The match started with Newcastle searching for spaces behind Liverpool’s defensive lines. After the first two minutes Liverpool started to study the opponent and at the same time find the proper style of play.
Football is not an exact science and sometimes managers need to find that little touch of magic to win matches like these. For Klopp and Eddie Howe, it was clear that each movement cost the outcome of the game and that’s why we saw two careful teams on the grass of St. James Park.
Liverpool started to find the attacking situation after the tenth minute with Klopp who was nervous with the way his team decided to solve the attacking problems. Newcastle defended narrowly and knew the weak points of the opponent.
They had a free kick in the 13th minute but were not able to convert. They were in possession with Tonali and Joellington, with the latest that shoots, but Allison saves.
Luiz Diaz on the other hand, makes a solo run and shoots inside the box, but Pope is on a good day. Both teams want to create and at the same time stay safe on the back, but each time the balances are broken, Liverpool and Newcastle risk conceding.
The game was played in the midfield with the attackers who needed to make meters back in order to get the ball. Still, the first twenty minutes of the first half registered no clear chance.
The last 20 minutes of the first half…
Mo Salah finds a shot in the 24th, but Pope saves easily. Newcastle continued to attack and responded to Liverpool with a counter. Gordon scores in the 25th minute and beats Allison with the right foot in the 18-yard box.
Gordon finds Isak in the entrance of the zone, but Van Dijk says no and fouls his opponent. Newcastle have a chance with a free kick in the 29th minute. These were clearly the best moments for Newcastle. Van Dijk was sent off with a red card after the intervention and Liverpool had to play the rest of the game with ten men.
At the same time, Newcastle has a big advantage as they now can find more spaces in the opponent’s half. Schar executed the free kick in the 31st, but the shot was deflected by the wall. Newcastle had a corner afterward and Tonali crossed and found space in the zone with Botman heading the ball, but Allison saved the ball.
After the red card…
Jurgen Klopp decided to replace Luis Diaz with Joe Gomez and Liverpool were acting in a 4-3-2, with Salah and Gakpo leading the attack.
Almiron finds the strong hands of Allison and the crossbar in the 35th, with Newcastle that are so near scoring the second. The end of the first half saw Newcastle being dominant and searching to double their lead.
Liverpool needed to change the whole structure in order to be competitive. They kept the ball with the two wings of the defense, but without being able to make successful transitions and be in the last third fast and with numbers.
Szoboszlai was more advanced and tried to find spaces on the right side of the midfield. Newcastle left the spaces for the Reds in possession but were aggressive in the last third to not let any of the attackers have chances to shoot.
The first half ended with the Newcastle advantage and with a good performance by their midfielders as Liverpool had one player less for more than 16 minutes.
Liverpool had to start the second half with a new game plan and need to sweat a bit more in order to win the ball. In Klopp’s era Liverpool has played ten times with one player less, but this time things were different.
And Newcastle showed immediately why they are in the Champions League. Joellington combined with Almiron, who failed to find the target in the first minutes of the second half. Gordon finds a shot in the 54th, but Allison saves.
Tonali makes the right winger in the 58’th but his ball is deflected by Arnold. Klopp decided to bring Diogo Jota on the pitch and Harvey Elliot for Endo and Gakpo. This changed the intensity of Liverpool as they tried to attack more in both wings.
Anthony Gordon has something to show in the 64th minute as his shot ends wide outside of the left post. Liverpool responded with Salah and Szoboszlai but none of the efforts could not find the target of Nick Pope.
The last 25 minutes…
Liverpool had that energy, the cohesion to push forward, but the fact they were playing without an attacker, meant for their game.
Howe replaced Tonali with Sean Longstaff and also brought in the pitch Barnes and Callum Willson. Isak and Gordon were the sacrificed players as both walked off with 20 minutes to go. Newcastle has the initiative, but they lack precision in the last part of the pitch.
Longstaff created the most beautiful action of the game with a long run, dribbling the opponents on the right side and hitting the right post inside the 18-yard box.
Liverpool ran out of energy and Nunez was brought on for Allexis McAllister and Matip walks off for Quansah on the pitch.
Nunez’s game and goals…
Newcastle had another chance with Callum Willson, but Allison was there to make the right intervention. A moment of magic happened next with Nunez finding the equalizer later on, in the 81st minute with the left inside the box. Nunez beat Pope with an amazing shot and found a mighty important goal at the end of the game.
Newcastle brings Anderson on the pitch as Joelington has made his game. The game is at another level and both squads want the three points, with Newcastle that are a bit disappointed with the result.
Botman was injured and was replaced by Matt Targett in the 87th. Two minutes later Almiron shoots inside the box, but his shot was blocked by Robertson. Willson had another chance in the last minute but his shot goes over the bar.
Five minutes were added on. Nunez had another chance in the same position as the first goal and he did not miss. Liverpool lead with one goal more in the 93rd minute. Liverpool plays with heart and they turn the match around in the last breath.
They will play Aston Villa next Sunday as they escape from Newcastle with three big points.
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