RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool Player Ratings as Nunez’s strike secures a narrow win for the Reds

Liverpool continued their brilliant run this season as they edged out RB Leipzig 1-0 in the Champions League group stage fixture. Although the German giants were the better side in the early phase, the Reds drew first blood after Darwin Nunez nodded in a simple finish off Mohamed Salah’s header. With a thin scoreline, Leipzig tried to get back into the game in the latter stages but Caoimhin Kelleher stood in the way, denying Benjamin Sesko with a left-footed save and parried away a deflected shot. The Reds managed to hold onto the lead, bagging three points to make it three wins out of three games in UCL.

RB Leipzig Player Ratings vs Liverpool

Goalkeeper

Peter Gulasci: 6/10 – Couldn’t do anything with the only goal of the game but prevented a flurry of efforts from the Reds with top-class saves

Defenders

Benjamin Henrichs: 6/10 – Henrichs had a great game, making 4 recoveries and winning 4 ground duels. He also delivered 5 passes into the final third and completed 3 dribbles

Castello Lukeba: 5/10 A dismal first-half performance from the centre-half, who was very weak in aerial duels. Failed to deal with Tsimikas’ cross with Salah behind in the build-up to the first goal. However, he got better in the second half.

Willi Orban: 6/10 – Orban proved to be a busy man for the larger parts of the game, making a handful of crucial recoveries.

Lutsharel Geertruida: 5/10 – Allowed Mac Allister to play the pass to Tsimikas in the build-up to the first goal, with his efforts leaving a lot to be desired

Midfielders

Arthur Vermeeren: 6/10 – Made an important block to deny Alexander-Arnold’s thunderous effort from 20 yards.

Antonio Nusa: 4/10 – Failed to make a big impact and was contained by the Reds for the majority of the game.

Amadou Haidara: 7/10 – The best of the lot from Leipzig despite the defeat. Proved to be the midfield engine, engaging in duels and making threatening runs into the box. Also had a go at the goal on a couple of occasions

Attackers

Xavi Simons: 6/10 – Simons tried to make things happen and although he posed a threat on a few occasions, he was nullified by the visitors for larger spells. Laid off a pass to Sesko, whose shot was saved by Kelleher

Benjamin Sesko: 5/10 – Couldn’t get the better of Konate in the first half, though he came close to scoring a long-range goal with the keeper caught up outside his box. The Slovenian also had his shot thwarted by Kelleher later in the game

Lois Openda: 4/10 – A disappointing night for Openda despite being the busiest of players on the pitch. Had two goals ruled offside due to his lack of awareness. Had a go at the goal multiple times but to no effect. Had a glorious chance towards the end to salvage a draw but made a mess of his pass to Poulsen.

Substitutes

El Chadaile Bitshiabu: N/A

Christoph Baumgartner: 5/10 – Threaded in a fine ball behind the defence but only to be messed up by Openda

Youssef Poulsen: N/A

Elif Elmas: N/A

Kevin Kampl: N/A

Manager

Marco Rose: 6/10 – Rose will be gutted with the result at home despite his side enjoying a fair share of chances, only to be let down by the ineptitude in the final third. Should have tried to sort out the issue in the second half to maximise the attacking threat.

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Liverpool Player Ratings vs RB Leipzig

Goalkeeper

Caoimhin Kelleher: 8/10 – Kelleher rose to the occasion, playing a pivotal role in the victory. Stuck his left foot to deny Sesko and followed up with another brilliant save

Defenders

Kostas Tsimikas: 7/10 The Greek left-back put in an impressive performance, posing a great threat on the left flank. Progressed the ball brilliantly and also delivered a cross to Salah, whose header was poked in by Nunez.

Virgil van Dijk: 6/10 – Liverpool defender Van Dijk was immaculate with his passing, clocking up an accuracy of 95 %.

Ibrahima Konate: 7/10 A solid presence in the backline and won his duels with Benjamin Sesko, keeping the Slovenian striker at bay.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: 7/10 – The English full-back showcased his class yet again, continuing his good run of form. The improvement in the defensive end was evident again as he made 6 recoveries and won 1 duel.

Midfielders

Ryan Gravenberch: 7/10 – Gravenberch’s revival continued with yet another tidy performance. His press-resistance, passing skills and defensive attributes were evident throughout the game.

Dominik Szoboszlai: 7/10 – Grew into the game and once he gained momentum, the Hungarian’s technical quality shone brighter on the pitch. Provided a great link between attack and midfield, creating 3 big chances and also winning 3 duels.

Alexis Mac Allister: 7/10 – An industrious performance from the Argentine, showing why he is key to Liverpool. His switches and long balls were brilliant and he also played a part in the only goal of the game. Combined brilliantly with Szoboszlai before hitting the woodwork from outside the box

Attackers

Cody Gakpo: 7/10 – Gakpo’s stellar run of form continues with yet another impressive performance. The Dutchman was the catalyst in the attack, causing plenty of trouble with his daunting runs down the left flank. Provided a sublime cross with the outside of his boot to Nunez, whose shot was saved. And also linked up well with Tsimikas.

Darwin Nunez: 7/10 – Nunez grabbed his opportunity with both hands, scoring the only goal of the game. Although it was an easy finish, The Uruguayan had a brilliant game overall, showcasing his predatory instincts inside the box.

Mohamed Salah: 6/10 – A quiet performance to his standards but still managed to get an assist. Was hauled off at the hour mark to stay fresh for the weekend’s game against Arsenal.

Substitutes

Luis Diaz: N/A

Curtis Jones: N/A

Andrew Robertson: N/A

Joe Gomez: N/A

Manager

Arne Slot: 7/10 – Slot’s tactical acumen shone again and above all, the ability to grind results with a narrow margin. Slot deserves the credit for getting the best out of Nunez and also making the right substitutions.

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