Liverpool manager Arne Slot made it clear he was unhappy despite the Reds winning 1-0 in Girona on Tuesday evening.
Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot after Donny van de Beek was judged to have fouled Luis DIaz. It was enough for Liverpool to maintain their perfect record in the Champions League and all but confirm their place in the round of 16 with two games to spare.
The result may have been what Slot was looking for, but it seemed that the execution did not meet his high standards. “I am far from satisfied,” the Dutchman admitted as he addressed the media after his team's victory.
Liverpool could tighten up defensively after drawing 3-3 against Newcastle in their last league match. However, they were occasionally troubled by Girona's former Premier League strikers Bryan Gil and Arnaut Danjuma, while their own attacking threat was somewhat limited.
“If you ask me about all six matches, I am very satisfied with all the results,” Slot said. “I am very satisfied with the first five games, but I am far from satisfied with tonight's performance.
“What was I not happy with? I was not happy with a lot of things. When you play against a team that has such a good idea about football and knows how to bring the ball forward from the back, like some of the teams that We When I played against Real Madrid and Manchester City recently, I have to be so intense if I want to make things difficult for them.”
He suggested the Reds were not aggressive enough in the early stages and were fortunate not to be punished again. “We hardly had any control over the game. Maybe the second half was a little better, I'm trying to be positive,” he added.
Liverpool's win, combined with a late defeat for Inter Milan away to Bayer Leverkusen, saw Slot's side open a five-point lead in the league stage. That will be reduced to three if there is a winner in Wednesday's match between Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, but if the match ends completely in Germany, Liverpool know another win will guarantee top spot.
The Premier League leaders could also be mathematically assured of a top eight finish if other results go their way on Wednesday. There are currently six teams outside the top eight who can get 18 points, but if any of them fail to win their game, it will be impossible for them to catch the Reds.
Teams finishing in the top eight will advance directly to the round of 16, which takes place in March. However, those in positions 9 to 24 will be forced into an additional play-off round in February.
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