Liverpool beat RB Leipzig 2-0 in the first leg during the round of 16 of the Champions League at Puskas Stadium in Budapest, Hungary on Tuesday. Liverpool now have an advantage, as both teams go into the second leg next month. As the Reds celebrate their victory, take a look at the ratings of some players and coaches in Tuesday’s match.
The ratings are on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a red card kicked out, while 10 is a hat-trick level performance.
Liverpool Ratings
Alisson: After a quiet first half, the Brazilian stood up vigorously to deny Christopher Nkunku at the start of the second, a rare moment of action on a day when Alisson liked not to be the center of attention. RATING: 6
Trent Alexander-Arnold: A much better performance from the sideline, who spent most of the match focusing on the attack. In fact, it was almost Alexander-Arnold as a defender, with the defender creating four chances in the first half, as many as Leipzig and twice his teammates. RATING: 9
Jordan Henderson: After a few initial swings in defensive terms, Henderson took over impressively. His strong reading of the game meant that he was invariably the first man at any RB Leipzig cross; no player on either side regained possession of the ball more often. RATING: 7
Ozan Kabak: He is certainly still learning the ropes of first-rate European football, as he proved with a terrible tackle, but aside from Henderson’s influence, he didn’t make any more mistakes in the second game with the Liverpool shirt. RATING: 7
Andrew Robertson: The Scotsman was less arrogant than the side on the opposite flank, but when he was called to defend he did so excellently, including a strong header from a dangerous free kick from Leipzig. Not once did he miss a pass in the final third. RATING: 7
Georginio Wijnaldum: Sometimes acting as the third defender who allowed defenders to advance, Wijnaldum was a solid presence without possession, which kept Liverpool at an advantage. RATING: 7
Thiago: Another player who looked much better than in the past few weeks, Thiago was widely able to play at the forefront with Wijnaldum taking more on the defensive work. The Spaniard was aggressive in interceptions and seemed to know where Dayot Upamecano’s passes went before the Leipzig defender. RATING: 8
Curtis Jones: The story of Jones’ season shows that he seems totally at ease, as the occasions have become increasingly challenging and this was so true in Budapest, where his pressing was immaculate. Often, a Leipzig midfielder lost the ball and Liverpool’s shirt 17 was nearby. RATING: 7
Mohamed Salah: He could have had two had it not been for a great goalkeeper from Gulacsi, but when a clear chance came his way, he was clinical in the extreme. After finding the net, there was a real arrogance in his performance, a willingness to try the hard to find more goals. It was almost worth it. RATING: 8
Roberto Firmino: He was a crucial piece to hinder the three Leipzig defenders and, in particular, Upamecano, diving deep to drag him into the field and open lines for Salah and Mane to attack. As always, it worked like a pleasure. RATING: 7
Sadio Mane: Another who repeated his best form at Liverpool, Mane was the spearhead under the impressive pressure of his team, always ready to force the kind of mistake that saw Mukiele allow him to advance to the second goal. RATING: 8
Jurgen Klopp: The German deserves all the credit for taking Liverpool off the ground in a matter of days, apparently returning to the fundamentals that have served this team so well in the past few days. He said before the game that he was enjoying the challenges this season imposed on him; this attitude certainly seems to be reflected by your players as well. RATING: 8
Reviews RB Leipzig
Peter Gulacsi: A good performance in the first half and his position helped keep everything goalless until the wheels slid off the line of defense in the second half. RATING: 7.5
Nordi Mukiele: Good first half, but his mistake in Liverpool’s second goal proved to be a very big hill for Leipzig to climb. RATING: 5
Dayot Upamecano: Strong display in the first half to help keep Liverpool away and keep everything goalless until halftime, good recoveries in the second half RATING: 7
Lukas Klostermann: He helped to hold things in the back row and did well to find passing lanes to try cutting edge attacks. RATING: 6.5
Kevin Kampl: He was largely tasked with trying to break Liverpool’s pressure on the day, a solid first half. It was replaced because the team needed more attack options. RATING: 7
Tyler Adams: The American was tasked with playing higher in an effort to help the team generate the attack. He covered a lot of ground while serving at the end of the game. RATING: 7
Angelino: It’s been at its best lately, but at times it almost seemed to stand in its way by doing too much. He remained active throughout the team throughout the match. RATING: 6.5
Amadou Haidara: His team had little impact in the midfield and were easily circumvented by Liverpool, but were eliminated at the start of the second half. RATING: 6
Marcel Sabitzer: He had to cover a lot of ground against Liverpool pressure. Connector thrown and disruptor, but was not able to really help to generate attack options. RATING: 6.5
Dani Olmo: Great effort with the ball in an attempt to generate the attack and create your own kicks. Good combination on the top line. RATING: 7
Christopher Nkunku: He had some of the best goal visions for the team, including a one-on-one opportunity. Good connection between the game and other attack options when urgency arises. RATING: 7
Yussuf Poulson: He was substituted to try to make an impact and his movement inside and outside the ball provided a first look at dangerous spaces for Leipzig. ASSESSMENT: 7
Willi Orban: Replaced by Mukiele after the hour, after an error that led to the second quick goal. It didn’t provide much to change the game, but it did its job at the bottom line. RATING: 6.5
Hwang Hee-Chan: He was replaced in the final 15 minutes by Kampl as an extra attack option, not enough to make a big impact, but he had good positioning and pressure applied. RATING: 6
Liverpool and Leipzig meet again on March 10 for the second leg. You can see this match and all the Champions League matches on CBS All Access.