Liverpool's Changing Midfield Dynamic Fuels 4-0 Pre-Season Win over Barcelona

Liverpool rounded off their jaunt in the International Champions Cup on Saturday afternoon with an emphatic 4-0 victory over La Liga champions Barcelona. In front of a packed-out Wembley Stadium, their final match in the money-spinning pre-season tournament provided Jurgen Klopp with a major boost as he prepares for the 2016/17 season.

Strikes from Sadio Mane, Divock Origi and Marko Grujic added to a second-half own goal from ex-Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano to consign Luis Enrique's star-studded side to a disappointing summer defeat.

Enrique called upon the likes of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Arda Turan as he fielded a strong starting lineup in north-west London, highlighting a major test for Klopp's Reds in their penultimate outing of a busy pre-season.

For Suarez, it was an emotional return against the side he spent three-and-a-half years with between 2011 and 2014, with the Uruguayan catching up with Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson before kick-off:

But for Klopp and his Liverpool squad, it was an afternoon for business, as the German fine-tunes his selection in anticipation of next Sunday's Premier League opener against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Though his former side Mainz 05 are to come on August 7, as their biggest challenge of the summer, the Reds' trip to Wembley provided Klopp with the clearest picture of where his squad stands as they head into 2016/17—with one major tactical tweak from the German during the off-season proving to be influential.

Against Barcelona at Wembley, and throughout pre-season so far, Liverpool have operated with a new dynamic in midfield, and as was proved against Enrique's side, this could bear a strong marker on their potential success this season.

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Though his squad was hampered with a number of key injuries as he prepared to pit himself against the talented Enrique, Klopp called upon a formidable starting lineup on Saturday afternoon, particularly strong in the attacking sector.

Daniel Sturridge (hip), Lucas Leiva (hamstring), Joe Gomez (heel), Loris Karius (hand), Mamadou Sakho (heel) and Ovie Ejaria (groin) were all injured, but the 49-year-old was buoyed by the return of both Grujic (concussion) and Joel Matip (ankle).

Neither Grujic nor Matip started, however, with Klopp deploying the 4-3-3 formation which has been seen throughout pre-season.

In the absence of Karius, Simon Mignolet started in goal, behind a back four of Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Ragnar Klavan and James Milner, who is serving as deputy to first-choice left-back Alberto Moreno.

Klopp's midfield saw a three-man unit of Emre Can, Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana support a fluid forward line of Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino, with this six-strong group providing the impetus to dominate throughout the first half.

Liverpool pressed high and in numbers, fed quick through passes for the pacy Mane to chase and combined with neat, intricate passing on the edge of the penalty area—benefiting from a weak Barcelona defence that featured France centre-back Jeremy Mathieu and 22-year-old reserve winger Juan Camara at left-back.

GOAL! What a start at Liverpool for Sadio Mane!

Follow Liverpool v Barca on SS1 or here: https://t.co/43L4bJsKdl https://t.co/MjwXvbFQzN

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 6, 2016

Mane's opener, after just 14 minutes, saw the Reds exploit Barcelona's weak left-hand side, with Firmino and Lallana combining to tee up the £34 million summer signing for his first goal in a Liverpool shirt.

Speaking after the game, Mane told FATV he was "very happy" to score, particularly in front of a sold-out Wembley crowd.

While Mane stole the show—and the headlines, with This is Anfield's James Nalton, for example, naming him Liverpool's man of the match—Lallana's role in his opening goal was perhaps more significant as a signal of change in Klopp's tactics.

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Klopp deployed his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation on 28 occasions in 2015/16, more than any other system, attempting to translate his successful setup from seven years with Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund, and, to an extent, this proved successful: Liverpool lost just eight of their games in this familiar shape.

But as the German has dipped into the transfer market this summer, and sent some of last season's squad away from Merseyside, this has prompted a change of approach, with the 4-3-3 taking the fore throughout pre-season.

