Joel Matip certainly is having a decent season in his first year at Liverpool. The former Schalke man came on a free transfer at the start of the season and has become the preferred centre-back alongside Dejan Lovren at the Merseyside club.
Matip might not have played too many games recently due to an injury but he did start in the 1-1 draw against the Blues. And Matip spoke to the club’s website about how he enjoys watching Liverpool matches with his girlfriend.
“Every time when they score and I’m watching on TV, I’m celebrating.
“I always hope that they score and win the games – I really feel like a fan.
“My girlfriend is also a big supporter, us two sit on the couch and really support and hope we win.”
The Cameroon defender did have a bit of a problem recently with his ankle and missed a number of games in January. There was also a problem about his availability during the African Cup of Nations as Matip had stated that he did not want to play for the national side but Cameroon wanted to keep him out of football during the duration of the tournament.
One of the things which is surprising is how easily Matip has adjusted to Premier League football. There have been a number of players who have struggled to play from the get go for Liverpool but Matip has taken to Merseyside like a duck takes to water.
Matip did speak about how tough it is to defend in England but he did say that he was getting better.
“Like everybody says, it’s a lot more physical than the Bundesliga. It’s a cliche but it’s true!
“You get adapted and that starts in training because sometimes you have to use your body a little bit more.
“But you get adapted, you know how to play, then you learn and you get better.”
Liverpool did do well in the 1-1 draw against the Blues but Matip gave away a late penalty that almost cost the Reds the game. The defender tripped Diego Costa but the Spaniard saw his shot saved by Simon Mignolet in goal.
Matip did look a little rusty in the game but playing a few more minutes should help him get back to his best. Liverpool might look to be out of the title race at the moment but a good run till the end of the season should see them finish in the top four and play in the Champions League.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRLNUZCbUDc
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