Jurgen Klopp explains new diamond formation in Liverpool’s Champions League win vs Ajax
Speaking in the post-match press conference after Liverpool’s win against Ajax as quoted by Liverpool Echo, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has explained why he chose to go with a diamond formation against the Dutch giants.
Liverpool secured their progression into the next round of the Champions League thanks to a 3-0 win against the Eredivisie side with Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott netting for Klopp’s side.
The German tactician who has been experimenting with his formations quite a bit this season decided to line up with a surprise midfield diamond against Ajax and it did work very well on the given night.
It gave a lot of space for the full-backs to exploit as they had the entire flank to themselves and when a club has attacking full-backs of the quality of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, it makes sense to make full use of it.
Although the Reds were a bit underwhelming in the first half and looked to be the second-best team on the pitch, they picked it up real quick and eventually ended up knocking the stuffing out of Ajax.
Speaking about the change in formation, Klopp seemed to hint that it was done to exploit the ability of his full-backs.
“We could have lined up with that formation in a 4-3-3 but we decided to go more for a diamond.”
“The difference is not that big in possession but it keeps the strikers a bit more inside so we had no clear wingers and it opens up for the full-backs.”
“You have to be really brave in the No.8 positions and the full-backs positions.”
Going forward, it remains to be seen if Klopp considers this as a permanent solution but if he does, then it could turn out to be very exciting for the likes of Trent and Robbo who can really put their attacking impetus to full use.
Liverpool will be glad to have secured progression to the next round of the Champions League but they will know that they will face a stern test on the final matchday when they face the high-flying Napoli.
More Liverpool News
- Reds’ manager Jurgen Klopp outlines hurdle in Liverpool achieving consistency ahead of Ajax clash
- Liverpool gaffer Jurgen Klopp lauds the adaptability of Joe Gomez
- Jurgen Klopp says that Liverpool still have a lot of ambitions this season
The Italian giants managed to get the better of Klopp’s men in the first leg and it will be payback time for the Reds and they will hope to be the first team to beat the Serie A leaders as things stand.
