Liverpool FC: It’s starting to get really scary

In 2021, Slot moved from Alkmaar to Feyenoord. The red-white-blacks then advanced to the 2022 Conference League final, which they narrowly lost to AS Roma, won their 16th Dutch championship in 2023 and most recently the 14th KNVB Cup in the club’s history.

Before taking office, Slot not only knew that Klopp, the leading light, was on his side, but also found a field that he had perfectly cultivated. A personnel change was not necessary in the summer – Klopp and his colleagues had already initiated it beforehand. The Italian international Federico Chiesa (from Juventus Turin) is the only external newcomer to the squad. So far he hasn’t been able to go beyond short assignments.

Even though the two coaches’ preferred 4-3-3 playing approaches are quite close, Slot usually prefers to operate with a double team of six in front of the defensive line. In the aforementioned prestigious success over the previous fourth-placed Chelsea, match winner Curtis Jones stood out next to the currently untouchable Ryan Gravenberch. The Dutch international, who lost to FC Bayern, has not missed a single league or European cup minute this season. Argentina’s world champion Alexis Mac Allister came on as a late substitute after previous international travel hardships.

As if that wasn’t compact enough, behind them is the impressive back four around captain Virgil van Dijk and ex-RB player Ibrahima Konaté as well as the two full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson. Liverpool’s defense, which is currently difficult to overcome, has only conceded five goals in eleven games in the Premier League (3), Champions League (2) and League Cup (1). However, regular goalkeeper Alisson Becker will be out for weeks with a thigh injury; Irish national goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher will be replacing the Brazilian between the posts.

Mohamed Salah remains irreplaceable on the offensive. The Egyptian, who has been with the club since 2017 and has long since achieved legendary status, has already amassed ten points scorer in eight league appearances. Jones’ 2-1 winning goal against Chelsea was assisted by Salah. As befits his status, he scored the 1-0 goal from the penalty spot himself. It was the 32-year-old’s 218th goal in a Liverpool dress. Only two club saints can top this fabulous performance – 1966 world champion Roger Hunt (263) and Ian Rush (339).

Only one topic can cloud the current mood at the Reds at least somewhat – the unclear and often discussed future of Salah, van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold. The contracts of the three cornerstones of the last few years all expire next summer.

By the way, driver Dominik Szoboszlai is positioned centrally behind center forward Diego Jota, who is currently preferred but was replaced on Sunday. Liverpool released the Hungarian from Leipzig in the summer of 2023 for a fixed 70 million euros. “The match is of course special for me because I had two and a half great years in Leipzig, I still know a lot of people and I am very grateful for the time with two cup wins and a lot of emotions,” Szoboszlai enthused in an interview on Monday rbleipzig.com. “RB ultimately made me the player I am today. Without my formative time in Leipzig, I probably wouldn’t have made it to the best league in the world.”

So while Szoboszlai and Konaté meet old Leipzig companions and Arne Slot sees his previous Feyenoord captain Lutsharel Geertruida again, one man will definitely be missing from the stadium on Wednesday evening: Jürgen Klopp. His self-imposed break from football officially lasts until the end of the year before he takes up the recently announced job as “Global Head of Soccer” at Red Bull in January 2025.