Arne Slot sends Xabi Alonso chants message and explains 'change of gameplan' for Liverpool

Arne Slot has admitted he was surprised by how Bayer Leverkusen set up against his Liverpool side in the Reds’ 4-0 victory on Tuesday night. Luis Diaz scored a hat-trick while Cody Gakpo netted a diving header to clinch an emphatic win.

However, the scores were still level at the break, with the Dutchman needing to adjust his own game plan to enable his side to take control of proceedings after witnessing something he had ‘never seen before’ from the Bundesliga outfit.

“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.

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“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.”

He 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.”

Meanwhile, Slot praised Liverpool legend and Leverkusen counterpart Xabi Alonso after the game, and shared his delight at hearing Anfield serenade the Spaniard following the conclusion of his own chant.

“People singing for a manager is not that common, at least not in Holland,” he said. “It was nice to hear today but I also liked it a lot that after that, they sang for Xabi as well.

“Because he has been so special for this club so he deserves it for this, but also for his achievements at Leverkusen as well. Champion last year, won the cup, played the final in Europe. For all these reasons, he deserved the fans to sing for him as well.”