Jurgen Klopp mouthed the word “wow” when referee Michael Oliver blew the final whistle at Anfield stadium. And after the match conference, he added, “I loved the game”.
So, Liverpool vs Leeds was a belter of a season opener. But was it the best game on the first day of the season in the Premier League era?
It was a fitting end to a seven-goal thriller between the Champions that had everything and ended 4-3 to the hosts.
Klopp’s defending champions led three times for the newly-promoted Leeds who played in the Premier League for the first time since 2004, to hit back three times.
Bielsa’s side were minutes from a deserved point when Salah scored from the penalty spot after the new £30m striker Rodrigo produced a shocking 88th minute challenge on Fabinho.
This ensured the Egyptian king started his season with a hat-trick. However, probably, this wasn’t the main headline in a game dripping in drama spiced with entertainment.
Klopp said he had to catch his breath after the stunning match that played at a near-empty Anfield.
“What a game. What an opponent, what a performance from both teams. A proper spectacle. I loved that”. Beamed Jurgen Klopp after the match.
“It is pretty rare you see that many goals in a game. We will not go home and have a few beers on that result. We need to analyze it”.
“Leeds is special. They performed outstandingly and it was very difficult for the 95 minutes by the way”.
Despite the defeat, Leeds performance won praise from Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy who played under Bielsa at Marseille. He said on his twitter account, “With Bielsa, its always good fun”.
Moreover, Leeds’ Germany defender Robin Koch, who recently joined from Freiburg said it had been a “thrilling” debut.