As far as defeats go, Liverpool’s penalty shootout loss to Manchester City was about as good as it gets.
The Reds may have missed out on winning the Community Shield on Sunday, but the positives became increasingly clear as the afternoon unfolded.
Jurgen Klopp’s side looked under-cooked in the first half, allowing their new-found most direct rivals to dominate, but it was a completely different story after the break.
Liverpool were all over the Premier League champions like a rash, harrying them endlessly and creating chances at will (eight shots on target to one in the second half).
Had Mohamed Salah chosen to put on his shooting boots before kick-off, the Reds would have been out of sight come the final whistle.
Add to that yet more goal line technology proving unfortunate – did Liverpool use up all their luck against Chelsea in 2005? – and Klopp’s men had every right to feel a little hard done by.
There was so much to admire about the performance, but the absence of Sadio Mane again showed why he is one of Liverpool’s undisputed main men.
With all due respect to Divock Origi, who will always give his all, he simply provided nowhere near the same level of intelligence, goal threat and link-up play that Mane offers.
Tasked with thriving out on the left wing, with Roberto Firmino leading the line impressively, Origi seemed to blunt Liverpool’s play too often.
Whereas Mane feels like making something happen every time he has the ball, the opposite applied with the Reds’ unlikely hero from last season, prior to his substitution.
That shouldn’t be seen as a stick to beat Origi with – he just happens to be a far inferior player to one of Europe’s most devastating wide men.
Mane is still working his way back to full match fitness after his excursions at the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning Liverpool will have to make do without him in the early stages of the season.
With City so relentless when it comes to churning out wins, the Reds must ensure they stay in touch without Mane working his magic.
They can make do without him, of course, but they also look a completely different animal with their brilliantly unpredictable No.10 on the pitch.
Sunday perfectly highlighted everything Mane brings to the team and the sooner he returns, the more potent Liverpool will look.
There’s an argument to say he’s the Reds best player, despite the all-conquering Virgil van Dijk, magical Salah and understated Firmino.
