Szoboszlai explains how Liverpool’s new defensive rule is changing everything

Liverpool’s latest European win might have been defined by Alexis Mac Allister’s finish, but Dominik Szoboszlai believes the real story lies in what we’re doing off the ball.

Speaking after the 1–0 victory over Real Madrid at Anfield, the Hungarian midfielder told CBS Sports: “Finally, we are keeping the clean sheets and I think that’s the most important.

“We had the rule — five seconds behind the ball — and I think the last two, three games everybody’s doing it.”

It’s a simple instruction from Arne Slot, but one that’s transformed our defensive organisation.

The five-second rule has been the foundation for a run that’s seen us record back-to-back wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid without conceding, with our xG against dropping to just 0.45 versus Madrid according to Opta Analyst.

Szoboszlai thriving under Slot’s demands

This isn’t the first time the 25-year-old has been singled out for his discipline and consistency.

After the Frankfurt win earlier this month, our head coach said: “Since I’m here, he’s one of the players that, maybe after Virgil [van Dijk] and Mo [Salah], has played the most minutes for me.

“That tells you what I think about him.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by former Red Steve Nicol, who recently said that Szoboszlai and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili were among the few who could hold their heads high after the Brentford defeat – calling the pair “the only ones performing” while others struggled to adapt to Slot’s rotations.

That blend of work rate and tactical understanding is now showing results, with Szoboszlai emerging as one of the on-field leaders in this developing Liverpool side.

Defensive data shows Liverpool’s improvement

In our last three fixtures, we’ve limited opponents to just 0.83 expected goals per game on average, down from 1.61 across the opening month of the season.

Against Real Madrid, we forced 13 turnovers in their half, our highest total in the Champions League this term, showing just how quickly the five-second rule is becoming second nature.

It’s no wonder Szoboszlai is relishing his role.

As he said with a smile: “It would be a dream to play in the final in Budapest, but that’s a long way to go.”

If we keep defending like this, that dream might not be so far away.

You can watch Szoboszlai’s comments (from 4:05) via CBS Sports Golazo on YouTube:

You can watch Slot’s post-match press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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