'Did not crack': Which Liverpool player L'Equipe ranked highest after 2-1 win vs Lille
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Liverpool made it seven wins from seven in the UEFA Champions League last night with an entertaining win against LOSC Lille.
Mohamed Salah and Harvey Elliott were the goalscorers for the Reds at Anfield as Liverpool managed to overcome a strong Lille side who came into last night’s match on an astonishing 21-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
With Lille’s manager naming Liverpool as the best team in the world, though, the Merseyside giants lived up to the label and managed to secure all three points against the Ligue 1 side, securing a last-16 place in the process.
Indeed, Liverpool facing a French side has seen the Reds receive the infamous L’Equipe player rating treatment, and one player stood out above the rest for Arne Slot’s side last night.
READ MORE: Everything to know on Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk from his tattoo to net worth
L’Equipe hand Virgil van Dijk a 7 for Liverpool vs Lille
As per L’Equipe’s official website, Virgil van Dijk came out on top in Liverpool’s rankings on the night with a 7, with the French sports daily writing: “Van Dijk held the fort again for Liverpool, who did not crack in the face of a daring Lille attack in the wake of Haraldsson.”
With Liverpool breaking a 20-year club record having gone 573 minutes without conceding a goal in the Champions League before Jonathan David’s second-half strike, the Reds have been defensively the best team in Europe’s premier club competition by some margin this season.
And Van Dijk has been ever-present in the backline for Liverpool this year in the Champions League, with the Dutch international playing every minute in Europe and even scoring in the first game of the campaign against AC Milan.
Indeed, Van Dijk showed last night why he is one of the best defenders in the world and one of Liverpool’s most important players, yet it was another superstar for the Reds who would end up winning the official Man of the Match award against Lille.
READ MORE: Everything to know on Liverpool's Mohamed Salah from his wife to net worth
Mohamed Salah named official Man of the Match for Liverpool
Liverpool’s 2-1 result last night saw Salah return to the scoresheet for the first time in three games, with the Egyptian international becoming the first player ever to score 50 European goals for the Merseyside giants.
And as a result of the 32-year-old’s goalscoring feat, the winger was named the official Man of the Match by UEFA for last night’s win against Lille, with Alan Shearer jokingly criticising Salah for needing as long as he did to return to the scoreboard.
With Salah and Van Dijk’s Liverpool contracts both expiring at the end of this season, last night’s win served as a reminder as to what the Reds could lose if they’re not careful in the coming weeks, with the duo simply too good to be allowed to leave after the incredible season the pair are having.
