Ask Mina: Liverpool's balancing act with Florian Wirtz, resurgence of Manchester City

In her weekly Q&A, The National's resident expert addresses topics from around the football world

Liverpool's Florian Wirtz against Manchester City. Reuters

Q: How can Florian Wirtz be integrated into the Liverpool team?

@rags1892 via Instagram

A: This is a tough one and I feel for the player whose price tag is provoking endless debate about his qualities. He is a magnificent player but one you can’t just slot in anywhere and ask to create.

Reports suggest the German chose Liverpool over Bayern Munich because they would allow him to play more centrally so that he could knit the play together. That is the role he favours, even if it is not the one he has always played.

He is best as a left-sided attacking midfielder, but his versatility was seen as a strength by Liverpool when scouting him. Arne Slot played him in the middle where he wanted to be, but it has not worked in the way Liverpool had hoped.

His presence there has upset the balance of the side and forced him to drop deep to find the ball, which reduces his impact in the final third.

It has also made the team look more lightweight and less aggressive. By contrast, when he started on the left against Real Madrid, his performance was far more effective. He could receive the ball higher up, combine quickly, and attack from better positions, though the Spanish side are less physical than some in England.

Embedding several brilliant attacking players can harm the balance of the side and leave them defensively open unless those brilliant attackers can do the hard work.

PSG found this out and Real Madrid seemed worse with Kylian Mbappe, their top goalscorer than without. It’s about finding a balance and allowing him the time to develop which may include building the team around him. But can they afford to do that?

Q: If Lionel Messi played in England or Germany, how many fewer goals would he have? Why does it seem that it’s easier to score goals in Serie A and La Liga?

@jeffjacob108 via Instagram

A: I’m not going to lie, this question hurt me a little. It’s giving “can he do it on a cold and windy night in Stoke?” vibe. What I can tell you is that it’s absolutely not easier to score in Serie A or La Liga. If anything, it’s harder, even though comparing leagues with different tactical styles is difficult. But let me provide the receipts.

According to Sportradar’s analysis in May, more than 18,000 goals have been scored in the Bundesliga since 2005/06. That translates to an average of 2.96 goals per game, well above the Premier League (2.74), Serie A (2.68), La Liga (2.66) and Ligue 1 (2.53) over the same period.

Germany and England consistently produced more open games, allowing for more opportunities at goal. Italy and Spain, by contrast, boasted better defensive structures.

European competition provides us with the best data to compare. In last season’s Uefa Champions League, Inter kept the most clean sheets in the league phase, Real Madrid made the most saves, and Barcelona scored the most goals.

The tournament’s leading scorer, assist provider, and player with the most shots on target all came from La Liga. The goalkeeper with the most saves was Yann Sommer of Inter.

In the Europa League, three of the five stingiest defences came from Spain and Italy, while Atalanta won the 2024 title, beating Bayer Leverkusen, the so-called “Invincibles,” on a fraction of the budget of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Even penalties are harder to score in these leagues. RG.com reported in January that from 2020 to 2025, Serie A had the highest penalty save rate (21.40 per cent) and La Liga followed at 18.41 per cent, ahead of the Premier League (16.27 per cent).

Messi would score anywhere and against anyone, but no, Spain did not make it easier for him.

Lionel Messi during training with the Argentinian team. EPA

Q: What do you think about the hiring of Luciano Spalletti at Juventus?

@Mrubertz via Instagram

A: Spalletti would not have been my first choice. Let me be clear, he is, in my opinion, the most gifted tactician in Italy, and his ideas have inspired an entire generation of coaches, including Pep Guardiola. But I am not convinced he is the man to shift Juventus’s mentality or push this team to mature.

Juventus respond better to charismatic leaders than to pure tacticians. Spalletti has an impressive record, and what he achieved with Napoli was extraordinary, winning an unlikely Scudetto through football of remarkable beauty.

But frankly, it almost doesn’t matter who takes the job right now. It is difficult to win when a club is this poorly run. Juventus have not been well managed since Beppe Marotta left in 2018, and things have only worsened.

Once upon a time, every squad was studied in detail, and every player targeted was examined for character as much as for talent and technique.

The same applied to every coach or director they hired. There was a clear ethos, a clear strategy, and a defined type of personality that fitted the Juventus identity.

That is no longer the case. Look at the attack. Was it really wise to spend so much on forwards who, for the most part, cannot even play together?

There is talent in this team, but few dependable leaders. A group lacking the right mentality, maturity and experience, paired with a coach who can get lost in the details, may not be the right mix. Still, at least the football is improving.

Al Ahli's Edouard Mendy. Reuters

Q: I watched Edouard Mendy’s miraculous save for Al Ahli this weekend. Has he been performing at these levels throughout his time there?

@Sasahsani via Instagram

A: Honestly, I think Mendy is one of the best goalkeepers in the Saudi Pro League. There’s fierce competition too, with Yassine Bounou (Bono), formerly of Sevilla, still showing incredible consistency. But it feels like not a week goes by without Mendy producing something special.

The game you’re referring to was this past weekend’s Jeddah derby between two of the biggest teams in the country, Al Ahli and reigning champions Al Ittihad.

Riyad Mahrez scored the only goal of the match, but it was Mendy’s stunning left-handed save in stoppage time, denying Danilo’s header, that secured all three points.

It was genuinely world-class. He always had a miracle up his sleeve. Remember that save against Brentford when he was at Chelsea in 2021? Best hands in the business.

He’s been performing at this level throughout his time in Saudi. Only last month, he pulled off another brilliant reaction save against Al Shabab that went viral. Since moving to the Middle East, he’s kept a clean sheet in over half his league appearances and concedes barely a goal every two matches.

He was named best goalkeeper of the 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite after playing a huge role in Al Ahli’s first-ever continental title.

In an interview earlier this summer, he said he came to Saudi Arabia for trophies, not the money which obviously courted scepticism but looking at what he’s achieved since, he deserves his plaudits.

Q: Manchester City were brilliant over the weekend, are they back to the best and can they win the title?

@dghandour44

A: What a game that was. From a spectator’s point of view, it was worth the price of the ticket. The tempo, the technique, the tactics. It was great entertainment.

Manchester City are always in the title conversation because they have the best coach in the business, but this was a particularly impressive win for me.

I have often criticised Guardiola when he overcomplicates things or ignores certain flaws, yet you have to admire how he keeps reinventing himself. His willingness to experiment and challenge his own ideas was all over that 3–0 win against Liverpool.

Who would have thought Guardiola would ever go for a classic number nine or a goalkeeper like Gigi Donnarumma? But he continues to change up and experiment. The wingers now have freedom to drift inside or stay wide, and it is giving us the best version of Jeremy Doku.

His goal from a central position was one of the season’s highlights. He has sharpened his decision-making and is much more clinical in his finishing. His combination with Nico O’Reilly was superb, drawing Liverpool’s defenders in before exploiting the gaps.

Last season, Rodri’s absence left City short of control and power. Yet even with Liverpool’s bulked up midfield, City still looked stronger physically and mentally. They were tenacious, aggressive and full of ideas.

O’Reilly was excellent, as were many others including Nico Gonzalez. The difference is more fluidity. Less tactical rigidity, more expression. City were already contenders. They have to be considered Arsenal’s biggest threat for the title.