Jürgen Klopp’s NEW TACTICS with Szoboszlai | 3-2-2-3 Liverpool vs Karlsruher

The preseason is used to brainstorm and that’s what Jurgen Klopp did in the match against Karlsruher. He started in a system similar to a 4-3-3 with the inverted right-back, in this case Conor Bradley. Trent Alexander-Arnold in his new role in midfield as the team’s playmaker and with Dominik Szoboszlai as left central midfielder. The right wing was for Bobby Clark who advanced his position as Liverpool progressed the ball.

We see it here, Alexander-Arnold with the pass to Bradley breaking the first line of pressing and with Bobby Clark, very high, accompanying the forwards in a 3-3-4.

More rotations, here with Arnold with the ball on the right wing, Clark wide open and Salah close to Darwin Núñez, which was another characteristic of Liverpool using this system with the front 3 very close.

Since we are at the beginning of the preseason, we saw movements in which the team left free spaces that should be occupied, either by not swapping positions, not recognizing the movement to attack the space or by waiting too close to each other without achieving the objective of overloading that area to isolate a teammate in a 1v1

In this play in the last third, we see Szoboszlai and Clark with the same movement off the ball facilitating the work of the defense. 3 players in the same area without with no chance of receiving the pass.

From the 20th minute Klopp used a 3-2-2-3 shape with Szoboszlai as the right central midfielder and Clark on the left, forming the box midfield, while Luis Diaz and Salah waiting on the wings giving width. What Klopp didn’t change was the inverted right-back, Conor Bradley, so the one who filled the space on the right wing in some plays was Szoboszlai doing a great job. With this shape, especially in the second half, Liverpool did manage to overload that area and then switch the play to the other flank. 

And last but not least, it should be mentioned that for several minutes Szoboszlai tried to play alongside Darwin Núñez turning the team into a 3-3-4.

A lot of variety in Klopp’s plans, although what seems clear is the evolution in the position of Trent Alexander-Arnold and that Dominik Szoboszlai will be one of the most important players for The Reds.