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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Ian Doyle

Liverpool shown first name on teamsheet for Manchester United in 95 seconds

Ninety-five seconds. That's all it took for Fabinho to demonstrate what Liverpool had been missing during a rollercoaster first half at Atletico Madrid.

Joel Matip had embarked on another saunter upfield when possession was lost and, with the centre-back out of position, the home side launched a swift counter-attack.

But before the dangerous Joao Felix could break into his stride and hare towards goal, Fabinho stuck out a long leg, dispossessed the Atletico youngster and the threat was averted.

READ MORE: Liverpool analysis - Naby Keita hasn't changed as Mohamed Salah proves Jurgen Klopp wrong

No nonsense, effective, perfectly timed and over in a flash, it was a trademark intervention from the Reds midfielder moments after being introduced for the second half.

Only Atletico skipper Koke, who played the full 90 minutes, made more tackles during the match.

That Fabinho had not been among the starters raised eyebrows, particularly given he and Alisson Becker had flown straight from national team duty last week to Madrid in preparation for the game, missing Saturday's Premier League romp at Watford.

The steel and positional discipline of the Brazilian was required after a mixed opening 45 minutes from Liverpool in which they let slip an early two-goal lead with a strangely uncertain and timid performance.

Certainly, Jordan Henderson struggled to shield the defence at times while Naby Keita's defensive weaknesses meant that, despite scoring Liverpool's second, the Guinean was the one to make way for Fabinho during the interval.

Klopp later hinted he perhaps made a mistake with his team selection, even if the ultimate aim of victory was nevertheless achieved.

"Would I choose exactly the same line-up again? Not sure," he admitted. "But we had so many things to consider: who is playing that didn’t play, who played where.

"I think in the end we had too many players on the pitch who played now for their national teams all the games, last Premier League game and stuff like this."

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Those are issues with which the Liverpool boss will again contend as thoughts now turn to Sunday's blockbusting showdown at bitter North West rivals Manchester United.

With five days between the games at the Wanda Metropolitano and Old Trafford, there will be sufficient time for recovery, albeit Fabinho and Alisson won't return back to Merseyside until Thursday to avoid having to begin a 10-day quarantine after travelling to red-list country Colombia with Brazil early last week.

It's worth bearing in mind Fabinho has started only seven of Liverpool's 12 unbeaten games this season due to various reasons such as rotation, international duty and the death of his father.

The midfielder, though, must surely be one of the first names on the team-sheet this weekend given the calm assurance he brought to Liverpool's engine room in the red hot atmosphere in the Spanish capital.

Not least given it's an area of the pitch where United continue to struggle as they flounder under the tutelage of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United's quality going forward is undisputed, along with options in defence, even if they are in danger of being restricted at the weekend due to injury.

Midfield, though, has long been pinpointed as a weakness for the Europa League finalists. And capitalising on that will be key to Liverpool securing back-to-back wins at Old Trafford for the first time in almost 20 years.

MOMENTS MISSED: Virgil van Dijk fumes at Luis Suarez as Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah targeted

Klopp, then, has much to ponder. Can James Milner start a third game in a week? Is Henderson in need of a rest? Will Keita be given an instant opportunity to silence doubters? And is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain due a start?

Much, too, will depend on the fitness of both Curtis Jones and Thiago Alcantara, the latter the more likely to be available after injury.

What's certain, though, is as in the second half in Madrid, this is a game made for Fabinho.

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