The Liverpool F.C is considered to have arguably the best defensive line-up in the World right now. The work ethic, defensive and offensive skills, pace, stamina and creativity are attributed widely to the Jurgen Klopp’s defence line making them invincible and impregnable almost all the time.
The Reds’ defence has been completely revamped and restructured under Jurgen Klopp’s management with the crucial signings of Andy Robertson, popularly known as the Flying Scotsman in 2017 and the game changing double purchase of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker in 2018, which provided the European glory and a FIFA Club World Cup trophy to the club consequently.
The defence of the Liverpool squad boosts with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson playing as right and left backs respectively and the mighty Van Dijk in the central defending role. But the second slot of the center back for Liverpool is currently being rotated among mainly three players.
Here are some of the facts and stats of the 3 central defenders of Liverpool who can partner with Van Dijk
Dejan Lovren:
Dejan Lovren joined Liverpool in 2014 in the summer transfer window from Southampton. He is been included in the finals of both the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup and gained himself an European Cup winner’s medal.
The Croatia centre back whose front-foot, powerful style of defending is combined with an impressive level of ball-playing technique – also played in the 2016 Europa League final, after scoring an unforgettable Kop-end winner in stoppage time of the dramatic last-eight win over Borussia Dortmund.
He is close to playing his 200th game for the Liverpool team and has become a key defensive figure in the Jurgen Klopp’s squad. Lovren has made 184 appearances as a center back for Liverpool in which he scored 8 goals since 2014. This season he made 9 appearances playing almost 760 minutes for the club.
Joel Matip:
Joel Matip is a dependable centre-half who joined Liverpool in July 2016 from the German club Schalke 04.
Jürgen Klopp had closely observed the Cameroonian while he was in-charge of Borussia Dortmund and earmarked him as a potential recruit shortly before taking over the reins at Anfield.
A defender more than comfortable with the ball at his feet and not afraid to venture forwards has become a prominent option in the defence for the manager over the course of the following seasons with a record breaking 2018/19 season consisting of some incredible performances alongside Virgil van Dijk against Barcelona and followed by a key assist for Divock Origi in Champions League final against Spurs, ultimately winning a European cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2019.
Joel Matip has scored 5 goals in 110 appearances for the club since his transfer from Schalke. This season he played in 8 matches for Liverpool for 631 minutes before getting injured and rested for the season.
Joe Gomez:
Joe Gomez was signed from Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2015. Gomez has featured regularly for the Reds at centre-back, right-back and left-back positions.
After sustained knee-injury in 2015 while playing for England U21 he made a comeback into the Klopp’s defence line-up in 2017-18 campaign which saw Gomez make 31 appearances for the Reds as they reached the Champions League final, where they lost out to Real Madrid.
A classy, unflappable defender who can operate anywhere across the back-line, Joe Gomez has overcome serious injury setbacks to become a Champions League winner and key member of Liverpool’s squad by the age of just 22.
An outstanding start to 2018-19, during which he primarily partnered Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Klopp’s defence, featured in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the Champions League as Liverpool went on to become the Champions of Europe.
The defender has represented England through all the age groups and is now an established member of his country’s senior squad. He made 100 appearances for the Liverpool club since his transfer.
Joe Gomez had an incredible run this season i.e, 2019/20 season along side Van Dijk where they produced some great defensive master-class performances enabling the Reds inch very closer to their title dream before the league got suspended. He made 19 appearances with 19 starts for the club having played 1,277 minutes this season.
