Thiago Alcantara has been singing the praises of new midfield partner Fabinho after Liverpool’s win last night.
The Reds moved into the quarter-final of the Champions League by beating Red Bull Leipzig 2-0 on the night – and 4-0 overall – to reach the last eight.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp played Fabinho in his old midfield role after the big Brazilian was forced to be a makeshift centre-back since October, due to injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
And the former Monaco powerhouse looked to flourish back in that position, with it allowing Thiago a little more freedom to roam forward.
Here’s what Thiago said about Fabinho’s performance last night.
He told LFCTV: “Fabinho is a great player. He gives us a lot of confidence. It’s awesome to play alongside him. It meant I could move forward and play with the strikers more. I like it as it means you’re nearer the goal to create chances.”
It’s been a pretty difficult first season at Anfield for the former Barcelona star, who has occasionally been scapegoated for their poor Premier League results.
There is a school of thought that suggests Thiago slows down the speed of Liverpool’s attack, but last night was the first time he had Fabinho behind him in midfield and it’ll be fascinating to see if having the protection of the big man does indeed help him going forward.
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