Arne Slot’s Liverpool Tame Milan @ San Siro

A Beleaguered Liverpool

There was disappointment writ large on the face of Arne Slot last Saturday when Nottingham Forest handed Liverpool a 0-1 defeat in the EPL at the Red’s Home at Anfield. Arne Slot’s first defeat after three consecutive wins since taking over managerial responsibilities for Liverpool from the legendary Jurgen Klopp. It was all smooth sailing until they were tied in knots by a determined Nottingham Forest Team who played strategically brilliant football to outsmart Liverpool. By any stretch of the imagination, Liverpool were not expected to lose at Anfield and the loss stirred Arne Slot no end.

AC Milan & The San Siro Cauldron

The UEFA Champions League game against AC Milan at their fortress Stadio San Siro was going to be a big test after the loss on Saturday. Arne Slot made no bones about the importance of the game in the Presser before the much-anticipated clash. The stakes were high and a test of character awaited Arne Slot’s men. Milan was a tough side; particularly at the San Siro, they had a monumental record. However, despite the challenges, Arne Slot fought his first little crisis and came out unscathed. Liverpool put in a solid performance and beat the favourites with lots to spare.

Christian Pulisic Draws First Blood 

The start at the packed San Siro was a local delight. Christian Pulisic, the impressive winger from America, made a brilliant run from the right flank and struck a precise right footer beating Alisson Becker to his right. The angle was acute but Pulisic managed to beat Becker’s defences. With just 3 minutes into the game, Milan was ahead and the odds looked ominous for Liverpool. It was going to be an uphill climb.

Liverpool Respond As Konate & Van Dijk Score

I was apprehensive of Liverpool’s reply after the Pulisic strike, but I was pleasantly surprised. As Milan surprisingly went into a cage, Liverpool gained ascendancy. They tightened up the defence and launched some serious pressure on the Milan goal. Salah should have scored but unfortunately, he hit the crossbar twice, but then it was Ibrahima Konate who equalised with a fine header from a free kick just outside the box on the left flank, and then Virgil van Dijk headed home another one from a corner to put Liverpool in the lead before halftime. The Reds had taken the bull by its horns and had successfully executed a tremendous comeback in the game. 

The Hungarian Seals It For The Reds

In the presser before the game Arne Slot in response to a question from a Hungarian journalist regarding  Dominik Szoboszlai had wished that his Hungarian attacking mid-fielder could score more than he did. Szoboszlai answered in the affirmative on the field and scored Liverpool’s third goal with a fine volley in the second half. This sealed the match for Liverpool and completed a remarkable comeback of sorts after a bit of a debacle on Saturday. Liverpool played with great intensity and had 23 shots as compared to 8 from Milan. In the defence too they were stoic and unrelenting. Konate and van Dijk  easily were the picks of the night. They both defended bravely and scored too. 

A Happy Birthday for Arne Slot

Arne Slot’s preparation and intent has to be appreciated in this win at  San Siro. As I was impressed by his counter-attack strategy in the earlier games I was also impressed by the dogged, hard grind exhibition against Milan. It was also Arne’s Birthday and his team had responded perfectly for him. The win will surely boost their confidence when they square up with Bournemouth in the Premier League later this week. 

Arne Slot has passed his first disturbance and has shown signs of a gritty Manager.

Watch the key moments below or click here to watch on YouTube.

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