The mathematics of a complicated competition may remain unclear but one element is apparent. Liverpool will skip the Champions League’s inaugural knock-out play-off round and head straight for the last 16. They in effect booked their place, and a top-eight finish in the group stages, on a night decided by two men who won them the competition in 2019.
Mohamed Salah scored a penalty, as he did in the final then. Alisson Becker saved plenty of shots, as he did on that Madrid night. Now Liverpool have a Spanish double in a couple of weeks, even if Girona acquitted themselves better than Real Madrid did at Anfield, even if Arne Slot was delighted with their efforts against Carlo Ancelotti’s side and critical of the display in Catalonia. But the outcome was the same and they have 18 points. Such are the peculiarities of the format that their reward will be fewer games. Liverpool should now have a midweek off in February, a few days before they visit Manchester City, who could be in the play-off round. That may be the ultimate reward for victory.
Now Slot has 19 wins in 22 games with Liverpool, a clean sweep of six in Europe for six-time European champions. It is a perfect record but the perfectionist in Slot was unhappy. “If you ask me about all the six games, I’m really pleased with all the results,” he said. “I’m really pleased with the first five games, but I’m far from pleased about the performance tonight.” In particular, he was annoyed by a lack of intensity. “Every time we lost the ball, we were not aggressive enough,” he lamented. “We had hardly any control at all over the game.”
And a win came testament to Slot getting a major call right. Liverpool’s last Champions League outing was defined by Caoimhin Kelleher’s penalty save from Kylian Mbappe. With Alisson fit after 11 games out and two months on the sidelines, the Brazilian returned. He was not eased back into action; his defence and an impressive Girona side did not afford him that luxury.
Alisson made five saves before Salah scored, four before half-time, three in an eight-minute spell early in the match. It was a terrific display which was testament to Slot’s sure touch in his decision-making. Alisson’s first stop came when Girona got both full-backs into the box, then Daley Blind missed his kick from six yards and, with a less clear chance, Alejandro Frances drew a scrambling stop. He soon denied both Bryan Gil and Miguel Gutierrez, made a flying save from the impressive Yaser Asprilla’s well-struck long-range shot and kept out Arnaut Danjuma’s effort just after the break. “We have an incredible goalkeeper,” said Slot.
It amounted to a one-man rearguard action. As at Newcastle last week, Liverpool were not sufficiently secure defensively. They scarcely seemed to benefit from the rest they were afforded by the postponement of the Merseyside derby. There was an element of generosity to their goal, a penalty kindly given for Donny van de Beek’s challenge on Luis Diaz, with the aid of a VAR review. Girona are entitled to feel aggrieved but Salah, who missed from the spot against Real, scored this time. It was his 16th goal of a productive season, even if he had a quiet night, and reinforced Liverpool’s reputation as second-half specialists: 20 of their last 23 goals have come after the break.
They could have struck earlier if Darwin Nunez had been more clinical, yet that is a regular refrain. “Every striker has a period where every goal goes in,” said Slot. But that is in the distant past for Nunez, who has only three goals in his last 29 appearances. He could have had a brace before the break when he was sent clear on goal by, first, Ryan Gravenberch, then Salah. But if Paulo Gazzaniga’s fine stops suggested good goalkeeping was not confined to Alisson, Nunez ought to have done better.
With Diogo Jota returning soon, his starts could become rarer. As it was, he was substituted when Diaz moved from the left wing to lead the line. The Colombian was the brightest of Liverpool’s front three; irritated by Frances’s attempt to get him sent off, he was fired up.
Girona proved awkward opponents. “I can only be positive about Girona,” said Slot. “This team can cause you a lot of problems. I almost feel sorry for them as they deserve so much more.” But this proved a fifth defeat in six for manager Michel’s side. An early exit beckons for last season’s La Liga overachievers.
An oddity of a ground may not stage much more Champions League football. This is the smallest stadium in this season’s competition, with a capacity under 10,000 as Uefa determined three temporary stands cannot be used. Liverpool were only able to bring 492 fans, who needed to show they had attended 27 previous European away games to qualify for a ticket. They were almost rewarded with a unique sight, but Joe Gomez’s lengthy search for a first Liverpool goal continued after his header was tipped over by Gazzaniga. Instead, they got to witness something more familiar: a Salah goal and some Alisson stops.