The signing of Wijnaldum from Newcastle United has arguably prompted this, with the versatile Dutchman—who can also operate in the No. 10 role or on either flank—spending much of his game time since joining the Reds in the middle of the park.

Wijnaldum is a midfielder with an impressive engine, blessed with the intelligence and impeccable timing to make dangerous third-man runs and, as he has proved this summer, the industry to function from box to box.

While he told Sky Sports in December that "if I can choose where I want to play, it is in the middle," Wijnaldum has seemingly been signed to operate as a central midfielder, with this three-man setup suiting his abilities perfectly.

With Can serving as the midfield base, relying on his strength and defensive nous, Wijnaldum and Lallana were able to push forward to both aid the press and add bodies to Liverpool's attacking line.

This is something Bleacher Report's Karl Matchett noted while on duty at Wembley on Saturday, writing for This is Anfield:

Rumour has it that Opta served notice during the first half that they will refuse to cover Liverpool’s games this season as they won’t have the man-power to track all the challenges made by those in red every week.

‘Pressing’ is often cited in this Liverpool team as a general term for how the Reds seek to win back possession, but the importance in this game was where they pressed.

The middle third of the pitch was, in the first half at least, utterly dominated by the aggression and pace of the midfield five in turn.

Improving in form this summer, likely due to the added competition the signings of Mane and Wijnaldum provides, Lallana's deft movement into the penalty area just before the quarter-hour mark at Wembley showcased the attacking worth of Klopp's duo of box-to-box midfielders in the 4-3-3.

Similarly, Grujic's run in support of Origi, Lazar Markovic and Danny Ings in the closing stages replicated this, with the Serb—as opposed to Lallana, who laid on an assist—utilising his late run to head beyond substitute goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

Wijnaldum, Lallana and Grujic all look to be thriving as a result of their box-to-box duty in midfield, with both Can and second-half replacement Kevin Stewart impressing in the holding role, and this can also be said of Jordan Henderson.

The Liverpool captain often struggled as part of the midfield double pivot in Klopp's 4-2-3-1 last season, torn between duties in a role that demands a combination of defence and attack, but as his driving run to put pressure on Mascherano to concede just after half-time showed, he is extremely effective when let loose—much in the way he was in Brendan Rodgers' diamond midfield in 2013/14.

Moving from a disjointed 4-2-3-1 to a more balanced 4-3-3 has given Liverpool the base to build for success in the future—with a pre-season win over Barcelona just the beginning—but will it prove sustainable? 

Saturday's win over Barcelona was one of the first in which Klopp was able to field the majority of his big names for 2016/17 in one starting lineup, and with Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Grujic and Henderson all excelling in their midfield roles and Firmino, Mane, Coutinho and Origi shining in attack, this proved pivotal.

The addition of Wijnaldum gives Klopp the option to tweak his side's tactical makeup, and as the Times's Rory Smith theorised towards the end of July, his stockpiling of midfield options suits the 4-3-3:

@samlee1428 @LFCZA All speculation at the minute but I'm wondering if Klopp might go 4-3-3, at least sometimes. Explains extra MFs.

— Rory Smith (@RorySmithTimes) July 25, 2016

The way in which Liverpool dominated one of the most outstanding sides in modern football, despite Barcelona's lack of sharpness, highlighted the virtues of this overwhelming attacking approach—three dynamic forwards operating in attack, supported by two surging, box-to-box midfielders.

This is something that Liverpool were unable to achieve on a regular basis in 2015/16, owing to Joe Allen's injuries and Milner's lack of quality in the central role, but now, with the options available to him, it can become a more consistent feature—though at times, Klopp will require a more accomplished holding option.

With Lallana and Henderson looking re-energised, and Grujic and Wijnaldum bedding into their new roles on Merseyside, Liverpool look set to benefit from the changing midfield dynamic in Klopp's new-look 4-3-3.

Expect to witness this new shape in action throughout 2016/17, as Klopp looks to have struck gold with his revamped structure.