Andrew Robertson played against Porto with such energy and determination that it seemed as though his Liverpool career depended on it.
Kostas Tsimikas has been in such fine form for Liverpool recently that you would be forgiven for forgetting about Robertson to an extent.
Coming back from injury, it’s good to know he won’t be rushed back into the side and, with Tsimikas playing so well, he doesn’t need to. But Robertson reminded fans why he is such a good player.
In a dead rubber game against Porto – a side Liverpool thrashed 5-1 earlier this season – Robbo could have come back in from the bench and used the game as a glorified training session to get some match rhythm.
Does that sound anything like the Robertson we all know and love? No, it doesn’t.
There was one moment in the second half when the former Hull City star chased a Porto player down from just inside their half and ran after him for 15 yards. Then, when he played the ball to a teammate, Robbo kept chasing until the ball was cleared in panic.
It was a moment reminiscent of the 80-yard dash he made against Manchester City in the Champions League in 2018, which was also greeted by huge applause from the Anfield faithful.
I expect Robertson will soon come back into the starting XI and, hopefully, he can return to top form. Otherwise the argument for Tsimikas to get an extended run will only gain momentum.
Klopp recently said: “In the last few years, it was often a problem that it was quite tricky to replace Robbo. I would say it’s actually not really possible because Robbo is a world-class player.”
