Slot confirms where Florian Wirtz will play vs Real Madrid after Gakpo dropped | OneFootball

Arne Slot has confirmed that Florian Wirtz will play on the left wing for Liverpool against Real Madrid.

The German international, who signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer in a £116m package deal, comes in for Cody Gakpo.

The Dutchman had been named in the first-XI for the Reds’ 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League at the weekend.

Where is Florian Wirtz playing against Real Madrid?

(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Slot told Amazon Prime: “I feel every time right for Florian Wirtz, but I have more than 11 players to choose from. So tonight, as many times before, I’ve decided to play him.

“If I play him, you ask about him. If I don’t play him, you ask about him. But he plays tonight, yeah.”

The former Feyenoord boss responded to a further question about replacing Gakpo: “Yeah. He’s the left-winger tonight.”

It’s an interesting choice from the manager and points to a wider concern over how the head coach can manage to fit in all his summer signings.

With Milos Kerkez, the solution seems simple – follow in Andy Robertson’s footsteps and bed in the player slowly, whilst also playing to his strengths.

But Liverpool ultimately didn’t buy Wirtz to feature as competition for Gakpo’s left-wing role. In fact, a big part of the reason Slot managed to convince the 22-year-old to join was the promise that he would play a ‘central’ role in the side.

Liverpool’s starting-XI vs Real Madrid: Mamardashvili, Robertson, Van Dijk, Konate, Bradley, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Ekitike, Salah

What did Slot promise Wirtz before Liverpool transfer?

(Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)

According to a report published by The Athletic, Slot promised to fulfil Wirtz’s wish of being ‘at the centre of his new team’ and ‘that will be the case at Anfield’.

This positional decision screams of a temporary sacrifice for the greater good of a football team fighting to restore an identity previously in crisis amid a long-running bad streak of results.

Placing the German on the left wing, a position he can still be impactful in cutting in on the left side of the pitch (where he has looked most comfortable at Liverpool), allows us to hold on to our favoured 4-3-3 shape.

In the long term, however, questions have to be asked about how Slot can maintain the same balance in the side without shoving Florian Wirtz out to the wing.

* Florian Wirtz stats for Liverpool in the 2025/26 season (Transfermarkt)

The former Bayer Leverkusen wants to be a central part of the side – more to the point, he’s most valuable in the centre of the pitch.

But how do we incorporate him without unsettling the tried and tested trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai?

Big questions ahead for Liverpool FC, but for now, a result against Real Madrid in the Champions League will more than suffice.

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