Did Dejan Lovren play his best game for Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final second leg win away at Manchester City?
Say what you want about Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and the irrepressible Mo Salah, Liverpool’s much-maligned defence more than played their part as Jurgen Klopp’s side dumped Manchester City out of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Yes, Liverpool hit the net five times over two legs against the runaway Premier League leaders but they also let in just one at the other end – Gabriel Jesus’ second minute opener which momentarily threatened an amazing turnaround in City’s eventual 2-1 home defeat in the second leg on Tuesday.
And while the world’s most expensive defender Virgil van Dijk seemingly justified his £75 million transfer fee in 180 largely impenetrable minutes against Pep Guardiola’s side, it is about time Dejan Lovren got the credit he deserves.
The Croatian centre-half has been a magnet for criticism since joining Liverpool from Southampton for £20 million in 2014, particularly after that chastening 4-1 hammering by Tottenham Hotspur back in October. But Lovren has been a man transformed since Van Dijk arrived in January and manned the barricades superbly as Man City hammered on the door relentlessly at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Lovren, as much as anyone, played a crucial role in that 5-1 aggregate victory which puts Liverpool just two games away from the Champions League final.
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