Analysing Liverpool’s 1-0 Victory Against Real Betis: The Post-mortem | OneFootball

Liverpool Triumph Over Real Betis in Slot’s First Win

Slot’s Inaugural Victory as Liverpool Manager

Liverpool secured a 1-0 victory against Real Betis in Pittsburgh, marking Arne Slot’s first win as the Reds’ manager. Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai’s impressive finish sealed the win. This victory follows a previous defeat to Preston in a behind-closed-doors friendly. The post-Jurgen Klopp era has officially begun with this significant win on Liverpool’s US tour.

Szoboszlai found the net in the 34th minute, converting a precise through ball from Mohamed Salah. Despite the victory, Liverpool faced a setback when midfielder Curtis Jones left the pitch due to an injury at the half-hour mark. Manager Arne Slot commented that it was too early to determine the severity of Jones’ injury.

Looking ahead, Liverpool is set to face Arsenal in Philadelphia and Manchester United in Columbia on Sunday, 4 August.

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool’s Performance Under Slot

Arne Slot has stepped into the managerial role following Jurgen Klopp’s nine-year tenure. Klopp’s intense ‘heavy metal football’ has given way to a more measured approach under Slot. The team adopted a fluid 4-2-4 formation, playing without a traditional striker. This shift in strategy is partly due to the limited squad available.

Slot’s style is reminiscent of the possession-based football favoured by Johan Cruyff-influenced Dutch coaches. Slot was highly active on the sidelines, directing his players with hand gestures and vocal instructions from the technical area of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ half-full Acrisure Stadium.

Harvey Elliot and Szoboszlai alternated in the attacking midfielder number 10 role, effectively leaving Liverpool without a conventional striker for much of the game. Slot addressed this tactical choice, stating, “During the season you will see us playing with a real striker, but at this moment we have no-one with Darwin [Nunez] unavailable. We played with two number 10s and positioned them as they will play during the season. That was perhaps out of necessity.”

Slot continued, “We aim to build from the back, to control the game, and to avoid constant counter-attacks. That will hopefully be our style during the season. There are many aspects we can improve, but that’s normal after just two weeks.”

Photo: IMAGO

Tactical Evolution and Key Players

Slot’s approach bore some resemblance to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag’s tactics in the FA Cup final, where Bruno Fernandes played up front in the win against Manchester City. For Liverpool, this strategy worked well given the scarcity of senior players. The team dominated early on with shots from Fabio Carvalho, Salah, and Wataru Endo, albeit from challenging positions. Elliot scuffed the first real chance from a Conor Bradley cutback, leading to Szoboszlai’s goal.

The second half saw less action, with a host of youngsters disrupting the rhythm. Nabil Fekir hit the side netting from a free-kick position, and Carvalho had a shot saved by former Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian before being substituted.

The match served as a crucial fitness-building exercise and an introduction to Slot’s style for players, supporters, and the wider football community ahead of the new Premier League season.

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Standout Performances

Defender Conor Bradley was a standout performer, linking well with Salah on the right flank and creating several key chances. Carvalho, fresh from a loan spell at Hull City, also impressed with several dangerous moments.

In the second half, a complete change in lineup saw youthful substitutes like Trey Nyoni, Vítezslav Jaros, Tyler Morton, Harvey Blair, Ben Doak, Luke Chambers, Nat Phillips, Luca Stephenson, Owen Beck, Stefan Bajetic, Kaide Gordon and Lewis Koumas taking the field.

Nyoni, 17, particularly excelled, taking over for the injured Curtis Jones and dictating play in midfield. He also created a significant opportunity for Blair.

Liverpool’s youthful squad reflects the club’s policy of granting players from Euro 2024 and Copa America their full recommended three-week holiday, as advocated by players’ union FIFPro. Notably, Ibrahim Konate and Diego Jota will return early, having had minimal involvement for their national teams.

Photo: IMAGO

Concerns Over Curtis Jones

Curtis Jones, who had been enjoying Slot’s new approach, left the pitch due to injury in the 28th minute. After the match, Slot reassured fans, stating, “It’s too early to tell [how bad it is]. He maybe could have played on, but I think maybe you could see he was not at 100%.”