Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister had a game to forget as Argentina suffered a shock defeat to Uruguay in their World Cup qualifiers last night.
Marcelo Bielsa is now the manager of Uruguay and has completely transformed the team.
He helped them beat Brazil in the international break last month and have now completed a fantastic victory over the world champions.
The 68-year-old had a special plan to stop Mac Allister last night, and it worked brilliantly.
Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister is rated 4/10 as Argentina lose to Brazil
Alexis Mac Allister has received rave reviews for both Liverpool and Argentina in recent months, and rightly so.
However, he will be the first to admit that he had a disappointing match last night.
The Argentine was once again deployed as number six. He was brilliant during the international break last month but Marcelo Bielsa let him down last night.
The Uruguayan coach had a player marking Mac Allister from the first minute of the match.
He was under pressure every time he touched the ball and this made it a difficult evening for the Liverpool man.
Mac Allister, who received a yellow card in the first half, was replaced at half-time and TyC Sports have now given him a rating of 4/10 for his performance.
They wrote: “Bielsa left an indelible mark on him and he never felt comfortable with him. The slightest imperfection and it was a loss of ball.
“Warned, he came off at half-time to make room for Lautaro.”
Alexis Mac Allister played as a number six for both Liverpool and Argentina, and looked good in matches where his team dominated.
But against stronger opposition, where they don’t have full control, he tends to come out, especially if he gets branded by the humans like he was last night. His lack of rhythm is also a problem.
Liverpool next face Manchester City in the Premier League and we’re sure Pep Guardiola would have seen Bielsa knock Mac Allister out of the game last night.
If Jurgen Klopp starts the Argentine as the number six in this match, we wouldn’t be at all surprised if Guardiola uses Bielsa’s tactics to stop Mac Allister.
