Liverpool secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Bundesliga champions Leverkusen in the 4th round of the Champions League at home. After the match, Liverpool’s manager Slot expressed his satisfaction with his players’ efficiency and emphasized the importance of taking each upcoming challenge seriously.
Slot believes that Leverkusen posed limited threats, and his players responded well to the situation. He said, “I don’t know if it had anything to do with the intensity of the game, but we decided to play more proactively and take more risks. Leverkusen committed a lot of resources to the midfield, so we decided to intensify our pressing across the field in the second half. In fact, we created many good chances in the first half, and they did not pose much of a threat.”
Slot also highlighted the irreplaceable role of a central striker in crucial matches. He said, “In European competitions, sometimes a strong and physical center-forward can be more effective than a fast and agile one. Curtis Jones delivered an incredible pass, which made Luchuo’s goal seem inevitable. He has excellent speed, and in my opinion, the pass was just as brilliant as the goal.”
Despite their impressive performances in both the league and the Champions League, Slot stressed the need to remain calm. “As a coach, you don’t look ahead to the next three months (of fixtures). You always have to take each match one at a time. We face Aston Villa on Saturday, and it will be another tough battle,” he said.
When discussing specific player situations, Slot mentioned, “Sometimes Virgil (van Dijk) is criticized for not actively participating in midfield pressure, but I suggest critics watch today’s game because he was very active throughout. Kelleher’s future? That’s something I’ll consider later. Today, I’m happy that he only had a busy five minutes at the end of the match because it’s very difficult for opponents to break through our defense. The opponents tried to find opportunities through pressure, but my players’ work rate was fantastic.”
