Liverpool travel to Budapest this evening to face RB Leipzig in the first-leg of their Champions League last-16 clash. 

The Reds arrive at the Puskas Arena in the midst of a crisis following a tepid run of form that has seen them fall out of the running for the Premier League title. 

Such is the extent of their demise, serious questions regarding their top four credentials are beginning to surface. 

Meanwhile, Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig are just five points adrift of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga having won four of their last five league games. 

The incredibly precocious manager Nagelsmann, who is just 33 years old, has been speaking to the press ahead of the game and was asked for comment on Liverpool's key players. 

While some managers may have shied away from identifying specific names, the former Hoffenheim boss spoke effusively about Jordan Henderson and his leadership qualities in particular, per Dieorttenbullen.com

"Liverpool's team is full of top players, which makes it hard for me to single out any key players.

"But as captain, Jordan Henderson has a really important role.

"He is the vocal one and without fans you can really see how he communicates with his team during games. There is barely a quiet moment and that pushes the team.

"He brings a great mentality to the pitch and he also has surprising amount of quality as a footballer."

GIVEMESPORT's Jack Saville says...

Nagelsmann's analysis raises an intriguing point: the impact of communication in behind closed doors football. 

With the game stripped of atmosphere from the stands, the captain's role has arguably never been more important. 

In Henderson Liverpool have a player who is rather old-school in the sense that he leads with his voice, barking orders to his teammates and organising the team with instructions.

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It's a quality that is perhaps dying out a touch as managers increasingly expect to see a number of vocal leaders on the pitch, rather than delegating the responsibility to one outstanding general. 

Henderson's influence will be more important than ever in the Champions League tonight. 

No doubt his voice will be prominent throughout the 90 minutes as Liverpool aim to clinch a morale-boosting result on the continent.