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Matip reveals key to solid Liverpool partnership with Van Dijk

Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk
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The Reds center-backs have formed one of the toughest defensive partnerships in the Premier League in recent seasons.

Joel Matip reckons he and Virgil van Dijk have benefitted from the length of time they have been Liverpool teammates.

The defenders, who have played alongside each other since Van Dijk’s arrival in January 2018, started together again at the weekend. They recorded yet another clean sheet to help Liverpool claim a 4-0 win over Arsenal in the Premier League.

Matip and Van Dijk are Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s preferred central defenders ahead of Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, and Nat Phillips.

“I think we have many good center-backs, but you get to know your teammate better with every match and understand how he will react,” Matip told the club’s website.

“It’s a process that takes some time. If the two center-backs have high individual quality and play together well, the results will be positive in the end.

“It’s a development that won’t happen overnight, but we’ve been playing together for quite some time, and I think we can build on that.”

The Cameroon international hopes to start again on Wednesday as Liverpool face Porto in the Champions League at Anfield.

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