Q1. Can Gylfi Get The Better Of Nathaniel Clyne?
Gylfi Sigurdsson on most days is the veritable one-man army for Swansea City. The Icelandic International is the sort of player who is most visible when the spotlight is shining the brightest. And against Liverpool, one of his suitors, not too long ago, would have pride to play for.
Nathaniel Clyne, though, will be vying to hog as much of Gylfi’s limelight as possible, and going by his recent displays, may even steal the show. The Liverpool mainstay has not only been a figure of resoluteness in their rearguard but adding to his repertoire, his attacking play has been one of the best in the league, statistically, based on chances created.
The man who has already a taste of scoring vs Liverpool, first being his time at Reading would need to keep half and eye on goal, and half an eye on Clyne.
Q2. Will Guidolin Go Toe To Toe With Jürgen’s Geggenpress?
The temptation would be to stir up your players enough, for them to be able to match Liverpool’s pressing stride for stride. That’d be the difficult thing to do. And sometimes, the hard thing to do, isn’t always the right one. What would be more prudent is to attempt something truly Italian, in every sense of the word. Defend with a low block, get your men behind the ball, the more the merrier. And once there is a turnover in possession, use the full extent of Fernando Llorente’s frame to deliver the ball into the box, as quickly as possible, preferably via air mail, to fully bypass the Liverpool midfield and make the geggenpressing redundant.
Considering Liverpool’s apparent chink in the armour being quite rubbish to reclaiming the second ball, it may be a ploy that could benefit Guidolin in more ways than one.
Q3. Can Bob Firmino Be Marked?
Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino is slowly making a name for himself, as one of the most unremarkably-effective players in European football. With the bloodhound instinct for goal, the one which a certain Thomas Mueller draws upon, Bob the Brazilian, is Jürgen Klopp’s cloak and dagger in attack.
But if there is anyone who would admonish the thought of a player being ‘unmarkable’, it’d be an Italian. Guidolin will have to instruct to either of Leon Britton, Van der Hoorn or Amat to keep touch tight to Liverpool’s number 11. If they fail to get a handle of Bob, Guidolin might as book the first flight back home to Italy.
