Thiago Alcantara scouting report: How midfielder fared on first Liverpool start

Thiago Alcantara gave Liverpool fans a real sign of things to come as he made his first start for the club in the 2-2 draw against Everton.

The £27m summer signing for Bayern Munich made a cameo appearance against Chelsea last month when he came off the bench at half-time in the 2-0 win over the Blues.

But after testing positive for coronavirus he was forced to sit out of the two games against Arsenal and the shock defeat to Aston Villa before the international break.

Reds fans have had to be patient to see the player start, but Jurgen Klopp put his faith in the Spaniard on the biggest stage of all to include him in his line-up in the Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park.

Thiago Alcantara was typically neat and tidy in possession (Image: PA) Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles

Thiago drifted in and out of the game in the early stages, but did look tidy in possession and popped a number of short passes about as he grew into the match.

He also almost sent Mohamed Salah free with a creative ball over the top of the Everton defence, but just overcooked it slightly and Jordan Pickford was able to gather.

The 29-year-old was fouled a number of times as he held onto possession in the centre, and it is already clear to see he demands to have the ball at all times, but may spend a significant amount of time on the deck as frustrated opponents attempt to get it off him.

Thiago’s eyes lit up just after the half-an-hour mark when he received the ball in space just outside the D, but despite catching his shot well his effort whistled wide of the left-hand post.

In the second half Thiago’s confidence seemed to grow even more, and he began to set the tempo and spread the play even more with a wide range of passing.

He did not once give away possession, and was constantly calm and composed on the ball.

Thiago looked right at home in Liverpool’s midfield (Image: PA)

He was lucky not to escape serious injury when Richarlison’s horror tackle on him late on saw the Brazilian sent off, and Liverpool fans were not doubt breathing a sigh of relief when he got to his feet shaken up but ok.

It was Thiago who set Sadio Mane free with a brilliant pass as he crossed for what they thought was a last minute winner from Jordan Henderson, but they were cruelly denied when VAR ruled it out for offside.

Overall it was a highly satisfactory debut for the player, even though his side did not manage to get the win.

The one criticism that could be thrown Thiago’s way is the fact he was not involved in either of Liverpool’s goals, and he did drift in and out of the game rather than dominating throughout.

Nevertheless, it was a highly promising start, and he will no doubt continue to improve the more he plays for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

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