Neil Atkinson’s post-match review for The Anfield Wrap after Liverpool 2 Bologna 0 in the 2024-2025 Champions League group stage…

NO ONE knows exactly what the job is yet. But everyone knows we have to beat Bologna.

Elsewhere I think there is some padding on goal difference and that makes sense. Suddenly it feels like 15 points needs some chances. Fifteen-plus.

Coming off Anfield, it was fair to wonder whether Liverpool would see an opportunity to do just that tonight. But the truth is that Bologna took a beating for a team whose next tough match starts about 64 hours after this one.

Over time, it will be interesting to see what Premier League sides find both difficult and easy in this competition. Does it help to have so many difficult games? Are you more battle hardened? That’s how it seemed last night when Arsenal demolished PSG. Or do you have to be able to compete fairly on both fronts?

All this against the background of not knowing the minimum requirement. Then you emerge from the ground and you see that Aston Villa, Benfica and Lille have defeated Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid respectively.

That only seven teams have six points, that 18 points – for Liverpool another four wins from six games – will certainly be enough, and then you realize that this was all both nice and nice, without it ever really being the case.

Liverpool were better than Bologna without ever really being better than them for 20 minutes. Our opponents, who were a smart bunch last season, are showing that they still are.

They – and their supporters – did themselves a credit, asking questions that Liverpool can’t seem to answer, but questions that Liverpool don’t actually need to answer from Bologna because they have better players.

Both sides end the game with one being able to argue that either side’s goalkeeper performed the best. This doesn’t quite make sense, but it’s true. Both deal brilliantly with what comes their way. Both react and anticipate situations well and both pass the ball impeccably. They get their teams in the foreground.

Elsewhere, Virgil van Dijk gets Ryan Gravenberch in the foreground. There is an old quote from Cesc Fabregas about passing on information about it. Van Dijk does this time and time again, but it’s easy to offer the information and something else to show brilliance, and right now that’s what Ryan Gravenberch is doing.

He is irresistible. He plays the deepest midfielder like a dream, but can also be moved in a valuable and useful way. He turns and charges forward with the same enthusiasm as he reclaims it. This is a player who is suddenly both in his splendor and aware that much, much more pomp and circumstance awaits him.

This season it’s been a pleasure to watch him become the best version of himself, and there’s much more to come.

Mo Salah is consistent and scores the goal he rarely scores these days. Once again, European football lies with him. It’s a goal and an assist, and both are sumptuous. His thing is this: he’s never seen a door that he doesn’t knock on all the time. That means if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t seem quite right. He chooses his moments, but also every last one.

Elsewhere, but related, Dominik Szoboszlai remains the strangest number 10 you’ve ever seen – so maybe shake the snow globe, spin the kaleidoscope and look again, look past the beauty. Maybe he’s a John Wark/David Platt/Frank Lampard and not a Juan Roman Riquelme type. If he is first, the ball should hit the back of the net more often.

That said, the work out of possession and overall progression couldn’t have been better. It couldn’t be more unyielding. He wants Liverpool to win more than you do and that’s a good starting point.

The referee was awful and Liverpool are back playing in moments. Blink your eyes and you’ll miss them. They will warm up, sleep, recover, plan, sleep, travel, nap and play. The challenge is the same as that of Nottingham Forest at AC Milan, but alternately domestic and European. They did part two better than part one last time and we’ll need the same again.

No one said it was easy, but everyone knows this is the job. Finish the week winning, winning and, yes, winning, and then we can all say everyone has been great. This is the crux of the first half of the English seasons. You come out intact and everyone was great.

The scoreboard remains a mystery. The challenge remains clear. Just keep winning and count the points and the moments later.

Neil

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