PLAYER RATINGS: Ryan Gravenberch and Ben Doak impress on full debuts but Jurgen Klopp’s second string largely fail to convince after poor first-half display against LASK

• Full debutants offered Liverpool fans a glimmer of what could be to come 
• Several second-stringers failed to fully capitalise on their minutes in the team 
• Click here to watch the IAKO Battle of Old Trafford YouTube Special from the Mail Sport Studios 

Liverpool had another dance with danger on their Europa League return as it took second-half heroics to seal a 3-1 win away at LASK. 

For the fourth time in five games, the Reds relied on a comeback to seal the three points as they went behind early to Florian Flecker’s strike. 

It took Darwin Nunez’s penalty to restore parity and from there Luis Diaz and Mo Salah added the sprinkle of quality required to save Jurgen Klopp from an embarrassing result. 

Ryan Gravenberch and Ben Doak were handed full debuts and were among the better performers on a night pockmarked with sloppy errors as Klopp made 11 changes to the side that beat Wolves 3-1.

Here are Mail Sport’s player ratings.

Jurgen Klopp was occasionally incensed at his players. Who do Mail Sport think will have impressed him here, and who could have done better?

Your browser does not support iframes.

Caoimhín Kelleher – 7 

A solid evening for Alisson’s trusty deputy. Made a good save not long before Luis Diaz scored and distributed the ball well.

Stefan Bajcetic – 5 

Looked uncomfortable in an unfamiliar right-back experiment. Received a dressing down from Klopp for a wayward pass to Doak on the counter-attack and was subbed on the hour. Booked. 

Ibrahima Konate – 5

Far from his best but it was his first start since his return from injury. Outmuscled near Liverpool’s goal by Marin Ljubicic in the first half to give away a golden opportunity. Booked. 

Virgil van Dijk – 6

Dependable enough and made a good block in the first half as LASK had a fair share of attacking opportunities. 

Stefan Bajcetic did not adjust well to being moved to right-back as he usually plays in midfield

Kostas Tsimikas offered a threat with his crosses but struggled defensively

Kostas Tsimikas – 5 

Looked vulnerable defensively but provided a decent outlet on the left for crossing. 

Wataru Endo – 5.5

Had a mostly anonymous evening when Liverpool needed somebody to take the game by the scruff of the neck. 

Ryan Gravenberch – 7

Looked instantly at home at the heart of a new-look midfield. Pressed well, confident on the ball, and provided a pinpoint cross for Diaz’s goal. Taken off with cramp. 

Harvey Elliott – 6.5

One of the more involved individuals. Always looked to get on the ball and make progressive passes. 

Ben Doak was lively from the beginning for Liverpool and was a clear threat with his pace and direct dribbling style

Ryan Gravenberch looked comfortable in the middle of the park and assisted Luis Diaz well

Ben Doak – 7

His direct style led to an early opportunity and he was hard to handle for LASK’s slower defenders. Energy faded a bit in the second half. 

Darwin Nunez – 7

Liverpool’s main threat in the first half and had a header saved from point-blank range. Took his penalty with aplomb. 

Luis Diaz – 7.5 

Sliced from a different cake compared to the rest tonight. Linked nicely with Tsimikas down the left. Won the penalty and outfoxed defenders to add a second. 

Substitutes 

Joe Gomez – 6 

Much more solid than Bajcetic at right-back.

Alexis Mac Allister – 6

Brought a touch of quality to the midfield with his introduction. 

Luis Diaz was the standout player and brought the attacking impetus the Reds needed

Dominik Szoboszlai – 6

Made a difference with his dyanmic approach to the game. 

Mo Salah – 6

Made a clear impact with a shot within a minute of coming on and dribbled in the box well before adding the third goal. 

Joel Matip – unrated

Didn’t get long enough on the pitch and Liverpool were largely untroubled while he was on.  

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify

Your browser does not support iframes.

Source: Read Full Article