Liverpool returned to the Champions League with a bang by securing a statement win over AC Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday night.
In Jurgen Klopp’s final season, Liverpool were playing in Europe’s second-tier competition, but their legendary manager made sure to return them to their rightful place before leaving.
Arne Slot suffered his first defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, but his team performed like that never happened as they proved to be too good for the Italian giants.
This is despite ex-Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic opening the scoring from a very tight angle, but that was short-lived because centre-back duo Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk pounced on Milan’s set-piece woes.
Despite holding just the one-goal lead, Liverpool were fairly comfortable and then they got their due rewards when Cody Gakpo laid the ball on a plate for Dominik Szoboszlai.
That’s three opening points in this newly-formed format and one possible tricky tie out of the way for the Premier League club.
Thierry Henry liked what he saw from the team, with Jamie Carragher claiming that Gakpo’s run and assist for the third goal was Henry-esque.
The former Arsenal and Barcelona man agreed, as he lauded the Dutch star for how he made it ‘virtually impossible’ for the opposition to stop his run, as he told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (17/09/24 at 10:20 pm).
This was Gakpo’s first start under his new manager and he certainly didn’t disappoint, as Liverpool showcased their might against Milan.
Cody Gakpo’s assist for Liverpool in the Champions League
Carragher tells Henry about Gakpo’s assist: ‘This reminds me about you in this position’.
And the legendary striker responded: “That’s very good. He kind of stopped his run, so he paused the player and, at the same time, he went back in. Virtually impossible and then Szoboszlai finished it.”
Cody Gakpo’s form
Gakpo just couldn’t get going under Klopp and, whilst he wasn’t doing much wrong, he wasn’t doing much right either.
But then things changed over the summer, Gakpo was outstanding at Euro 2024, with the Netherlands reaching the semi-finals.
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Their Dutch star played on the left – at times he was used down the middle by Klopp – and he thrived. It’s perhaps a sign that he needs to be used in that role for the foreseeable.
Luis Diaz is his competition, with Diogo Jota playing down the middle and you are just aren’t sure what is happening with Darwin Nunez.
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