James Rodriguez is set to face one of his toughest challenges this season as Everton take on reigning Premier League champions Liverpool and left-back Andrew Robertson will be charged with the task of containing the Colombian.
Under Jurgen Klopp the Scotland international has become one of the best full-backs in Europe and on Saturday will be called to face one of the most in-form players in the Premier League in the first stretch of the 2020/21 campaign.
Ben Davies, Kieran Gibbs, Tyrick Mitchell, Aaron Cresswell and Solly March are the opposition full-backs who have unsuccessfully tried to shackle James in Everton’s four games so far this season.
Since arriving in England from Real Madrid back in September, Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur have been the only ‘top six’ team James has faced so far. The Merseyside derby will be an opportunity for him to show off his quality once more.
To do so, he will have to overcome the obstacle of Robertson, who is a fast, agile, strong, intelligent and tireless at left-back. The Scotchman is, together with Trent Alexander-Arnold, one of the two cornerstones of Liverpool’s game under Klopp.
James will have to be very aware of Robertson who moves forward and becomes a winger when Liverpool attack, and he could take advantage of the space left in defence when the Liverpool full-back moves high up the pitch.
Van Dijk, Wijnaldum or Milner and Jota will also help
The main characteristic of Klopp’s teams is their intensity when it comes to recovering lost balls and hitting on the counter. Diogo Jota, who is expected to flank Roberto Firmino in attack, will track back if Robertson has stayed forward.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s inside midfielder in the derby – either Georginio Wijnaldum or James Milner – could also close down James, with Virgil van Dijk being the last obstacle the Colombian would have to overcome to be in a position to threaten Liverpool.