Liverpool were handed a shock 1-0 defeat by Southampton in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday at the St. Mary’s. The Saints were off the blocks early and despite seeing less of the ball, they looked to threaten the Liverpool defence. And their moment came when Nathan Redmond put the home side ahead on the 20th-minute mark with a neat finish. Southampton should have doubled their advantage going into the half-time break but Redmond foiled an opportunity and the scoreline remained intact.
It was more of the same story in the second half, with Southampton maintaining their shape and making things hard for the Reds in the attacking third while managing to cut open their defence with surprising ease. However, a series of missed opportunities meant that the score stayed at 1-0 and Liverpool will go into the second leg at Anfield with just a single goal deficit.
In what was an extremely disappointing performance by Jurgen Klopp’s men, let’s take a look how each player fared on the night:
Loris Karius – 6
Was not at fault for Redmond’s goal. Made several important stops throughout the game to keep the Saints down to just one goal.
Nathaniel Clyne – 6
Had his hands full against the threat of Dusan Tadic, but dealt well enough. Offered an outlet on the right, but wasn’t as effective as he usually is.
Dejan Lovren – 6
Was the better of the two centre-backs on the night. Used his strength well to deal with the threat of Jay Rodriguez. Made a crucial off the line clearance late in the game to keep the score at 1-0.
Ragnar Klavan – 5
Poor night for the Estonian as he failed to connect with the ball on his attempted clearance that led to the only goal of the match. Struggled against the pace and movement of the Saints attackers throughout the game.
James Milner – 6
Made some important blocks in the defensive half. Ran hard down the left-flank throughout but the home team dealt with him comfortably.
Lucas Leiva – 6
Kept things simple in the middle of the park. Lacked the incision to break open the Saints’ defence that Jordan Henderson could have provided.
Emre Can – 5
Dismal outing for the German. Saw plenty of possession throughout the game, but his usage of the ball and decision making left a lot to be desired.
Giorgino Wijnaldum – 4
Completely anonymous throughout his time on the pitch. Was caught up too deep in his own half to make any meaningful contribution in attack. Had no impact whatsoever and was rightly taken off at the hour mark.
Roberto Firmino – 6
Forced a good save from Fraser Forster in the Saints’ goal with a decent effort in the first half. But didn’t do much other than that to threaten the excellent Southampton backline.
Adam Lallana – 5
Can be said that this was his worst game of the season so far. Tried to make things happen, but nothing came off for the former Saints player. Left Clyne too open and did not offer any sort of cover throughout the game.
Daniel Sturridge – 4
Was completely isolated for the entire duration of the game and the home side’s defence made sure he was starved of any kind of decent service. Shot over the bar a couple of times late in the game.
Substitutes
Philippe Coutinho – 6
Replaced Wijnaldum in the 61st minute. Got on the end of a couple of opportunities but failed to convert.
Divock Origi – NA
Came on for Firmino with less than 10 minutes to play. Not enough time to have an impact on the game.