Thiago Alcantara was outstanding during the week.
The Spaniard of Brazilian parentage ran Liverpool’s midfield during their comfortable 2-0 defeat of Villarreal at Anfield.
He’s a key part of a team pushing for the quadruple – the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Injuries have disrupted Thiago’s Liverpool career since he joined them from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020. But in recent times he’s maintained fitness and put together a real run of form.
According to Marca, he completed 99 of 103 passes during the win over Villarreal, recording a pass completion rate of 96%.
But that statistic doesn’t reflect just how line-breaking and penetrative those passes were. Thiago is able to both control the tempo of games and provide moments that decide them.
As well as on the ball, his work off the ball is of note. Thiago has learned how to pressure more effectively, averaging 18.3 pressures per game this season compared to 22.43 last season.
He’s also recovering the ball 2.3 times per game – no other player across Europe’s top five leagues can boast a better figure.
Thiago’s form for The Reds means that Luis Enrique simply must be considering giving him a more prominent role with La Roja.
The World Cup is just around the corner and while Thiago was part of Spain’s squad at Euro 2020 he should really be a key player by the time Luis Enrique’s men land in Qatar.
Shining under the Anfield lights again 😍
Special, @Thiago6 🪄 pic.twitter.com/X9Gnjwa966
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 27, 2022
