Jurgen Klopp has explained the weird decision to deploy Luis Diaz as a left-back during Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Everton.
The Reds secured a crucial victory after the international break, with Mohamed Salah scoring a late brace in front of the Kop.
In the second half, Liverpool changed their formation, with Diaz taking on the role of a left wing-back as the team sought to break through Everton’s defence.
Klopp explained the reasoning behind this tactical adjustment, stating that the aim was to have the Colombian star “attack” from a deeper position than his usual role.
While speaking to TNT Sports, he said:
“We brought on another offensive player and how you can do that without taking one off? You have to change a little bit. So we put Lucho in the left-back position.”
“They didn’t have a winger really there, so we thought it was possible to let him attack there. And he crossed the ball for the penalty, so it was not the worst idea we ever had.”
After 75 minutes, Mohamed Salah scored the opening goal by converting a penalty from 12 yards, a result of Michael Keane’s handball.
Liverpool had to display patience against a defensive Everton side, especially after Ashley Young’s red card just before halftime.
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Diaz also had an incident where he was fouled by Nathan Patterson, potentially warranting a penalty decision, but it was not given.
In order to keep both Diogo Jota and Salah on the field after Darwin Nunez was brought in, the forward was temporarily shifted to the left-back position.
While this is not a role we can expect to see Diaz in frequently this season, the move played a crucial role in helping Liverpool overcome a tough Everton side in the second half.
