Liverpool: Team must look to exploit Milan Skriniar in their Champions League tie

Liverpool should be looking to target one particular member of their opponents tonight if they are to come away with victory.

The Reds come into tonight’s game on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run that stretches back into December and will be hoping that a win in Italy can give them a decent chance of making it through to the next round of the Champions League.

They take on an Inter side who are in pretty decent form as well, with the Nerazzurri only having lost twice since the start of December, however, that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been a few sub-par performances along the way from some of the Inter players.

One such player has been 27-year-old Milan Skriniar, who didn’t put in the best of displays in their most recent game, a 1-1 draw with Napoli, which saw him fail to make a single tackle, make just one interception, whilst also making an error that led to a shot on goal for the opposition and giving the ball away five times (via SofaScore).

TIF Thoughts on Liverpool targeting Inter’s Milan Skriniar tonight…

Skriniar has been somewhat averse to tackles this season, with the Slovakian ranking joint-seventh in the side, and fourth amongst defenders when it comes to tackles per game at just 1.2. Meanwhile, he ranks joint-third in terms of fouls permitted per game with 1.2 (via WhoScored). And knowing that, Liverpool should be looking to exploit him as early and as often as they can.

Given the pace that Liverpool’s attacking options are capable of, with Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota all having been recorded at speeds of over 20 mph this season, they need to be utilising that pace to try and get Skriniar on the back foot and run at him relentlessly all night.

The hope will be that they’ll either run right past him and get through on goal, or he’ll be under such pressure to slow them down, that he’ll give away free kicks in dangerous positions. And given that Liverpool currently lead the Premier League in set-piece goals this season with 14 (via WhoScored), they might be able to take advantage of those as well.

So with Skriniar’s last performance in mind, Liverpool’s pressing could see him in for a tough night.

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