Liverpool eased past comfortably against a lacklustre AC Milan at San Siro last night. A 2-1 victory over the Italian outfit means the Merseyside club are the first-ever English club to make it 6 wins out of 6 in Champions League group stages.
It wasn’t entirely a routine walkover for Klopp’s men though, as Milan scored the opening goal before Liverpool took advantage of the home side’s unimaginative display, scoring two goals via Mohamed Salah and Origi.
Liverpool’s success on the night had a lot to do with their defensive prowess, each defender as solid as a rock at the back.
One such moment of brilliance came from Nathaniel Phillips, who produced a skill not many would’ve expected a centre-back to be capable of.
With opponents scrimmaging inside his own box, Phillips nonchalantly received the ball and produced a Cruyff turn to send Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Franck Kessie the wrong way. It was almost ridiculous how easy Phillips made the drag-back look.
In fact, the deftness of the skill was such that it seemed to deceive the Ivorian completely, who crumpled to the ground rather easily.
A short clip of this exquisite move broke the internet, as fans were left in awe of the defender’s unreal composure under such pressure.
imagine going home after a champions league night at the San siro and having to face your loved ones after being cruyff turned into next month my Nathaniel Phillips😭😭 pic.twitter.com/eXliuhADLT
“If I have to make a tackle then I have already made a mistake. And if I’ve made a mistake I’m not afraid to tackle”~ Nathaniel Philips pic.twitter.com/o4tZR3H1L4
The Bolton born defender, endearingly referred to as the Bolton Baresi, certainly lived up to his nickname, putting in a dominating display and topping it off with the slick turn.
The defeat means AC Milan are now out of Europe’s most prized competition, despite leading the table in Serie A.
