Tbh I think like so many of our recent encounters whoever scores first wins.
I predict the game will pan out initially like the 4-0 did. Both teams half playing their normal game, half being terrified of the other.
They know that we have the ability to play through their press. And because they press so aggressively when they do press they know that if we get behind we're going to have a LOT of space to punish them. And without Van Dijk tracking back their defence's poor positioning will cost them. Meanwhile we're going to be terrified that every time Mané, Salah, or even Jota get the ball near the edge of our area they're going to turn our defenders inside out and score a perfectly placed goal past Ederson.
What I'm hoping for is that they underestimate our new defensive strength, which at least early on would give us a lot of counter attack opportunities.
I predict the game will pan out initially like the 4-0 did. Both teams half playing their normal game, half being terrified of the other.
They know that we have the ability to play through their press. And because they press so aggressively when they do press they know that if we get behind we're going to have a LOT of space to punish them. And without Van Dijk tracking back their defence's poor positioning will cost them. Meanwhile we're going to be terrified that every time Mané, Salah, or even Jota get the ball near the edge of our area they're going to turn our defenders inside out and score a perfectly placed goal past Ederson.
What I'm hoping for is that they underestimate our new defensive strength, which at least early on would give us a lot of counter attack opportunities.