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Liverpool’s Champions League jigsaw missing key pieces

LIVERPOOL — Liverpool’s 1-0 home defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday was more than an early-season setback — it raises the question of whether they have the strength in depth to cope with the dual challenge ahead of them this term.

Liverpool need to provide better support for Balotelli (centre) to create more chances in front of goal. Photo: epa

Liverpool need to provide better support for Balotelli (centre) to create more chances in front of goal. Photo: epa

LIVERPOOL — Liverpool’s 1-0 home defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday was more than an early-season setback — it raises the question of whether they have the strength in depth to cope with the dual challenge ahead of them this term.

For the first time in four years, Liverpool are in the Champions League and much of their transfer focus was based around creating a squad big enough, and good enough, to be able to fight on two fronts.

A 1-0 home defeat by Villa brings this under scrutiny.

With a game against Bulgarian side Ludogorets to come at Anfield on Tuesday, manager Brendan Rodgers decided to introduce his first squad rotation of the season — albeit a modest one.

Daniel Sturridge was out injured, so Rodgers decided to leave Raheem Sterling on the bench and hand Adam Lallana his debut, in support of lone striker Mario Balotelli, with Serb Lazar Markovic debuting in midfield.

Rodgers has options especially in attack. Even without Sturridge he could afford to put England international Rickie Lambert and Italian Fabio Borini on the bench and both were introduced late in the game as Liverpool desperately sought a goal.

“It is down to everyone,” the manager told reporters. “The squad that we have here is a very good squad.

“We are unfortunate to be missing one or two, but we have still got enough quality in our depth to create that wee bit more and have more efforts on goal.”

Villa took a ninth-minute lead when Philippe Senderos headed down an Ashley Westwood corner and Gabriel Agbonlahor hooked the ball in from 4m.

The early goal put the onus on Liverpool to create, but they found it difficult to open up a well-marshalled visiting defence. That will be something the Reds will encounter a lot in Europe.

There was no disguising the fact the hosts missed the strike pairing of Sturridge and Luis Suarez, who is now with Barcelona, that brought them 56 league goals last season.

However, Liverpool also lacked the pace, invention and directness that Sterling and Sturridge have brought.

Balotelli coped well with some defending, from Senderos in particular, that at times looked to be testing his ability to avoid provocation, but the Italian is at his best when he has others stretching the defence and creating him space.

Too often he was left isolated and too often Liverpool’s forward movement was predictable.

Finding a way to be a high-tempo threat without Sturridge, Sterling or Suarez seems to be the key to Liverpool’s squad rotation challenge this season and judging by Saturday it might be easier said than done.

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