After another dominant defensive display during Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League semi-final victory over Villarreal, things couldn’t have been more different to last year for Liverpool. In the same competition, the Reds meekly exited 3-1 on aggregate at the quarter-final stage to Real Madrid.
In both legs they had Nathaniel Phillips and Ozan Kabak at centre-back, symptomatic of the nightmare campaign injury wise it was for Liverpool’s defenders. Across the season, they tried 20 different centre-back partnerships as they battled with the worst injury crisis in Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at Anfield and struggled with form.
Wednesday’s victory was poignant as it was another dominant display from £35m summer signing Ibrahima Konate. Liverpool now arguably have the best centre-back options of any European club. Along with Konate, Virgil van Dijk has been his sensational self this season after recovering from a serious knee injury. Joel Matip is in the form of his life and Joe Gomez, who looked to be England’s future before his serious injury last season, is further in reserve.
