Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso hailed Liverpool’s high quality after the German champions have been blown away within the second half of a 4-0 loss at Anfield within the Champions League on Tuesday.
Alonso had been one of many main candidates to return to his outdated membership when Jurgen Klopp stepped down as supervisor on the finish of final season.
The Spaniard’s determination to stay in Germany opened the door for Arne Slot to take cost and the Dutchman is off to a flying begin with 14 wins and one attract his first 16 matches in cost in all competitions.
Liverpool are sitting fairly on the prime of each the Premier League and Champions League and have superior to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
Leverkusen matched the Reds for the opening hour however collapsed after Luis Diaz latched onto Curtis Jones’ via ball to open the scoring.
Cody Gakpo rapidly headed in a second earlier than Diaz struck twice extra within the last 10 minutes for his first Liverpool hat-trick.
“They’re an entire group,” mentioned Alonso, whose identify was chanted by the house followers within the closing levels.
“They’re able to defend, to attain, to have energy within the containers, preserve clear sheets, with not many possibilities to attain targets – that may be a nice power within the Champions League.
“They’re in an excellent second, the whole lot has good steadiness, the coach is doing nice work, so it seems to be like an incredible season however we’re nonetheless in November.”
Liverpool have been impressed by the environment to return from behind to beat Brighton to go prime of the Premier League on Saturday and relied upon an identical increase from the gang after a flat first half.
Alonso gained the Champions League throughout his 5 years as a Liverpool participant between 2004 and 2009 and mentioned he was powerless to cease that momentum regardless of his private expertise of the Anfield crowd.
“I do know the sensation that the Liverpool gamers they really feel. It’s an additional increase, ‘now could be the second, now we go’,” he added.
“To defend in these moments isn’t simple. Like what occurred to Brighton on Saturday. To place it in phrases is simple, it is way more tough on the pitch.”
Slot’s midas contact noticed his determination to start out Diaz in an unfamiliar central position up entrance rewarded because the Colombian scored the primary hat-trick of his profession.
Diaz has needed to battle with Gakpo for a daily beginning position this season however is already as much as 9 targets for the marketing campaign.
“It is a very particular second that I am going to bear in mind my complete life,” mentioned Diaz.
“They’re a really robust opponent. It was about making an attempt to show the sport in any means attainable.
“The primary purpose then opened the sport a bit and we have been then in a position to play our recreation. We had an excellent second half.”
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