Wayne Rooney blasted the ‘lazy’ Virgil van Dijk after naming the Liverpool star at fault for Paris Saint-Germain’s opener against Paris Saint-Germain within the Champions League.
After their snatch-and-grab job in Paris last week, Liverpool found themselves a goal behind after 12 minutes at Anfield in Wednesday’s return leg with a spot within the quarter-finals of the competition up for grabs.
Dembele began the move for the visitors, moving the ball out wide to Bradley Barcola before racing into the box for the return pass.
Despite having Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konate for company with Alisson Becker also rushing out from goal, the France international was capable of smuggle the ball over the road for his 29th goal of the season.
Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, on punditry duty with Amazon Prime, singled out van Dijk for failing to sense the danger as his side fell behind, also laying a number of the blame on the feet of his defensive partner Konate.
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‘This goal from Liverpool’s perspective is mistaken in so many various ways,’ Rooney said at half-time.
‘They try to press the ball and van Dijk gets lazy. If you happen to keep your eyes on van Dijk here, he’s walking. He leaves a large gap for Dembele.
‘All he has to do is come across to Dembele because there isn’t any other pass for Paris to get out but he doesn’t.
‘Now Dembele has got plenty of space. And Konate again, he doesn’t turn on, Dembele makes run and it’s a faucet in.’
Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge praised Dembele for ‘staying engaged’ but suggested an absence of communication among the many Reds led to the early setback.
‘It’s communication in moments like this,’ Sturridge said. ‘We talking about van Dijk, Szoboszlai and Konate.
‘Fair play to Dembele here for following the possibility and staying engaged within the moment because you’ll be able to switch off in those moments but he found himself within the position.
‘But they will likely be very upset within the goal.
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