Paul Merson has spoken of his shock and surprise about Thiago Alcantara being omitted from Liverpool’s starting line-up against Real Madrid last week.
Thiago made way for the inclusion of Naby Keita, despite an excellent performance alongside Fabinho against Arsenal in the game before the first-leg of the last-eight tie.
But as the Reds struggled to get to grips with the 13-time Champions League winners at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, Jurgen Klopp substituted Keita for Thiago on the cusp of half time.
By that point in the game though, Klopp’s side were already 2-0 behind after goals from Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio.
Klopp later confirmed that his decision to bring Keita off before the interval was for tactical reasons and the Guinea international was not injured.
Liverpool reduced the deficit via Mohamed Salah in the second half but Vinicius struck again to restore his side’s two-goal cushion heading into tomorrow’s second-leg at Anfield.
Thiago joined the Reds from Bayern Munich in the summer on a four-year deal for £20m, although that fee could eventually rise to £25m with bonuses.
And Merson has claimed that he thought the reason why the Spanish international had been brought to the club was to play in games like the one against Zinedine Zidane’s side.
“I was shocked last week that Thiago Alcantara did not play, I thought that was what he was brought in for,” the pundit told Sky Sports.
“They won the league without him, so what was the point of bringing him in? That is his game, it is open and everybody gets on the ball and passes it - and he keeps the ball and is very composed on it.
“I literally thought he [Klopp] had brought him in for those occasions, they have not brought him in to win the league.”
Before Merson added on tomorrow’s game: “I watched Liverpool against Aston Villa on Saturday and I was shocked, it just did not have that connection, the spark was not there.
“If the crowd was there on Wednesday night and they were chasing down Real Madrid, I'm all over them, there is no place like Anfield or Celtic Park on a Champions League night and I have seen them turn it around against better teams than this.
“But with no-one there, I just cannot see it as having no crowds at Anfield has not helped Liverpool at all.
“It was hard for them [centre-backs Ozan Kabak and Nat Phillips] in the first leg, they are two youngsters, one lad is from Schalke, the other lad Phillips has come in and it is hard for them.
“I would have tried to mix it up a bit and play three at the back, I've said it before, to give them more protection, with Fabinho in the middle, but the horse has bolted now and you need to get forwards on the pitch.”
