Wayne Rooney blasts ‘lazy’ Liverpool star at fault for Paris Saint-Germain goal | Football

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 in 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 place in the quarter-finals of the competition up for grabs.

Dembele started 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 able to smuggle the ball over the line for his 29^th 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 some of the blame at the feet of his defensive partner Konate.

‘This goal from Liverpool’s point of view is wrong in so many different ways,’ Rooney said at half-time.

‘They are trying to press the ball and van Dijk gets lazy. If you keep your eyes on van Dijk here, he is walking. He leaves a massive gap for Dembele.

‘All he has to do is come across to Dembele because there is no other pass for Paris to get out but he doesn’t.

‘Now Dembele has got a lot of space. And Konate again, he doesn’t switch on, Dembele makes a good run and it’s a tap in.’

Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge praised Dembele for ‘staying engaged’ but suggested a lack of communication among the Reds led to the early setback.

‘It is communication in moments like this,’ Sturridge said. ‘We talking about van Dijk, Szoboszlai and Konate.

‘Fair play to Dembele here for following the chance and staying engaged in the moment because you can switch off in those moments but he found himself in the position.

‘But they will be very upset in the goal.

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