Arne Slot after Girona vs Liverpool
Liverpool kept up their perfect start in the Champions League with a win away to Girona
Liverpool manager Arne Slot made it clear he was unhappy despite the Reds winning 1-0 in Girona on Tuesday night.
Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after Donny van de Beek was ruled to have fouled Luis DIaz. It was enough for Liverpool to preserve their perfect record in the Champions League and all but confirmed their place in the round of 16 with two games to spare.
The result might have been what Slot was after, but it appeared the performance didn't meet his high standards. "I’m far from pleased," the Dutchman admitted when addressing the media after his team's victory.
Liverpool were able to tighten up a bit defensively after a 3-3 draw at Newcastle in their last league outing. They were caused occasional problems by Girona's former Premier League forwards Bryan Gil and Arnaut Danjuma, though, while their own attacking threat was somewhat limited.
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"If you ask me about all the six games, I’m really pleased with all the results," Slot said. "I’m really pleased with the first five games, but I’m far from pleased about the performance tonight.
"What wasn’t I pleased about? I wasn’t pleased with a lot. If you play against a team that has such a good idea about football and knows how to bring the ball out from the back like some of the teams we’ve played recently such as Real Madrid and Manchester City, you need to be so intense if you want to make it difficult for them."
He suggested the Reds weren't aggressive enough in the early stages and were fortunate not to be punished more. "We had hardly any control at all over the game. Maybe the second half was a bit better - I’m trying to be positive," he added.
What was missing for Liverpool against Girona? Have your say in the comments section
Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool's winner in Girona
Liverpool's victory, combined with a late defeat for Inter Milan away to Bayer Leverkusen, saw Slot's side open up a five-point lead in the league phase table. That will be cut to three if there is a winner in Wednesday's match between Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, but if the game in Germany ends all square then Liverpool will know just one more win would guarantee top spot.
The Premier League leaders could also be mathematically guaranteed a top-eight finish if other results go their way on Wednesday. There are six teams currently outside the top eight who can reach 18 points, but if any of them fail to win their game in hand then it will be impossible for them to catch the Reds.
Teams finishing in the top eight spots will progress straight to the round of 16, which takes place in March. However, those in positions 9-24 will be forced into an extra play-off round in February.
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