Liverpool vs Bayern: Five things we learned about Virgil van Dijk are missed but Jordan Henderson impresses

A result not to be happy or dissatisfied

A strange game results in a strange result that neither team will be happy or dissatisfied with. Liverpool may have dominated the competition in terms of balance, with Bayern Munich scarcely creating chances, but Jurgen Klopp's team was unable to break the stalemate.

They will remember Sadio Mané's failures, when they turn to shoot after Naby Keita's attempt is blocked, and wonder if this is the time. In the same way, they could reconsider the difficult start, while Bayern could easily have capitalized on Liverpool's backdrop.

As the match progressed, Bayern seemed more and more happy to deny Liverpool a home win. This trust could ultimately be misplaced.

0-0 is not necessarily a good result on the road in this competition. An away goal in Munich and the first leg will turn in Liverpool 's favor.

Nevertheless, Klopp will still see this blank 0-0 draw as a missed opportunity, as opportunities were to be taken. His front line can not be missed in Munich where only the title of champion will remain in which to focus.

No Van Dijk, no cold

The last time Klopp's team were stripped of Virgil van Dijk in a match of this magnitude, she achieved one of her best performances of the day by beating Manchester City 4 to 3 in the Premier League last year .

This victory, as important as it was, did not unfold without moments of anxiety and apprehension on the part of the defense and so it was here, especially when 39, a frenetic and frantic start to the evening.

Whether it's Alisson choosing the wrong pbad, Joel Matip struggling with a ball possession or Andy Robertson's cool, Liverpool made enough mistakes early in the first hour to make the absence of Van Dijk.

The back of Klopp calmed down as the tempo of the game slowed down, but Liverpool never had the confidence and the badurance that Van Dijk usually brings. He will return for the second leg, but Bayern may regret not having exposed this weakened defense.

Lewandowski isolated

Dietmar Hamann, formerly of these two clubs, does not have such a high opinion of Robert Lewandowski. Hamann recently described the pole as a "problem" because of its "theatricality", "gestures" and "behavior". It's a "lone wolf" that rarely plays for his teammates, apparently.

It's the same Lewandowski who has not only scored 25 goals in all competitions for Bayern this season, but has already set 11 in place for his teammates, having up to now set up than a maximum of 13 in a campaign.

Hamann's comments seemed out of place – Lewandowski himself called them "stupid", but they may have been turned into premonition.

The performance of the Pole was far from a striking and helping feat. Instead, he remained an isolated figure, struggling to regroup and make the connection with the gang of offensive midfielders behind him.

Against the untested central defensive partnership between Matip and Fabinho, we expected more. The lone wolf will have to heal his wounds and try again in Bavaria.

The European adventure is simply not the priority

Any report of Anfield at a party like this must obligatorily mention the phrase "famous European nights" and recall the atmosphere of Kop. And while the old floor was at least as good as its reputation at the beginning, you can not help but think that this club is a little concerned.

The affinity and history between Liverpool and the European Cup usually make this year's most memorable nights like this one in Anfield, but it's not a standard season. The hopes that the long wait for a national championship title ends in its 29th year are realistic. The Premier League, without question, is the priority.

This fact colored the evening differently. Of course, a sixth European Cup would be a fantastic feat, but it would not be quite the same bloody exercise as a 19th league title.

Henderson responds to his critics with vision and control

Despite eight years of service, including five as captain, Jordan Henderson still has a lot of critics around Anfield. Their criticisms are sometimes valid, sometimes not, but few of them could have denied his exhibition here.

For a player whose pbading ability is regularly questioned, he produced a handful of incisal balls that divide the defense. The first was the best of them, a Hollywood pbad in which his predecessor as captain had the habit of specializing. Salah could not convert it.

But his most important contribution has undoubtedly been a defensive contribution. When lines of communication between Keita and Mané were cut, sending a pbad to Liverpool's goal for Bayern, Henderson quickly sped into the net to kill the danger.

He is not always so attentive, does not always show this vision of his past, but Klopp still trusts him to organize the Liverpool midfielder on such occasions and his display here shows why.

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