Dominik Szoboszlai delivered a second of natural intelligence on Wednesday night time, scoring a brilliantly completed free-kick simply sooner than half-time handy Liverpool the lead towards Marseille and etch his title into the membership’s fresh historical past.
By way of discovering the online from a dead-ball state of affairs on the Stade Vélodrome, the Hungarian midfielder turned into the primary Liverpool participant since Trent Alexander-Arnold to attain a couple of direct free-kicks in one season.
The purpose used to be a masterclass in tactical consciousness. Noticing that the Marseille wall used to be susceptible to leaping, Szoboszlai opted towards a standard strike excessive.
As a substitute, he struck a low, pushed effort without delay below the jumping defenders, catching goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli utterly off guard.
This suave free-kick follows his shocking 30-yard winner towards Arsenal previous this season, cementing his popularity because the membership’s new set-piece specialist.
Szoboszlai has stepped as much as fill Trent’s void
Szoboszlai’s upward push as a set-piece specialist carries even higher importance given Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Actual Madrid final summer season.
For years, Liverpool relied nearly completely at the scouser’s proper boot to release cussed defenses from set-pieces.
Since taking up the mantle, Szoboszlai has now not simply stuffed the void; he has arguably made the position his personal.
His stats this season are not anything wanting exceptional, with the Marseille strike taking his Champions League tally to 4 targets and 3 assists in simply seven video games.
With seven targets and 5 assists throughout all competitions, he has develop into the ingenious engine that Arne Slot’s facet desperately wanted in post-Trent generation.
(Photograph by means of Stuart Franklin – UEFA/UEFA by way of Getty Pictures)The Steven Gerrard comparisons are rising louder
Past the statistics, it’s the approach of Szoboszlai’s performances that has fanatics drawing comparisons to the mythical Steven Gerrard.
Dressed in the enduring quantity 8 jersey, the 25-year-old possesses the similar mix of tireless power, management, and long-range taking pictures that outlined the previous captain’s profession.
The ones comparisons won additional weight not too long ago when Gerrard himself admitted he sees components of his personal recreation in Szoboszlai, reward that carries huge importance at Anfield.
