Salzburg vs Liverpool: How Klopp can avoid group stage exit in Austria

Liverpool's routine 3-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday marked their 13-game wait for a clean sheet. The Reds were impenetrable in the Premier League last season, shutting an opponent out in 21 of their 38 league matches, so Jurgen Klopp will have welcomed the end to their lengthy wait for a clean sheet, as they denied Bournemouth a shot on target on the south coast. 

Of course, denying a Bournemouth side in relegation form is hardly worth shouting home about, but it's a morale booster. Liverpool's priority may be to win the Premier League, yet in the short-term; the Reds face a tough trip to Austria. A 1-1 home draw with Napoli last month leaves progression to the last-16 in the balance. 

Liverpool sit in the driving seat in Group E with 10 points, but they simply cannot underestimate the trip to Salzburg on Tuesday. Only Bayern Munich (21) and Tottenham (17) have scored more goals than Salzburg (16) in the Champions League this season, with half of their goals coming courtesy of the prodigious Erling Haaland. 

The Norwegian sensation has eight Champions League goals to his name - not bad for a teenager in his debut season in the competition - and 16 league goals under his belt already. He was a sub in Salzburg's 4-3 loss at Liverpool in October, though that didn't stop him from getting his name on the scoresheet. Incidentally, that narrow victory at Anfield was their first following their last clean sheet-attaining display as they came away from Sheffield United with a 1-0 win. 

Now, Klopp has a decision to make in his best efforts to contain Haaland and co. on their trip to Austria. Even if the hotshot teen doesn't feature, head coach Jesse Marsch has ample attacking options at his disposal. Hwang Hee-Chan is Salzburg's highest rated player with a 7.92 with the South Korean one of four Salzburg players to register three assists in the Champions League this season. 

Unable to call upon injured duo Joel Matip and Fabinho, Klopp has a selection and tactical dilemma on his hands. While likely to continue with his favoured 4-3-3 setup, without Fabinho he doesn't have a natural holding midfielder to shield a backline that is without, arguably, its best centre-back this season to call upon. Does he stick with his newly-favoured midfield threesome of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum and run the risk of being overrun in midfield? 

One option is to bring James Milner into the fold to provide an additional battler in the middle of the park to help protect the back four. Only Fabinho (2.6) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (2.5) are making more tackles per game than Milner (2) in the Champions League for Liverpool this season with the 33-year-old more than willing to get stuck in for the good of the team. This would allow one of Oxlade-Chamberlain or Wijnaldum to push forward and support the attack, or even yet; push the former into attack, which would see Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane drop to the bench. 

This would see Liverpool remain more compact, but allow for them to continue playing a system that has helped them to top spot in the Premier League. Then there is the defence and the question of who partners Van Dijk at the heart of the backline. The Dutchman has started all five Champions League matches with Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren each starting two games each alongside Van Dijk. 

Gomez was used at right-back against Napoli and it's another option that Klopp may explore in order to keep things tight at the back. Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho uses a lopsided defensive line, where the left-back tucks inside when the right-back - usually Serge Aurier - pushes forward and Klopp could look to use a similar tactic to ensure Hwang, who nominally drifts to the left, is unable to add to his three goals and three assists in the Champions League this season. 

However, in doing so, Klopp would be forced to drop Alexander-Arnold to the bench and in doing so, that would rob Liverpool of one of their prominent attacking threats. A core reason behind Liverpool's success is their maurauding full-backs and without the England international in the squad, the Reds would be without a hugely effective offensive weapon. Salzburg may be impressive in the final third, yet they have still shipped 11 goals in their five group stage matches and are yet to keep a clean sheet in the competition.   

In that case, then, it's likely to come down to who starts alongside Van Dijk. Gomez has the better WhoScored rating (7.54) when starting as a centre-back in the Champions League this season, but Lovren, fine after an injury scare at the weekend, is expected to get the nod.

In what is expected to be a charged Red Bull Arena on Tuesday night, Liverpool can't let the occasion get to them, however saying that, they have been in a similar position before. They needed a win over Napoli at Anfield to secure their place in the last-16 and duly edged out a 1-0 win, though not before Alisson denied Arkadiusz Milik from close range in the last minute to secure a crucial three points. The rest, as they say, is history.

Liverpool need to guard against complacency when they take on Salzburg on Tuesday and Klopp needs to get his tactics and selection spot on as while the Austrian side aren't a traditional European powerhouse, they have the ability to end Liverpool's Champions League defence this week. As such, it may be in Klopp's best interests to maximise a combination of experience and youth and have Milner protect a centre-back partnership of Van Dijk and Lovren to deny Haaland and Hwang the chance to run riot in Austria.