· 2 min readIn this Newcastle vs Liverpool match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
The first matchday put two teams entering a new era against each other. Matthias Jaissle, after his spell at Al Ahli, made his Premier League debut with Newcastle, while Andoni Iraola took charge of a Liverpool side looking to recover after a disappointing season. And there was one huge question from the start: how far can Liverpool’s extremely high defensive line actually work?
The answer came quickly. In the 5th minute, Newcastle broke on the counter and found a huge gap in Liverpool’s midfield. Osula received the ball, carried it forward and played Elanga into space. From there, nobody could catch him. The winger drove forward, fired a low shot and made it 1-0. It wasn’t just a problem with the defensive line, but above all with Liverpool’s positioning.
Newcastle defended in a 4-4-2, very compact, with Osula and Wissa up front, and they were looking for exactly what their forwards like most: space to run into. Liverpool had more of the ball, reaching 66% possession, but couldn’t consistently turn that dominance into danger.
And there was another interesting situation: Rio Ngumoha, just 17 years old, was playing on the right because of Salah’s departure. But he didn’t look comfortable. He’s a left winger, likes receiving the ball, taking on defenders and cutting inside, but on the right he had to do things his left foot doesn’t give him the same confidence to do. I don’t see him as a solution to replace Salah, at least not like this.
Liverpool went into half-time behind without anyone truly standing out. They also looked questionable defensively, while Newcastle, despite being organized, could have offered more going forward.
In the second half, Liverpool finally appeared. In the 54th minute, Gakpo received the ball centrally with space, set himself up and fired a low shot from outside the box into the corner. 1-1.
But the equalizer lasted just three minutes. Wissa won the ball among several Liverpool players, managed to carry it without losing possession and played it out to Willock on the left. The midfielder, who had literally come on a minute earlier, drove between two opponents and fired into the net for 2-1. A great goal and a hugely important moment, because Liverpool were finally starting to grow into the game.
Liverpool continued to dominate possession, but creativity was lacking. Newcastle didn’t feel under siege, and that was a problem. In the 86th minute, Wissa even had a chance to kill the game, but Alisson saved.
And when it looked like Liverpool wouldn’t have enough time, the final chance appeared. In the 90+6th minute, Victor Muñoz was clearly fouled inside the box. Szoboszlai took responsibility and, in the 90+9th minute, converted the penalty. An equalizer with the very last kick.
Post-match
Newcastle showed organization and pace, but they could have been more ambitious. Liverpool had the ball, but spent far too long without ideas and continue to have defensive question marks. In the end, 2-2, exactly the draw I had predicted, although the way it happened was anything but predictable.
