Liverpool will face off against Leeds United at Elland Road on Monday night as both teams look to go all out in search of the three points in the Premier League. The Reds cannot afford to lose any more ground in the top four race, so a lot will be riding on how well they perform away at West Yorkshire next week.
Jurgen Klopp has no fresh injury worries to cope with ahead of this game but could be inclined to make a few changes to his first-team following a lacklustre attacking display against Real Madrid in midweek. We can expect the Merseysiders to press the Whites high up the pitch so that they can win possession back quickly and create some clear-cut chances to win this contest.
Here are three things the Liverpool boss should do to ensure that his men pick up maximum points at Elland Road on Monday.
Play Thiago Alcantara And Naby Keita Alongside Fabinho In Midfield
Klopp should think about freshening up his midfield options for this game as James Milner has started in each of the Merseyside outfit’s last two games while Georginio Wijnaldum has struggled to be productive with his performances of late.
Hence, the Reds head coach should consider playing Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita alongside Fabinho at the centre of the park so that Liverpool have enough creativity and dynamism in their midfield to collect all three points on the road.
Drop Mane And Use His Pace Off The Bench
Sadio Mane got a lot of minutes under his belt versus Los Blancos in midweek and despite a promising start to the game, his impact in the final third was minimal in the second half. Therefore, Klopp should go with a frontline comprised of Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah for this game and use the services of Mane off the bench. The Senegalese sensation’s quickness could see him get more joy towards the latter stages of the game when the legs start to get tired for both sides.
Opt For A Deeper Defensive Line Than Usual
The Merseyside giants simply cannot afford to set up with a high line as Leeds could exploit their defensive weaknesses using the pace of Patrick Bamford, Jack Harrison and Raphinha (if he starts). Klopp should consider telling his defenders to drop a bit deeper than usual when the Whites are looking to launch counter-attacks.
Furthermore, Trent Alexander-Arnold has to figure out a way to stop Harrison from getting in behind him as that is an area of the field Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is sure to target on Monday night.
