Liverpool beat Southampton with a brace from the Uruguayan and saves from the Brazilian
The ‘reds’ are still in pursuit of European positions
Still very far from the leadership of the classification, focused today on the Premier League in moving up positions to reach at least the places in the Champions League, now four points away, Liverpool resurfaced just before the World Cup break, led by the Uruguayan Darwin Nunezvindictive double scorer in the first half to beat Southampton (3-1) and re-launch towards Qatar 2022, and protected by the Brazilian goalkeeper Alissonwho retained the victory with three crucial stops.
DATA SHEET
premier league
LIV
SOU
LINEUPS
Liverpool
Allison; Alexander-Arnold (Phillips, d. 87), Joe Gómez, Van Dijk, Robertson (Tsimikas, d. 87); Elliott (Milner, d. 68), Fabinho, Thiago; Firmino (Oxlade Chamberlain, d. 76); Salah and Darwin Núñez (Fabio Carvalho, d. 87).
Southampton
Bazunu; Bella-Kotchap (Lyanco, d. 73), Caleta-Car (Maitland-Niles, d. 60), Salisu, Perraud; Lavia, Ward-Prowse; Stuart Armstrong (Edozie, d. 60), Adams, Elyounoussi; Adam Armstrong (Walcott, d. 60).
goals
1-0, m. 6: Firmine. 1-1, m. 9: Che Adams. 2-1, m. 22. Darwin Nunez. 3-1, m. 42: Darwin Nunez.
Referee
Simon Hopper. He admonished visitors Caleta-Car (m. 5) and Salisu (m. 66).
Incidents
Match corresponding to the sixteenth day of the Premier League, played at Anfield in front of some 50,000 spectators.
Darwin resolved Liverpool a duel that began compromised, in that roller coaster in which the ‘red’ team moves this season, to the point that they have only added 22 of the 42 points for which they have competed; able to get ahead at full speed, with Firmino’s header -this one absent from the next World Cup- to Andy Robertson’s center. The header, more an extension than a shot, ended in 1-0. Minute 6.
In just over two and a half minutes, Southampton had already tied it. In another similar action, in a center by Ward Prowse, in a distant free kick hanging into the area, which Che Adams clinched with his head, between the phenomenal pass of his teammate, his cleverness to stay alone and the lack of definition of goalkeeper Alisson, who neither He didn’t go out at all or wait for the rival shot.
And then began the incontestable reaction of Darwin Núñez, who proposed Mohamed Salah for 2-1 almost immediatelybut the goalkeeper Bazunu launched himself to save much more than he had not stopped before in Firmino’s goal, and that he did not forgive later, in the 22nd minute, when he converted Harvey Elliot’s stupendous aerial pass at the beginning of the victory, first, with the left, crossed and far from the goalkeeper’s reach.
Later, the Uruguayan gave a perfect backheel to enable Firmino against the goalkeeper, this time without the Brazilian’s tact, again with a magnificent intervention by Bazunu, and sentenced the match before the break, when he threw himself to the ground to clinch another shipment of Andy Robertsonwith a maximum effectiveness of the Uruguayan striker, who glimpse the World Cup in its best moment of the season to play one of the two places in the attack of his selection.
Such an advantage disconnected Liverpool for a while, which began the second half as if everything had been done, as if hardly anything else was needed; an improper concession in other times by the ‘red’ team, who then resorted to Alisson’s saves to preserve the tranquility of the two goal difference. There were three phenomenal interventions, at the level of one of the best goalkeepers in the world, against Elyounoussi, Edozie and Che Adams to retain an essential victory. Southampton continues to decline.