MATCH SUMMARY
On Thursday night at Anfield, Liverpool easily defeated Toulouse 5-1. Goals from Mohamed Salah, Wataru Endo, Darwin Nunez, Ryan Gravenberch, and Diogo Jota were enough to seal the victory.
With the win, Jurgen Klopp’s team is now just one win away from taking first position in the Group Stage and a direct trip to the Round of 16.
Today, we’ll examine three of the Reds’ most impressive players from the 5-1 victory and examine the statistics that supported those performances.
RYAN GRAVENBERCH
Gravenberch, who was my pick for Man of the Match in the win, continued his incredible run of play against Toulouse.
The 21-year-old’s excellent ball control, passing range, and powerful physical presence make him everything you could ask for in a midfielder.
Some of the numbers that contributed to the Dutchman’s outstanding performance are shown below:
GRAVENBERCH VS TOULOUSE:
Key passes- 4
Passes completed- 26
Pass completion- 96%
Key dribbles- 7
Key interceptions- 3
Shots- 4
Goals- 1
In total, Gravenberch completed 19 key actions across the 70 minutes he was on the pitch for, averaging at a key action almost every three minutes.
WATARU ENDO
Wataru Endo, 30-year-old, played a terrific game at the centre of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield in the Reds’ triumph over Toulouse. He even scored the game’s first goal with an incredible header.
But in terms of Endo’s overall performance—which saw him dominate the midfield defensively from beginning to end—that goal was merely the cherry on top.
At times, his skill with the ball was extraordinary, and his interception timing was frequently impeccable.
Several of the numbers that support Endo’s performance are displayed below:
ENDO VS TOULOUSE:
Key Passes- 2
Passes completed- 66
Pass completion- 96%
Duels won- 11/15 (More than anyone on the pitch)
Ball recoveries- 4
Interceptions- 3
Tackles- 5
After his recent strong performances in the League Cup and the Europa League, the captain of Japan will surely be hoping to get some minutes in some Premier League games over the holiday season.
Given the current injury concerns involving Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara, Endo will undoubtedly trail Alexis Mac Allister in the forthcoming games.
DARWIN NUNEZ
There were several deserving players for the third mention, including Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Diogo Jota.
But Nunez’s overall link-up play was occasionally unstoppable, and especially in the first hour, you could feel the confidence radiating from him.
Of course, the Uruguayan scored a goal for himself, but there is no doubt that he should have added at least two more.
Here are a few numbers pertaining to Nunez’s performance:
NUNEZ VS TOULOUSE:
Shots- 4
Shots on target- 2
Goals- 1
Successful dribbles- 4
Completed passes- 22
Pass completion- 95%
Although Nunez has always been a dangerous goal scorer, his general football acumen and intellect were criticised last year.
But that has really picked up in the first few months of this year while still producing top-notch work for the team and the nation.
With 14 goal contributions so far this season, the number nine will be hoping to build on his outstanding performance as we approach the hectic holiday season.