The visit of Atletico Madrid to Anfield could not have gone much better for Liverpool, who stormed to a more dominant win than the 2-0 scoreline suggests.
Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane both scored within the opening 25 minutes to leave their Spanish opponents shell-shocked, with the Reds even more comfortable after Felipe’s red-card.
While the Reds were impressive going forward, arguably the part of their game that will most please manager Jurgen Klopp was their defending.
Though Felipe’s sending off did have a major effect on their attacking performance, Atletico still had just five shots in total and failed to create a single ‘Big Chance’.
Luis Suarez had a goal disallowed by VAR for offside, but Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson was barely troubled by the reigning La Liga champions.
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The Brazilian international did not have to make a save in what was one of his easiest games for some time.
It was quite the change from the weekend, when Liverpool conceded two goals at home to Brighton as they were held to a draw at Anfield.
The Reds defence looked open and leaky against the Seagulls, who had nine shots and created two ‘Big Chances’.
The defending for Leandro Trossard’s goal in particular was poor, with Virgil Van Dijk and Andy Robertson both wanting to forget it quickly.
As a result of his side suddenly looking so open in defence, Klopp made a raft of changes to his side for the visit of Atletico.
Joel Matip replaced Ibrahima Konate in central defence as Klopp went for experience, while Kostas Tsimikas came in for Robertson at left-back.
Those two changes certainly helped to make Liverpool more solid at the back, with Matip and Van Dijk keeping Suarez quiet before he was substituted.
Tsimikas also enjoyed a positive night on Wednesday, winning four of his defensive duels and making seven recoveries.
But it was not only the changes in the back four that helped to plug what had been a leaky defence, with Klopp also shuffling his midfield.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fabinho started, with Curtis Jones and Naby Keita dropping out from the team that played Brighton.
The injuries to Jones and Keita may have been a blessing in disguise though, with Fabinho restored to his normal position at the base of the midfield trio.
The Brazilian quietly went about his business during his hour on the pitch, winning all three of his defensive duels and succeeding in his four tackles attempted.
Fabinho’s performance meant Liverpool could successfully defend any threat of a counter-attack, allowing the rest of the team to push further forward.
That is not to say that Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jordan Henderson neglected their defensive duties, with both of Fabinho’s partners in midfield making crucial defensive interventions.
It appears then that in defeating Atletico, Klopp has also been handed an insight into what could become Liverpool’s defensive blueprint for the rest of the season.
