Liverpool bounced back from their 2-1 defeat against Manchester United last Sunday, winning in the Champions League away to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Bundesliga side were no match for Arne Slot’s men, who brushed them aside, winning 5-1 in what was a sensational performance in Germany.
The Reds actually went 1-0 down, thanks to a well-taken goal by Rasmus Kristensen. However, an incisive counter-attack from the Reds, capped off by Hugo Ekitike against his former club, soon got them back on level terms.
Two goals from corners soon put Liverpool into a comfortable lead. Firstly, captain Virgil van Dijk headed home Cody Gakpo’s delivery, with Ibrahima Konate scoring a bullet header minutes before the halftime whistle went.
In the second half, it was very much the Florian Wirtz show. Liverpool’s marquee summer signing grabbed two assists, first setting up Gakpo, who scored from yards out, followed by Domink Szoboszlai, to cap off a five-star performance from the Reds.
There were some excellent showings in Frankfurt from those in a Liverpool shirt.
Liverpool’s standout players vs. Eintracht
It was a much-needed win for Slot’s side in Germany, after four defeats in a row. One of the reasons they secured the three points was due to Gakpo’s excellent performance. The Dutchman has been in stellar form of late, and that continued in the Champions League.
The former PSV Eindhoven star was a creative machine for the Reds. He played four key passes and created three big chances, as per Sofascore, terrorising the Eintracht defence all night.
Of course, that creativity came on top of his goal, Liverpool’s fourth of the game.
Another man who stood out was Curtis Jones. The homegrown Liverpool star was rewarded with a well-deserved start in Frankfurt, and he certainly made the most of it.
Jones was a metronome in the middle of the park and had a whopping 140 touches of the ball.
Someone who noticed the excellent performance from the Liverpool pair was Goal journalist Tom Maston. He gave them both a 7/10 for their efforts, explaining that Gakpo maintained his ‘consistent’ showings and that Jones ‘performed admirably’ in midfield.
As well as the duo played, there was a Liverpool star who outperformed them.
Liverpool’s best player in Frankfurt
The huge win for Liverpool represented not only three points but an important performance to help get them out of a terrible rut. However, in amongst that run of four losses in a row, one player stood out amongst the crowd.
That player was Szoboszlai, who once again shone for Slot’s side. The Hungarian midfielder was absolutely everywhere against Eintracht, working hard defensively and later becoming a threat going forward, getting on the score sheet at the end of the game.
Maston was certainly left impressed with the Liverpool number 8’s performance. He gave the midfielder an 8/10 for his showing and said that Szoboszlai ‘grew in stature as the game wore on’.
Indeed, the midfielder has some real standout stats after his strong night in Frankfurt. He was flawless when it came to duels and dribbles, and managed a 100% success rate for both.
As for passing, he completed 95% and created five chances.
Touches
122
Passes completed
105/110
Opposition half passes completed
76/83
Ball recoveries
7
Key passes
5
Big chances created
3
Duels won
2/2
Dribbles completed
2/2
Jack Sear, the editorial assistant for This Is Anfield, claimed that the Hungarian has been “Liverpool’s player of the season so far.” It is hard to disagree with him, given his performances across the campaign.
The 24-year-old has had a productive season when it comes to goal involvements. He has five to his name this season, including that vital free kick against Arsenal to secure a huge three points for the Reds.
On top of that, Szoboszlai’s versatility has been key. Naturally, of course, he operates in midfield, playing an attacking role and one with more defensive responsibility. But, he’s shone at right-back too this season.
Sear’s claim that the Hungary star has been the Reds’ key man this term is certainly not far-fetched. With Slot’s side now looking to build on this win, Szoboszlai will be key in the coming weeks.
