Euro 2024 is well underway and the games are arriving thick and fast. Andy Robertson was in action for Scotland on the opening night, while Dominik Szoboszlai featured for Hungary in its 3-1 loss to Switzerland on June 15. Today. Liverpool has two players featuring in the opening game of the day.
Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk have both started for the Netherlands in its opening game against Poland in Hamburg, and the former quickly made his presence felt.
Gakpo, who struggled for consistency last season with Liverpool, scored the Netherlands’ first goal of the competition. Gakpo received the ball from Nathan Ake just inside the Polish half after the Man City defender intercepted the ball.
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Gakpo turned and drove deep into the heart of the Poland defence before shooting from the edge of the box, and the ball took a ricochet en route to finding the back of the net. Yet the goal gave the Netherlands the lead, and Liverpool fans were been raving about Gakpo on X (formerly Twitter).
“Look at how good Gakpo looks playing off the left It’s almost as if you play a player into their natural position and they perform wonders,” said Tom Little. “He’ll smash it for us next season.”
“If you genuinely think Gakpo looks more comfortable trying to impersonate Firmino than he does coming from the left you’ve lost the plot,” stated user ‘SeanDOlfc‘.
“Gakpo down the left is infinitely better than him on any other part of the pitch. He’s been electric already,” added user ‘LFCLaurie‘.
‘Anfield Edition‘ was a little more succinct in their praise of Gakpo, saying: “Cody Gakpo is a left winger. That is all.”
‘LFCLaurie‘ wasn’t finished in his praise of Gakpo, however, further adding: “I cannot believe we had to see Gakpo play in midfield, out on the right, and isolated up top. He’s so obviously a left winger. I hope [Arne] Slot is watching this and never moves him away from there again.”
Gakpo signed for Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven in the winter of 2022, and has scored 23 goals from 79 games in all competitions for the Reds.
Liverpool.com says: Gakpo appears to be used more in his natural position for his country than he has been since arriving at Liverpool. Let’s hope Arne Slot can take notice of Gakpo’s performance against Poland and utilise him in his correct position from next season.