Dominik Szoboszlai expressed confidence in his midfield partnership with Alexis Mac Allister, dismissing doubts about their ability to anchor Liverpool's midfield effectively. The Hungary captain and the Argentina World Cup winner started together as a deep-lying midfield duo in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League opener on Wednesday.

Throughout the summer, much of the discussion surrounding Liverpool’s squad revolved around the absence of a traditional defensive midfielder capable of shielding the back four. Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, and another midfield option, Ryan Gravenberch, are not primarily defensive specialists, a fact that prompted concerns among some analysts and former players. Jamie Carragher, a former defender for Liverpool, voiced skepticism last month regarding whether the current midfield setup could provide sufficient defensive coverage.

Despite these reservations, Szoboszlai expressed optimism about the duo’s potential. “We can, we can. I’ve said it many times, I love to play with Macca. We know each other. Without actually talking, when you look at someone and he knows what you want to do and I know exactly what he wants to do – I think that helps the team as well,” Szoboszlai said. He also emphasized the importance of squad unity and competition for places as the team faces a demanding schedule across multiple competitions. “It’s the manager’s decision who will play the next games and I think everyone is ready to compete with each other but we have to become a family. At the end we need everybody because the season is long and we are in all competitions and we want to be in all competitions until the end.”

Liverpool’s recent victory marked the first time since January that the team had conceded the opening goal yet still managed to secure a win, overcoming a trend that contributed to their failure to defend the Premier League title last season. The team’s form had been questioned late last campaign under former manager Arne Slot, with concerns about their mentality and ability to respond to setbacks.

Szoboszlai credited the arrival of new head coach Andoni Iraola with revitalizing the squad’s approach and resilience. “After a setback it is not easy to come back into the game; we have seen last season from losing a game we hardly created anything afterwards,” he said. “But now I think it was a good reaction; we didn’t panic too much, we kept the same system, we kept playing the same way, and in the end you will have your chances.”