Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp’s shocking lineup almost backfires in Milan win

Liverpool need to be more clinical in front of goal

Klopp’s men took 23 shots at goal during the 90 minutes of European football. From these 23 shots, they only managed to score three goals, which is a 13.04% finishing rate. Poor by their standards, to say the least.

In the first half already, Liverpool took about 13 shots in the opening 13 minutes and Stefano Pioli’s men were nowhere to be found in these opening minutes – but then all of the sudden – they came out of nowhere to score a pair of goals in quick succession to turn the clash on its head.

AC Milan’s attack was none existent until the 28th minute when the Italians put together their first attack but with time they grew more confident and were rewarded, not once but twice, for their growing personality.

Goals in the space of two minutes from Ante Rebic in the 42nd minute and Brahim Díaz with Milan’s second in the 44th minute, just before the stroke of halftime, displays the lapses the Reds experience after running the pitch flat and non-stop for about 30 minutes of the game.

This is how the Reds could and will get punished against quality opposition, or even opposition just with more luck than them on the day; if they do not take their chances, when they are in total control of the ball and the match, they will give teams the chance to come back into the game.

This is exactly what happened at AC, and on more than one occasion and late on in both halves, Liverpool could have lost the clash or have to share the points with the UCL re-entries.