Stefano Pioli noted that his AC Milan side were not quite at Liverpool’s ‘level’ following his outfit’s 2-1 defeat at the San Siro.
The Merseysiders ensured a 100% record in the Champions League group stage, becoming the first English side to do so.
“We are not at that level,” the 56-year-old said, as reported by the Echo. “Liverpool played with some spare parts but were of great quality.”
It’s an admission that will likely be considered as a warning to Europe’s elite, with Jurgen Klopp’s men having signalled their intent with a perfect start to their European campaign.
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With strength in depth (or a lack thereof as far as we are concerned in comparison to some of our domestic rivals) often used as a stick to beat us with, it would have been a somewhat worrying prospect for some of Liverpool’s opponents to witness a near completely changed XI take home a 2-1 win in Italy.
The likes of Nathaniel Phillips and Divock Origi rightly attracted plaudits for performances that made a genuine impact on the game.
Whilst we objectively don’t have a similar level of depth at our disposal compared to the likes of Manchester City or Chelsea, the contributions of our fringe stars has already been significant both domestically and abroad this term.