It gave a preview of just how devastating the pair could be on the break when afforded the time and space, with Szoboszlai now occupying several midfielders in the middle. He was limited to just one shot – a 25-yarder from range that was saved by Guglielmo Vicario – while Salah missed the target with his only effort.
This was not the ideal game to test out the new tactic, of course, because Liverpool were reduced to 10 men when Curtis Jones was sent off in the first half for a strong challenge on Yves Bissouma. Then, half-time substitute Diogo Jota picked up two swift yellow cards and earned himself an early bath, leaving the nine-man Reds with everything to do to protect their point.
Salah was one of those withdrawn later on, but it was interesting to note that Szoboszlai was kept on for the entire 90 minutes, with Klopp clearly retaining faith in his summer signing as his importance in the team grows with every game.
Joel Matip’s last-gasp own goal effectively undid all of their hard work, but the forthcoming fixtures will give a closer look at how Liverpool plan to use him as a not-so-secret weapon to boost their early title challenge.
