Liverpool started the season brightly, playing some entertaining brand of football and yielding positive results, and experts deemed them as serious contenders for the Premier League title as well. But their performances of late have not been impressive, collecting just a point from their last two matches against Bournemouth and West Ham.
The Reds will hope to shine and get their A game against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday.
Here is a look at how the match might take shape:
First half: Liverpool get off to a great start, with their offensive players playing some entertaining football. Such kind of start was expected from the Reds, who keep on pressing to break the deadlock. Despite the first 20 minutes being all Liverpool, they are not able to score that opening goal. Divock Origi gets a free header from James Milner's corner, but misses it by a whisker. The camera pans to Klopp, who has a bemused look, saying, "how did he not score that!"
Meanwhile, the Liverpool defenders finally get to see some ball as Middlesbrough get a chance to attack the visitors, but the ball is cleared by Joel Matip for a corner, which later results to nothing. Loris Karius catches the ball and releases early to Sadio Mane, who uses his electrifying pace to run with the ball, and delivers a perfect ball from the right to Roberto Firmino and the Brazilian controls the ball on his left, and tucks it in the bottom corner for the lead.
Liverpool get some more chances to double their lead, but Mane and Jordan Henderson fail to convert for the visitors. Liverpool go into the break with a slender 1-0 lead.
Second half: The home team come all guns blazing in the second half, and there is plenty of noise at the stadium, egging Middlesbrough to score. Liverpool defenders, who have been inconsistent this season, are facing the music, but they are standing tall this time around until the ever-so-consistent Nathaniel Clyne makes a wrong backpass, allowing Cristhian Stuani to make it 1-1. Stuani does not make any mistake in slotting the ball home. Klopp is furious in the touchline as this is their umpteenth defensive mistake, leading to a goal this season.
Middlesbrough have got immense confidence and are taking the game to Liverpool, who are under pressure and all the 11 players are defending. Second half substitute Alvaro Negredo comes close, but Karius dives to his left to make a wonder save.
After seeing off a series of attack, Liverpool gradually settle in the second half, and they have 25 minutes to find the winning goal. Now, the game has changed completely with Liverpool on the offensive, and threatening to score, but they are not able to penetrate the home team's defence, The Brazilian does the trick as Firmino dances his way through Middlesbrough's defence and is fouled to help Liverpool earn a penalty, which is converted by Milner in the 82nd minute.
Now, it is Middleborough, who wants to score and equalise, and are committing men up front, but that proves to be costly as Origi scores the third goal for Liverpool, again, in the counter in the 91st minute, which seals crucial three points for Liverpool. The score line might resemble an easy victory, but mind you, it was not.
