Physicality, chaos and Carvajal: where Liverpool v Madrid may be decided

It has become one of those saws wheeled out on social media every time Liverpool concede a goal, or every time they come under pressure: Trent Alexander-Arnold can’t defend; he can be got at. And, worryingly for Liverpool before Saturday, Exhibit A in the case against him is the away leg of last season’s quarter-final against Real Madrid when Vinícius Júnior repeatedly got in behind him, leading to the opening two goals.

Vinícius, as he showed against Chelsea, is good at exploiting that space high up on the flank but, while acknowledging Alexander-Arnold is not the most adept in one-on-one battles (there was another moment, early in that quarter-final, when Ferland Mendy wobbled past him with disconcerting ease), the broader issue is not really Alexander-Arnold.

His role is to push forward. He is a supremely gifted crosser, registering 12 league assists this season, and linking up superbly with Mohamed Salah. To do that, he has to play high. That risk is mitigated not by him running back more or dropping deeper but by Liverpool’s press, which should prevent opponents measuring passes into that space behind the defence – which is always the vulnerability for teams who operate with a high line.

Both goals last season came from passes launched by Toni Kroos, who on each occasion had time to calibrate. That is what Liverpool have to prevent. Perhaps Kroos or Luka Modric can pop a 50-yard pass perfectly into Vinícius’s path under pressure, but that is essentially unavoidable; the point is to make it as hard as possible. Last season Liverpool’s press was far less efficient than it is now. Although the midfield three in that game in Madrid looks relatively strong – Fabinho flanked by Naby Keïta and Gini Wijnaldum – their