Gary Lineker heaped praise on one Liverpool star during the clash with Manchester United on Tuesday night.
Jurgen Klopp’s side raced into a 2-0 lead at the break against their bitter rivals at Anfield, opening the scoring after just five minutes. Luis Diaz put the Reds in front before Mohamed Salah doubled the advantage, midway through the first half.
Having been relentless in their approach against United, there were several star performers across the Liverpool team. However, one player in particular managed to catch Lineker ’s eye, even before the half-time whistle had been blown.
YOUR SHOUT: Rate the Liverpool players after 4-0 win over Manchester United at Anfield
On Twitter, the Match of the Day presenter said: “Love watching @Thiago6. Especially the disguised passes. Superb player.”
Linker was not wrong to highlight Thiago Alcantara ’s creative contribution, either. According to Whoscored , the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich playmaker completed 59 of his 60 attempted passes in the first half, more than any other player.
Moreover, the Spaniard’s pass success rate of 98% was the highest of any player on the pitch, bettering Virigil van Dijk’s 96%. Thiago also contributed three key passes in the first 45 minutes, two more than any other of his team-mates.
Despite facing injury problems during the season, the midfielder has established himself as a key part of the Liverpool side, starting the last four league games as well as the recent FA Cup semi–final win over Manchester City.
Sadio Mane then put the Reds 3-0 up in the second half.
