Liverpool FC 3 - 4 Bayern Munich

The Reds: Gakpo 2’, Van Dijk 28’, Diaz 66’
Die Roten: Gnabry 33’, Sane 42’, Stanisic 80’, Kratzig 90+1

Lineup

Becker; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Jota

First Half

Cody Gakpo opens the scoring with a shockingly straight-forward 1-2 after a throw-in in midfield that put the Dutch attacking mid through on goal. A momently later Mo Salah spurns a chance after he’s put in through on goal from Jota, but his first touch lets him down, allowing the defender to recover and block his rather weak effort. Fast start from the Merseyside Reds!

Bayern should’ve equalized...indeed, it would’ve been easier than missing from that distance—twice, no less—but Liverpool are let off the hook.

This game is really a lot of fun. End to end. No midfield, just vibes. Which is a nice way of saying that I’m not convinced by Curtis Jones in the defensive mid role, but if we’re going to play like we don’t have a DM—as we did throughout most of last season—we might as well not actually have a DM.

Captain Virgil van Dijk doubles Liverpool’s lead with a towering header from a corner. The lad just loves scoring headers against Bayern.

Bayern almost immediately pull one back, playing some Route 1 football. Gnabry might’ve just been off, but the goal counts (and if we’re honest Matip really should’ve done better).

The Munich Reds equalize just before the half, and really it was too easy, highlighting the way that teams were able to get in behind far too easily last season. And because Liverpool might actually be cursed, MacAllister goes down just before the half, grabbing his knee. Brilliant.

Second Half

Klopp hooks Jota, McAllister, and Matip at the half, with Nunez, Diaz, and Konate coming on in their places. Hopefully it’s just precautionary with McAllister, but not promising.

Not much happens for the first 15 minutes of the half, and then Klopp makes 3 more subs, hooking Gakpo, Trent, and Robbo for Elliott, Gomez, and Tsimikas.

Salah has been growing into the game. Moments after he really should’ve taken a shot (or at least set Nunez up better), he plays a brilliant ball for Diaz to run onto. The Colombian takes a perfect touch, setting up a thunderous finish. Brilliant play. Lucho could’ve pretty easily won a pen there—the defender was caught that flat-footed—but just decided “fuck it, I’m finishing this myself.”

Liverpool make some more substitutions with 15 to go, including the exciting youngster Ben Doak.

Ben Doak is just so fun to watch. He’s like the personification of mashing the sprint button on FIFA. Anyway, he just rinsed a defender and nearly set up a goal for Bobby Clark.

Bayern equalize yet again, this time very much against the run of play, this time on a set play.

And Liverpool find themselves behind for the first time all day after a real thunderbastard from the edge of the area. Welp. One of those.

Final Thoughts

You never want to lose a match, but it is Bayern and Liverpool looked the better side throughout most of the match. That said, a defensive midfielder of some description is probably necessary so we don’t have to score 5 goals in every single match to simply not lose.