Liverpool won three more points on the road in the Champions League on Tuesday after overcoming a stubborn Girona team.
The 1-0 win will not live long in the memory, with the Reds poor for large periods of the game.
However, it was yet another step on the road for Liverpool to qualify for the last-16 of the competition without needing an interim play-off.
As he has been all season, midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was key to everything Liverpool did well.
It was perhaps not the most eye-catching display of the Dutchman’s season, but he was still the best performing Liverpool midfielder against Girona.
Before the game started, former West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker gave an explanation as to why teams are finding it so hard to deal with Gravenberch.
Liverpool's Dutch midfielder #38 Ryan Gravenberch (FRONT) and Girona's Spanish defender #03 Miguel Gutierrez fight for the ball during the UEFA Cha...
Photo by MANAURE QUINTERO/AFP via Getty Images
Nigel Reo-Coker offers Ryan Gravenberch explanation
Gravenberch has been one of Liverpool’s best players all season long. Arne Slot is really getting the best out of his compatriot.
And delivering an analysis for CBS Sports Golazo on Tuesday, Reo-Coker gave his own insight into what makes Gravenberch such a tricky prospect for opposition players.
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“He’s transformed him completely, Arne Slot, and it’s fantastic to see,” he said. “When you talk about Gravenberch and how he’s playing now, he’s playing like a top class midfielder.
“When you look at him getting the ball in that midfield area, most midfielders are taught to play the way you’re facing. So, if you’re getting it from a centre-back, the simple thing would be to play it back, but no, he takes it on the backfoot, turns and drives.”
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“When a player’s driving in the midfield it’s one of the hardest things to defend against because he’s not driving and relying on pure athleticism, he’s driving, what we say, from a footballer. When he does that he makes the defenders have to go back and drives his team forward.
“Some players rely on athleticism. He’s athletically gifted but he’s also a very talented, intelligent football player and he’s showing all types of great attributes that the best midfielders have,” adds Reo-Coker.
“The ability to get the ball in tight areas, willing to drive and engage players and when you do that you break lines and you create opportunities for teammates.”
Liverpool must keep Gravenberch fresh
After such a brilliant start to the campaign, Gravenberch’s performance against Newcastle last time out in the Premier League was a concern.
Slot said that Gravenberch needed to be substituted and the 22-year-old simply looked shot.
Accurate Passes Chances Created Successful Dribbles Tackles Won Duels Won
Ryan Gravenberch vs Girona 54/57 1 1/3 1/3 5/11
Although he was better against Girona, Gravenberch was still perhaps not quite at his best and the Liverpool head coach must be careful not to burn his No.38 out.
Reo-Coker’s analysis is good and with Gravenberch in this kind of form, he is difficult for any team to stop.
But after another 90 minute showing on Tuesday, Liverpool need to just be mindful of how much they’re using him.
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