How Hugo Ekitike Performed on Liverpool Debut vs Yokohama FM

Arne Slot’s Liverpool played Yokohama F. Marinos in a preseason friendly as they prepared for another Premier League season, and Hugo Ekitike has impressed in his first minutes as a Liverpool player.

Ekitike started as Slot’s only centre forward, flanked on either wing by Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah and backed up by newcomer Florian Wirtz in the pocket behind him. However, how did the star from Reims do in his Merseysiders debut?

Inside Ekitike’s First Minutes in Liverpool Colours

He was subbed for Darwin Nunez at the half-time break

Ekitike, who was coached by none other than Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain, made an impression quickly. He skilfully took down a ball that Salah had passed between two opponents in the first two minutes.

Although the goal scorer’s efforts were unsuccessful, it was a preview of what he could bring to the Slot-led Premier League superpower as they attempt to hold onto their title as the English champions. See the following video of his elegant touch:

The 25th minute was another noteworthy moment. Ekitike, who finished with 26 goals and 14 assists in 64 games for Eintracht Frankfurt, got space in front of the defender and attempted a sneaky flick after spotting where Conor Bradley was going to pass the ball. It brought out his flair even though it didn’t come off.

One supporter responded to his 45-minute appearance by saying, “Ekitike is quick, skilled, and works hard off the ball. You’d expect him to only get better in the coming weeks as he gets used to the club.” Another fan said, “Ekitike looked lively and shaped up well with Salah and Wirtz.”

After just ten minutes of play, the Anfield supporters were raving about their new hire. One criticised Darwin Nunez, who took over the spotlight at halftime, saying that Ektike’s build-up skills are far superior to what the Uruguayan has demonstrated over the past three years.

“Ekitike in 10 minutes showing better build up than Nunez did in almost 3 entire years.”

The slender yet smooth striker received a 6/10 from The Liverpool Echo in their halftime ratings article. “The new man on his unofficial debut has attempted to link up with his fellow attackers and took one pass from Salah nicely early on, but hasn’t had any real chances yet.”

Ekitike scored 34 goals (22 goals and 12 assists) in 48 games across all competitions last season while playing for Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt. It’s unclear if such figures translate to the top tier in England.

Naturally, so does the location of the Frenchman’s uncapped game. Isak, a sharpshooter for Newcastle United and Sweden, is still a target for Liverpool, but both could be moved to the left side now that Luis Diaz has officially joined Bayern Munich in a summer transfer.