Luis Fernando Díaz is facing a new challenge, one that will once and for all put an end to the doubts of some, one that will revalidate his indispensable role in his team and put an end to the rumors of his departure.
The occasion is nothing less than the round of 16 of the Champions League, when Liverpool visit Sparta Prague, this Thursday (12:45 pm). The challenge, to register his name in a competition in which, curiously, he has only been able to play one full match.
For Klopp’s team, except for a couple of bumps, the competition has been almost a formality, as they added 4 victories in a group made up of modest rivals such as LASK, Toulouse and Union Saint-Gilloise, added 12 points and finished first, which It allowed him to sit and wait for the rival of those who had just been eliminated from the Champions League. It was Sparta Prague, who left Galatasaray (6-4 overall) on the road and avoided the Colombians crossing with Dávinson Sánchez.
Now for Díaz there is a task to finish: he played in four of his team’s six games in the Europa League, scored two goals and gave an assist (3-1 and 4-0 once morest LASK) and totaled 272 minutes in four games. For now it has been little, but it is now that the competition begins to present more demanding challenges and his talent becomes necessary.
Liverpool is beginning to confirm a favoritism that is very clear and is confirmed with data such as that it is the team with the greatest possession in the first phase (68.2 percent) and the second with the most goals scored per game, an average of 2.8 , only surpassed by Bayer Leverkusen, which has 3.2.
This is how to serve Díaz an ideal, provocative and, although he does not want to admit it, necessary dish. Nobody said it was easy and in his case it is as if he had to prove twice as much as the others. Fortunately, for him that, far from demotivating him, gives him extra energy.
How can you watch LIVE? Take note:
Sparta Praga vs Liverpool
Date: March 7, 2024
Stadium: EPET Arena in Prague
Time: 12:45 pm
TV: ESPN y Star+
Online: minute by minute
