Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher showered Ibrahima Konate with reward within the wake of Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Inter Milan and stated the defender was unlucky to overlook out on the man-of-the-match award to Virgil van Dijk.
The heavyweight Champions League last-16 first leg had seemed to be heading for a goalless draw on the San Siro, however a pair of late objectives from Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah put Liverpool within the driving seat forward of half two on Merseyside.
Hosts Inter had probabilities to interrupt the impasse earlier than Firmino’s glancing Seventy fifth-minute header, with Hakan Calhanoglu hanging in opposition to the crossbar and Edin Dzeko having a purpose disallowed for offside.
Van Dijk, carrying the captain’s armband in Jordan Henderson’s absence, put in a sometimes assured efficiency on the coronary heart of Liverpool’s defence and produced an important problem to disclaim Dzeko within the first half.
The Netherlands worldwide was later named man of the match, however CBS Sports activities pundits Henry and Carragher each felt his centre-back accomplice was extra deserving of the prize.
Reflecting on Salah’s 83rd-minute strike, ex-Arsenal striker Henry stated: ‘His consciousness, he knew that the ball was going to come back to him and he made positive the ball was going to come back to him as a result of Konate was about to unleash it.
‘I don’t know what he stated to him, however Konate left it!
‘And by the way in which, what a sport from Konate. He was completely excellent tonight.’
Requested whether or not he was stunned Van Dijk had been named man of the match, Henry replied: ‘Yeah, I believed Konate was man of the match for me.’
Reds legend Carragher stated he was impressed with the character Konate displayed given the calibre of participant he was up in opposition to and the intimidating environment of the San Siro.
‘I believed Virgil van Dijk performed effectively, however you nearly anticipate it,’ the ex-Liverpool and England defender added.
‘When Konate is available in he’s not first alternative precisely because it’s Matip usually, he’s a younger participant coming in.
‘He’s additionally up in opposition to that cauldron of the environment there.
‘Van Dijk stated how a lot he loved the environment and we don’t actually respect it being within the studio.
‘For a younger participant at centre-back, with the gamers he was up in opposition to, I feel he most likely simply edged massive Virg.’
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