The injury-prone Italian lasted the entire game and also made a couple of key contributions during an encouraging display
Liverpool lost their 100 percent record in this season’s Champions League on Wednesday, but it mattered not a jot. Despite being beaten 3-2 by PSV in Eindhoven, the 10-man Reds still finished top of the table, and there was one big positive for Arne Slot: the performance of Federico Chiesa.
The injury-prone Italian not only played all 95 minutes of the game, he was also his side’s best player – and by some distance. Chiesa won the penalty from which returning hero Cody Gakpo opened the scoring and, after Johan Bakayoko had drawn PSV level with a fantastic goal which showed why Liverpool have been linked with the Belgium winger, the former Juventus man unleashed a shot that Walter Benitez found too hot to handle, leaving Harvey Elliott with a simple finish.
PSV turned the game around by the break, however, with Ismael Saibari and Ricardo Pepi benefiting from some sloppy defending from Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah, before poor Amara Nallo was sent off for a professional foul just minutes after coming on to make his debut in the closing stages. However, all of the drama ultimately had no bearing on Liverpool’s Champions League prospects, and they now know that they’ll face either Brest, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica in the last 16.
Below, GOAL rates all of the Reds on show at the Philips Stadion after Slot rested his key players ahead of Saturday’s massive Premier League clash with Bournemouth…