This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
After a worrying first half, Liverpool got the job done against RB Salzburg in the second 45 minutes.
The Austrian outfit were arguably the better side before the interval, managing six shots on target throughout the match. However, the Reds were far more composed after the break and, thanks to goals from Naby Keita and Mohamed Salah, they confirmed their place in the next round of the competition.
Salzburg will now drop down into the Europa League, which means we will see no more of Erling Haaland in Europe’s premier club competition this term. There has been plenty of interest in the 19-year-old this season after he scored eight goals in his first five matches in the Champions League, and his team’s absence from the next round of the competition may bring his inevitable departure even closer.
The Anfield outfit are one of the sides who were said to be pursuing the teenager, and as such, there will have been several fans who would have been interested in seeing how the £27m-valued man – as per Transfermarkt – would get on at the Red Bull Arena. Unfortunately for the youngster, they may not have liked what they saw.
Haaland was a peripheral figure for much of the match. He managed three shots at goal, but only one made opposition goalkeeper Alisson work. Other than that, he failed to complete a single dribble and managed just one key pass. Although he won an aerial battle, it was only one of two duels he was involved in all night. Not only that, he also failed to make a single tackle, and also gave away a foul.
His attitude, as well, left a lot to be desired. There is nothing wrong with being vocal on the pitch, but Haaland spent much of the match complaining about the service he was provided with, and at times just looked to be sulking. It was a bad night at the office, for sure.
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Given the way he has performed so far, it is easy to forget he is just 19. He has a big future ahead of him, no doubt, but it is far too soon for him to make a move to a club such as the European champions. It is unlikely he would get away with such petulance in Merseyside, and it is something he could do with eradicating from his game. In a few years, he could be the perfect striker for the Reds. Now, though, he still has some growing up to do.
In other news, one man shows perseverance pays off against Salzburg.