Liverpool is missing Luis Diaz — but not for the reason you think
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Liverpool sold Luis Diaz last summer and he has been missed, offering a reminder of his quality during the Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and PSGLuis Diaz during the Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and PSG.(Image: S. Alongside his PSG counterpart Kvaratskhelia, he was the main attraction.Diaz has already wrapped up the Bundesliga title under Vincent Kompany, and he might yet win the Champions League as well.
Next Wednesday, at the Allianz Arena, there is everything to play for — and on this evidence, he might have another big role to play.READ MORE: Mohamed Salah to announce next club as Liverpool farewell plunged into doubtREAD MORE: Jurgen Klopp gives honest assessment of Florian Wirtz's first season at LiverpoolSince leaving Merseyside last summer, Diaz has now scored 26 goals in all competitions while providing a further 20 assists for his teammates too.It means the question of whether Liverpool should have sold him is inevitable. The logic was clear.For all that his threat in the final third and his little bursts of pace to beat a man have been missing, though, Liverpool has lacked something else more than anything: his ability to drag his team up the pitch and away from danger.Luis Diaz of Bayern Munich during the Champions League semi-final against PSG.(Image: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)Sadio Mane, at his peak, was a master of being able to take the ball under pressure and dribble forward with it, holding off challenges and ensuring that any pressure his side was under was alleviated.Diaz has a similar trait, as he showed many times against PSG.
His driving runs with the ball at his feet transformed the game on the counter and his knack for seeing players bounce off him was a huge asset.It was that quality that saw Marquinhos go into the referee's book early on, and that driving forward with purpose that caused Willian Pacho to concede a penalty.Of course, in one of the all-time great Champions League fixtures, it was PSG who was marginally more clinical. The quality that he showed on the big stage was a reminder of what Liverpool once had.Getting as much as $88 million (£65 million) for a player who had only a couple of years left on his contract and wanted to move on in search of something new was a good deal for Liverpool.It is simultaneously true, though, that the Colombian's skillset has been missed in the last few months — not least his ability to drive forward from deep.