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Daniel Sturridge’s Omission the Talking Point After Liverpool Loss to Villarreal
- Updated: April 29, 2016
Liverpool conceded a stoppage-time winner to Villarreal, leaving Jurgen’s Klopp side with it all to do in next week’s UEFA Europa League semi-final return leg at Anfield.
In their first European semi-final since 2010, Klopp opted for a conservative approach in Spain, against a side who had conceded just once in the competition this season. A 0-0 looked likely even before kick-off, and after 90 minutes, that was how it remained.
However, a long ball over the top allowed Denis Suarez in behind Liverpool’s defence, and he squared for Adrian Lopez to tap in the only goal of the game in the second minute of added time.
It was a crushing blow for Liverpool, and arguably the worst result they could have left Estadio El Madrigal with. A goalless draw would have been a good result, a score draw of any sort would have been better, and even a defeat but having scored an away goal would arguably have been better than 0-0.
An away goal for the Reds would have put them firmly in the driving seat back at Anfield in the second leg next week, especially with Villarreal struggling away from home.
With away goals so vital in European competition, it’s the omission of striker Daniel Sturridge that has dominated the headlines in wake of the last-gasp defeat for Klopp’s side.
Speaking before the match, Klopp told BT Sport (h/t ESPN) it had been a “very difficult decision” to leave out a player with 11 goals in just 21 games this season—including four in his last five appearances.
“I thought about a lot of things and at the end I decided for a little bit more stability,” said Klopp, who opted for a three-man midfield of Joe Allen, Lucas Leiva and James Milner, leaving just three attacking positions.
“In a 4-3-3 we didn’t play with Daniel until now, so we thought for today—this 4-3-3, 4-5-1, sometimes a diamond, this very flexible style—it makes sense that the players played together before and that’s why we decided for this lineup.”
Klopp opted for the tactical setup that had proved successful for the emphatic Premier League away wins at Chelsea and Manchester City, with Roberto Firmino …
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