Liverpool know better than most that 3-0 can be a deceptively dangerous scoreline to hold at half-time. With 45 minutes played, Jurgen Klopp’s side looked all but certain to claim three points over Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, with the Reds cruising. By full time, though, they were reflecting on an almighty collapse.
The 3-3 draw in Andalusia came just as Liverpool were starting to find some consistency, with Klopp’s team winning three of their last four games by a 3-0 scoreline, and the other one ending 4-1. The old weaknesses that dogged the Reds earlier in the season were evident once more, with one particular weakness throwing the mind back to back to last season. That deficiency came in the performance of Alberto Moreno.
The Spaniard has been in impressive form in recent weeks, turning round his Anfield career having spent much of the past two seasons being the most maligned figure at the Merseyside club. However, Moreno returned to his default against Sevilla, making an almighty blunder in conceding a penalty at a crucial point of the match.
The spot-kick allowed the hosts to close the deficit to just a single goal, giving even more oxygen to their fightback. It was at this point that Sevilla truly started to believe that they could claim something from the game. Had Moreno stayed on his feet, had he not made a lunging tackle to bring down Wissam Ben Yedder inside the box, the Sevilla goal at the start of the second half (which also came from a freekick conceded by the left back) might have been little more than a consolation goal. Moreno ensured that it was a platform, instead.
Klopp recognised how the Spaniard was costing his side on the return to his former club, hooking Moreno off not long after he had conceded the penalty, but the damage had already been done by that point. Sevilla had been given a foothold in the contest, making it count with an equaliser in stoppage time.
Moreno might have been useful as an attacking outlet over the early part of the season, but his defensive deficiencies, along with his tendency for losing concentration at the wrong moment, make him a liability. It’s for this reason that Andy Robertson must be considered Liverpool’s long-term solution at left back.
It was assumed that the Scot would slot straight into the Liverpool starting lineup having joined from Hull City over the summer, with the 23-year-old considered one of the brightest defensive talents in the British game. Yet he has only been afforded a handful of first-team opportunities so far this season.
The reasons for that are somewhat unknown, but Klopp must ultimately acknowledge that Robertson is a much better all-rounder than Moreno. The Scot is still young, but isn’t as rash in his own penalty area. What’s more, Liverpool wouldn’t be losing much in the way of attacking intent by opting for Robertson over Moreno. The Scotland international is so natural at going forward it has been pondered whether he could one day transition into being a full-on winger.
Robertson has so far been underused by Klopp. On his books, the German has a talent of huge potential. Now is the chance for him to show that. Moreno has been handed more than enough opportunities, exposing that he hasn’t changed all that much in the collapse at Sevilla on Tuesday night. Robertson must be patient, though. Regardless of whether his time is now or not, he is the future for Liverpool at left back. Klopp will see that, eventually.
