Rio Ngmoja opened up Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Fulham with a brilliant finish and is now likely to start in the do-or-die Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
Arne Slott struggles with Rio Ngmoja (Image: This Is Anfield)
Arne Slott has questioned whether Rio Ngmoja will be able to withstand the intensity of the match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, despite labeling the player “ready” to play in such a big game. Ngmoha, 17, made headlines on Saturday when he scored the opening goal in the Reds’ long-awaited 2-0 home win over Fulham.
The winger cut inside with his right foot and fired a great shot that went into the back of the goal. Ngmoha is a constant threat on the left flank and many fans are calling for him to start Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against PSG, where the Reds lead 2-0 on aggregate.
Slott has been impressed with the 17-year-old and has not ruled out keeping him in the starting XI. However, the Liverpool manager has doubts about whether Ngmoha will be able to repeat that level of performance given his short spell, having never started consecutive games since joining the first team.
“Yeah, I think he’s ready. Of course, the question is, can he do this again in two days?” Slott asked in the post-game press conference. “That’s another question. But can he play and perform at that level? Yeah.
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“I play him because I think he’s one of the players we have. It’s not that he’s a lesser player, at the beginning of the season he was a young player with experience in the first team. But now he’s just a player who can be used in any game, so that’s what happened on Tuesday.”
“But in general, and I’m not talking about Tuesday, to expect a 17-year-old to play three games in six days, you might wonder if that’s realistic, especially for players who went to Paris and saw the intensity.
“You noticed with today’s lineup, I knew how intense it was two days ago and how intense the next two days were going to be again. That’s too much for just about any player.”
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Rio Ngmoja shines against Fulham (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
There are plenty of options to replace Ngmoha in the slot, with Kodi Gakpo, who started as a striker against Fulham, being the favorite. Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak were on the bench, with the latter coming on as a substitute.
Liverpool will need to score at least two goals against PSG, who won the first leg, while closing the backdoor. Ngmoha will be keen to influence and contribute to another famous Champions League night at Anfield.
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