The 2nd half began.
Southampton approached the restart with a more aggressive shape. Davis moved closer to Lucas, while Wanyama remained within reach of Azim whenever the forward dropped towards the midfield. Van Dijk and Fonte held the defensive line, determined to avoid another situation in which the Liverpool striker could face them with the ball at his feet.
Koeman had made the priority clear.
Do not let Liverpool turn the match into an open exchange of attacks.
Southampton needed possession. They needed to move the ball into dangerous areas without leaving themselves exposed to another counterattack.
Their first few passes were patient.
Fonte passed to Van Dijk, who moved the ball towards Cédric. Tadić dropped to receive, but Coutinho had already started closing the passing lane.
The full-back returned the ball backwards.
Azim began his press, approaching Van Dijk from the side that prevented the direct pass into Clasie.
The defender looked towards Stekelenburg.
Azim changed direction.
Stekelenburg received the back-pass and attempted to distribute towards Bertrand on the opposite flank.
Moreno advanced to close the left-back.
Bertrand played into Davis, who tried to turn.
Lucas stepped forward.
The ball travelled into the midfielder's feet, but Lucas's pressure forced him to take an awkward touch. Davis attempted to recover it, only for Can to arrive and poke the ball towards Milner.
Liverpool had won possession.
"Good!" Milner shouted. "Now move!"
Milner passed towards Firmino.
The Brazilian played a first-time ball into Azim, who had dropped into a central pocket. Van Dijk followed, expecting the forward to attempt another turn.
Azim did not.
He redirected the ball towards Coutinho and immediately accelerated towards the left channel.
Coutinho took a touch inside.
Wanyama stepped towards him, leaving a small gap between himself and Clasie.
Coutinho played the ball back to Firmino.
The Brazilian returned it to Milner.
The ball had travelled through 4 players in less than 4 seconds, and Southampton's midfield was already struggling to maintain its original shape.
Azim continued his run.
Van Dijk followed him towards the left.
Fonte shifted across to cover.
Firmino noticed the gap developing in the centre and moved into it.
Milner attempted a pass.
The ball was intercepted by Clasie before Firmino could receive.
Southampton recovered.
But the move had worked well enough to reveal a weakness.
When Liverpool passed quickly and moved immediately afterwards, Southampton's markers could no longer remain certain about who they should follow.
Klopp clapped from the touchline.
"Again! Keep moving!"
Azim returned towards the centre circle.
The 2nd half had barely begun, but the tactical problem was already changing.
Southampton wanted to keep following #36.
Liverpool intended to make that decision expensive.
The 1st real opportunity of the 2nd half came from a pressing sequence.
Stekelenburg played towards Fonte, who passed into Clasie.
Azim approached the midfielder from the front, positioning himself so that Wanyama was hidden behind his shoulder. Clasie checked his surroundings and attempted to return the ball to Fonte.
Firmino anticipated the pass and sprinted across to close the centre-back.
Fonte hurried his touch.
The ball moved away from his foot.
Azim accelerated towards the loose ball, arriving just before Van Dijk could recover it.
He controlled the ball with his right foot and looked towards goal.
The opportunity was not as clean as it first appeared. Fonte was recovering from one side, Van Dijk was moving towards the centre, and Wanyama was close enough to challenge if Azim tried to carry the ball forward.
Coutinho was moving into the left channel.
Firmino was free near the edge of the penalty area.
Azim chose the pass.
He played forward towards Firmino, who received with his back to goal and immediately returned it into the path of Coutinho.
Coutinho advanced towards the penalty area.
Bertrand recovered in time to challenge him, forcing the Brazilian to turn away from goal.
The chance disappeared.
"Better!" Firmino called as they retreated.
Azim nodded.
They had not scored, but the sequence had achieved something useful. Southampton's centre-backs had been forced to make hurried decisions, their midfield had been drawn towards the ball, and Liverpool had created an opportunity through coordinated movement rather than an individual dribble.
It was exactly what Klopp wanted.
Azim began returning towards the centre circle.
Van Dijk moved with him.
The defender was still refusing to give him space.
Azim glanced at him.
"You're working hard today."
Van Dijk looked at him.
"Somebody has to stop you."
Azim smiled.
"Then keep working."
Southampton responded by attacking through Mané.
At 50 minutes, the winger received a diagonal pass behind Clyne and accelerated towards the penalty area. Clyne turned and chased, attempting to prevent Mané from moving inside.
The winger shifted the ball onto his right foot.
Can stepped across to provide cover.
Mané tried to slip a pass towards Pellè, but Sakho anticipated the movement and intercepted it.
The ball travelled towards Lucas.
Azim had already moved into the central channel, ready to support the counterattack.
Lucas collected possession and passed forward.
Azim received with his back to goal.
Van Dijk was close behind him.
Wanyama approached from the side.
Instead of trying to turn, Azim played a short pass to Firmino and immediately accelerated towards the space behind the centre-back.
Firmino returned the ball first time.
Azim had escaped Van Dijk's immediate pressure, but the pass was slightly behind him. He had to adjust his stride and control it with his left foot, allowing Fonte time to recover.
The centre-back moved across.
Azim attempted to cut inside.
Fonte blocked the route.
The ball rolled away towards Wanyama, who cleared.
The attack had failed.
Azim looked down briefly before turning towards the defensive line.
His decision to play the combination had been correct, but the execution had not been perfect. Firmino's return pass had forced him to adjust, and Fonte's recovery had closed the available space.
He could not expect every one-touch exchange to work simply because the idea was sound.
