You can file a strong case that this year Carabao Cup final will testify that the most threatening striker in Europe opposes the most powerful back in the middle.
Alexander Issak scored 22 goals in all competitions this season, as he looks forward to overcoming his 25th professional career, which was achieved in 2023-24. If he wants to add to this total on Sunday, he will likely need better than the Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dick.
But for some distress in the thigh, Izak could have received some other practices against Van Dyck in the Premier League match last month in Anfield – a game in which Newcastle was hit comfortably after it failed to score one shot on the goal.
Even without Issak on the side of that night, Van Dick was keen to give the International International praise before his imminent battle in Wembley.
“We know that Izak is definitely the most currently striker in world football, so you know when that returns,” said Van Digk after his team’s 2-0 victory on February 26.
On the one hand, extensive statistics help us a simple conclusion about the previous battles of the husband. Liverpool won four of the games in which Van Diek and Izak began on their sides.
However, saying that the Dutch international had things in his own way across those five games that will only tell half of the story.
Izak scored three and helped one of the seven goals that Newcastle managed to face Liverpool at the time. Gabriel Martinelli is only from Arsenal, Breton, and Hof Ally (both five) have more common targets and assisted against Liverpool since the beginning of 2022-23-with no central lines aimed at locking centuries with Liverpool players.
Simply put, Isaac caused Captain Liverpool problems every time the husband shares the same grass. So what can we expect on Sunday?
Given that Izak has a tendency to drifter to the left side of the Newcastle attack, Liverpool Etgerima may be the man who should be more aware of the 25 -year -old threat.
It does not include the game last season, when the Van Dijk-don’t worry, we will reach that-you can see ISAK mile to move away from the Dutch side in its early matches, before going to the soles of the feet in its last two games against Liverpool.
There are no very large number of attackers who can match the physical features of Van Dijk in terms of speed, power and height, and there are signs of 33 -year -old plays slightly differently against ISak for this reason.
Van Dijk is usually not looking for a defensive action for itself, but in every game they played, there is a greater tendency to touch the ISak to cancel any threat before it really evolve-whether it was close to its penalty area or highly pushed to follow the deep ISAK runs.
With Izak moved to these broader left channels in the Newcastle attack, there are even occasions that Van Dyck is ready for drifting outside the position-and he passes through his central back-to follow Sweden International instead of transferring him to his teammate.
This is the threat that Issak has the ability to withdraw Van Dick to areas where he does not want to be.
Liverpool captain believes that the matter represents an insult if he is asked to put at some point in that and engage in the enemy’s race, but he was forced to match the speed of Izak and withdraw to the distance line of touch during their last meeting in St. James Park.
Many of the center did not rise forward against Van Dick in an individual battle and the other side comes out with the ball at their feet, but Isaac managed to advance in the defender, which was a warning sign during the 15 minutes of the December match.
It is clear that Izak disturbed Van Digik with his movement, and after only 20 minutes, some unrelated defense was punished.
Izak, stationed between the left back of Liverpool, received a perforated ball from Bruno Jimara with his left foot. Note that Newcastle’s No 14 is not in the Van Dijk line, forcing the Dutch to rotate his body quickly when the corridor is made – this means that there is a period in which he does not look at the man or the ball as he looks to restore his orientation (see frame 2 below).
As the old dilemma of football says, when the attacker can see the cannon number, they know that they have defeated them. The ISAK shot from the distance is sublime, but the movement and speed of the work is what is going on Van Dijk out to create a chapter.
Playing on the last line is a particularly strong part of ISak. It tends to start an offside position before returning to the other side just as the rear opposition line decreases.
It is very similar to the old schools No. 9, ISak will put the same between the central back to avoid distinguishing it and attacking the space in the follow -up of a teammate through the ball. This can be seen from the two teams meeting in December …
… but a sequence that has proven profitable to Izak against the Liverpool back line.
In their game in Anseld last season, it was a similar sequence that includes Anthony Gordon cut from the interior of the touch line before playing a targeted segment pass behind the Liverpool defense line. Issak barely needs to break the steps as he runs between the central back to finish beyond Alison.
Earlier that season, a similar sequence led to the dismissal of Van Dick in St. James Park. Gordon comes inward, ISAK is placed between the central back, and enables A or Ball from the Newcastle striker of the race.
If not criticizing Van Dick in Issak, in which the man took then The ball is likely to see another that ends coldly from Izak. If the last Premier League striker was less threatened, you may be confident that Van Dick would have simply led his leg away from the goal without facing a challenge.
Newcastle injury issues and suspension means that Eddie Hao will not be a full force in Wembley – especially below the left side – but they will provide a material battle with their typical energy via the field.
Liverpool is The Howre team in the Premier League has only failed to overcome any competition since it took over Newcastle’s responsibility In November 2021, but any team with Izac has a fighting opportunity.
It is important, if it is possible to name any striker in the name of Cryptonite from Van Dyck in recent years, then Izac will be.
(Supreme Image: Setterfield/Getty Images)
