Arne Slot Reveals Change Of Gameplan For Liverpool Against Bayer Leverkusen

The Reds secured a convincing 4-0 win over the Bundesliga champions in the Champions League on Tuesday night

RB Leipzig - FC Liverpool, Trainer Arne Slot (Liverpool) / IMAGO / Matthias Koch

Arne Slot has disclosed he was left in the dark over Bayer Leverkusen set up against his Liverpool side in Tuesday's Champions League game at Anfield.

The Reds made it four wins from four games in the competition following a 4-0 victory over Xabi Alonso's side.

Luis Diaz netted his first hat-trick for Liverpool while Cody Gakpo scored a diving header to send Slot's side to the top of the revamped Champions League.

The scores were still level at the break, however, the Dutchman needed to adjust his game plan to enable his side to take control of the proceedings and seal the win.

“Like many times now, managers change their gameplan when they come to Anfield or when they play us,” he said.

“That’s also what we saw today.

“I see quite a lot, and my staff as well when we go into a game like this, so we’ve seen a lot of games of Leverkusen but I’ve never seen Boniface playing from the left. So they played without a nine and that’s why they overloaded the midfield a lot.

“It was quite difficult to press them high. But the good thing was that we hardly conceded anything during the first half. If there were chances, they were for us.

“But second half, we could adjust to the game plan of the first half. We took a bit more risks and we were better with the ball as well. Normally they defend in a 5-2-3, now they defend in a 4-4-2 as well. So they changed quite a lot, and we could adjust that at half-time.”

Slot continued: “I would love to see this (more intensity) from the start. But normally the other team has, because when the game starts everybody is very fit, and there is a lot of intensity from both sides.

“I like that we are able to keep producing this energy and even go a gear higher. In some situations, that led to some of the teams we faced had some difficulties with that intensity.

“But preferably we start like this from the start. But you have to give credit to the opponents we play. Xabi Alonso had a very good game plan which made it difficult for us in the first half.

“But even if it’s difficult for us, not in terms of chances but they have a bit more ball possession than we would like, we still don’t concede a lot. That has a lot to do with the work-rate the players put in.”