Klopp's instructions had been clear.
Fluidity was useful only when it created a better option.
Azim jogged back into position.
Firmino approached him.
"Pass was behind."
"I know."
"But the run was good."
Azim glanced towards him.
"Next time, keep it in front."
Firmino smiled.
"Next time, control your feet."
Azim laughed despite himself.
"Deal."
The next opening came from patience rather than immediate pressure.
Liverpool circulated possession across their defensive line, drawing Southampton's midfield towards the ball. Can passed to Lucas, who moved it towards Milner before receiving it back near the centre circle.
Azim drifted towards the right half-space.
Van Dijk followed him.
Firmino moved towards the ball, drawing Wanyama away from the centre.
Coutinho stepped inside from the left.
For a moment, Southampton's midfield was forced to choose between tracking the movement of the 3 Liverpool attackers and protecting the passing lanes behind them.
Milner saw the opening.
He played towards Coutinho, who passed first time into Firmino.
Firmino redirected the ball into Azim's path.
The forward received on the half-turn.
Van Dijk was close enough to challenge.
Azim saw the defender's weight shift towards his right foot and decided not to attempt another body feint. Instead, he used his left foot to move the ball across his body, then played a short pass into the space behind the centre-back.
Firmino had already begun his run.
He accelerated beyond Fonte, meeting the ball near the edge of the penalty area.
Stekelenburg came forward.
Firmino attempted a first-time finish towards the far corner.
The goalkeeper reacted sharply and saved with his left hand.
The rebound travelled towards Coutinho, whose attempt was blocked by Cédric.
Southampton cleared.
Anfield applauded the chance.
Firmino stopped near the penalty spot and looked towards Azim.
"That was the pass!"
Azim grinned.
"You wanted it. You got it."
Firmino laughed.
"Now get me another one."
Van Dijk walked past Azim as the players returned towards the halfway line.
"You got lucky there."
Azim glanced at him.
"Your goalkeeper made a good save."
The answer appeared to irritate the defender more than a boast would have.
Azim was beginning to understand something important about his opponent. Van Dijk wanted to turn the duel into a personal contest, but Azim did not need to accept that invitation.
He could recognise the defender's quality without conceding the battle.
And he could use the space behind him without attempting to humiliate him every time they met.
The breakthrough came in the 52nd minute.
Southampton tried to build again through the centre, with Clasie receiving from Fonte and attempting a pass towards Wanyama.
Azim approached from the side, blocking the central route while forcing the midfielder to turn towards the touchline.
Clasie tried to play around him.
The pass was underhit.
Lucas stepped across and intercepted it.
He immediately found Can, who passed towards Milner.
Milner moved the ball into Coutinho.
The Brazilian took a touch inside, drawing Cédric towards him before playing a short pass to Firmino.
Firmino was already moving.
He received on the half-turn and carried the ball towards the edge of the penalty area, forcing Wanyama to step out.
Azim saw the movement and accelerated behind Van Dijk.
The defender turned to follow him.
Fonte shifted across to cover the channel.
For a moment, both centre-backs were moving towards the same side of the penalty area.
Firmino had the ball at his feet.
He looked towards Azim, then towards Coutinho.
The pass into the channel was available.
He played it.
The ball travelled behind Van Dijk, rolling into the space Azim had attacked before the defender could recover.
Azim met it near the edge of the box.
His first touch carried the ball towards the centre.
Fonte was closing.
Stekelenburg began advancing.
Azim shifted his weight as though preparing to shoot across the goalkeeper.
Fonte reacted, attempting to block the expected effort.
Azim moved the ball onto his left foot.
He struck low.
The shot travelled towards the near post, skimming across the grass before Stekelenburg could bring his body down.
The ball passed beneath the goalkeeper's hand and entered the net.
Liverpool 4, Southampton 0.
Azim turned towards the Kop.
He jumped and drove his fist into the air.
"YES!"
The crowd answered with a deafening roar.
Firmino reached him first, grabbing the forward around the shoulders.
"That's 1!"
Azim laughed.
"You said you wanted another pass."
"I did not say I wanted you to score from it!"
Coutinho arrived and pulled them both into an embrace.
Milner ran towards the group, clapping vigorously.
"Excellent! That's what we want! Keep moving!"
Klopp was already celebrating wildly beside the technical area. He punched the air, shouted towards his players and turned towards his assistants with a grin.
The commentators were almost shouting.
"AZIM AGAIN! THAT IS HIS 3RD GOAL OF THE MATCH!"
"Look at the movement! Firmino draws Wanyama forward, Azim attacks the channel, and the defence cannot decide who should follow whom. Liverpool have scored another beautiful goal!"
The replay showed Azim's run behind Van Dijk, the short pass from Firmino and the low finish.
"The important point is that he does not try to beat the centre-back with another individual trick. He attacks the space created by the movement around him. That is intelligent forward play."
Koeman stood near the touchline, his arms folded.
Southampton had conceded another goal despite attempting to make their defensive structure more compact.
The problem was no longer simply Azim's ability to dribble.
Liverpool were moving the ball through the spaces created by the attention Southampton gave him.
Van Dijk looked towards the scoreboard.
Then he turned towards Azim.
The defender's expression remained tense, but the anger had begun to give way to concentration. He was trying to decide whether he could continue following the forward without allowing Liverpool to exploit the space behind him.
Azim jogged towards the centre circle.
"Still following me?" he called.
Van Dijk looked at him.
"Don't get comfortable."
Azim smiled.
"Too late."