Premier League Liverpool held Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich to a goalless draw at Anfield in Tuesday’s Champions League clash.
Liverpool might have kept Bayern Munich off the score sheet in Tuesday’s tight Champions League draw at Anfield, but Tony Cascarino has still found reason to criticise stand-in centre-back Joel Matip, as reported by the Times.
The former Schalke defender started alongside Fabinho at the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s makeshift defence against the Bundesliga champions with Virgil van Dijk suspended and Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez ruled out through injury.
Considering that a partnership of Matip and Fabinho looked suspect on paper, a goalless draw against a Bayern team containing the considerable attacking talents of Robert Lewandowski, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry could be seen as a positive.
But, writing in the Times, Cascarino has suggested that Matip got lucky.
“I have also never been a fan of Matip. You need to rely on players in that position not to make mistakes but you cannot really do that with Matip,” the former Chelsea striker said.
“He gave the ball away in his penalty area with a most ridiculous flick using the outside of his boot and was lucky to get away with it. He is not good enough on the ball to try that and he has to realise it.”
Matip was certainly fortunate not to score an own goal early on, firing a misjudged clearance into the chest of goalkeeper Alisson Becker after a wicked delivery from the impressive Gnabry.
There is a three week wait until the second leg at the Allianz Arena and it remains to be seen if Matip will keep his place with Van Dijk due back from suspension.
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