapore but were abysmal in their defeats against AC Milan and Inter Milan. Bayern also lost out against Arsenal on penalties in their first game of the tour.
Back home, the Bavarians had the chance to get back to winning ways and win the Audi Cup fourth time in a row. But the players looked a bit rusty and were just not at the physical level which was shown by Liverpool. The front four of Lewandowski, Ribery, Muller and Rodriguez failed to do any damage with a defeat against the Reds proving that Bayern still have a long way to go before conquering Europe again.
#4 A fruitful day for the Liverpool fullbacks
With Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez being injured, the youngster Trent Alexander Arnold was given unarguably his toughest test in his career. The fullback was up against the evergreen Franck Ribery and the marauding David Alaba on the left flank. But Arnold displayed why Jurgen Klopp rates him so highly by producing a performance belying his age. He was fearless against the veteran Ribery and staked his claim to be in the starting eleven for the season opener.
On the other hand, Alberto Moreno was given a surprise start ahead of Andy Robertson. But the Spaniard was one of the best players on the night in a splendid second half display. Moreno was brilliant in attack with his overlapping run producing the assist for Salah's goal. He also backtracked well and was solid against Thomas Muller in defence. All in all, it was a brilliant night for the Liverpool full backs which will give Jurgen Klopp some encouragement for the next season.
#5 Time to face Fernando Torres!
The Spanish striker is a much talked about figure in Merseyside with his spell at Liverpool being undoubtedly the best of his career. He was criticized by the fan base for joining Chelsea in 2011 but with time the hate toned down as El Nino repaired the damages with the supporters.
Before the Liverpool - Bayern Munich game, Atletico Madrid and Napoli faced off in the other semifinal with Fernando Torres scoring the opener for the Colchoneros. Torres' side won 2-1 and will now face the Reds in the final on Wednesday. It will be an interesting battle between Torres and the Liverpool back line as the Reds will have to keep the striker silent if they have to lift the Audi Cup.
