Fabinho started at centre-back as Liverpool drew 0-0 with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League at Anfield.
There was one moment, midway through the first-half, when Fabinho found himself in the sort of position he might have been dreading during Liverpool’s Champions League round of 32 first-leg against Bayern Munich.
The ball was rolling towards Robert Lewandowski just a few yards from the Liverpool goal. Standing between the prolific Pole and Alisson Becker’s net was Fabinho, the midfielder forced to play in an unfamiliar role thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s suspension.
But instead of panicking and bringing down one of the world’s elite strikers, Fabinho stayed calm and strong, out-muscling Lewandowski and clearing with confidence.
He didn’t have much defending to do in a 0-0 draw that promised so much more but the former Monaco enforcer did everything that was asked of him in the first leg. Virgil who?
On last night’s evidence, it’s hard to believe so many thought he would be left exposed by the reigning Bundesliga champions.
“Lewandowski won’t have lost any sleep last night at the prospect of facing Joel Matip and Fabinho,” former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore told The Mirror (19 February, page 49) before the game.
“Early on, Lewandowski might find Fabinho fairly mobile but then he’ll be able to pull him to the left or right of the 18-yard box, or perhaps entice him by dropping off a little more than usual.
“The message in Bayern’s team meeting will be simple. Niko Kovac will tell his men; ‘If Fabinho plays at the back, we’ll play on him’.”
Collymore was not the only person of a Liverpool persuasion worried about a Fabinho vs Lewandowski battle. But the Brazilian came out on top, comfortably so.
There should be no one doubting his ability if he is forced to drop into the back four again.
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