Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s summer signing, showcased his exceptional passing abilities while representing Hungary in their friendly against the Czech Republic.
His performance at the Puskas Arena in Budapest garnered attention, and one particular pass drew comparisons to the legendary Steven Gerrard.
Szoboszlai joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in a £60 million deal in July, making him the fourth-most expensive signing in the club’s history.
Despite having played only four competitive games for the Reds at that point, Szoboszlai appeared to be settling in quickly.
The 22-year-old midfielder has displayed a flair for the audacious, as evidenced in pre-season when he attempted to score from near the halfway line against Leicester City, only to be denied by an unconventional save from goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
This display of skill has Liverpool fans excited about the young talent they have on their hands.
What are Szoboszlai’s strengths and weaknesses?
The Hungarian is not a prolific scorer of goals – he found the net 20 times in 91 games for RB Leipzig – but he’ll be looking to add more to his game under Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. Szoboszlai netted his first goal for his new employers before the international break, opening the scoring against Aston Villa with one of the sweetest strikes we’ll see this season.
A couple of weeks earlier, Klopp sang Szoboszlai’s praises, insisting there’s plenty more to come from the young midfielder. PerLiverpool’s official website, the revered German coach said:
“He has pretty much all the attributes you want to see – and the last thing you would think when you see him playing is he is only 22, so there is a lot more to come when he settles in properly.
“Obviously, he has no problem to adapt to everything in an instant, but there is still more to come and we are really pleased. We are really pleased, from the first day since he was here he is full of energy. [He is] in the middle of the team already and, yes, it’s good news.”
According to WhoScored’s statistics, Szoboszlai only has two obvious weaknesses: tackling and discipline – both of which Klopp and his coaching staff will help to improve during his time at Anfield. On the flip side, though, he boasts a long list of strengths including crossing (very strong), passing (strong), through balls (strong), key passes (strong), and dribbling (strong).
Video: Szoboszlai’s outrageous pass for Hungary vs Czech Republic
It is highly likely that Dominik Szoboszlai’s passing statistics will be upgraded to ‘very strong’ in the near future. During his 90-minute performance against the Czech Republic, one of the passes he executed from his own penalty area was nothing short of exceptional.
Denes Dibusz initiated the play with a short pass to Szoboszlai, who displayed remarkable composure by requesting the ball from the goalkeeper. He was well aware of his ability to deliver a superior long-range pass compared to his teammate. With just one touch, Szoboszlai signaled to full-back Loic Nego and then executed a stunning pass that must have covered a distance of at least 75 yards. This extraordinary display of vision and technique certainly caught the eye of onlookers.
Do you realise how nuts this is from Szoboszlai??????pic.twitter.com/W4xDeRRK8n
— 🥤 (@TheImmortalKop) September 10, 2023
From defence to attack thanks to one laser-guided pass from Szoboszlai, it’s patently clear that Hungary have a player of real class on their hands – as do Liverpool. Anfield legend Steven Gerrard would have been proud of that pass. Also, be sure to check out Szoboszlai’s impressive highlights from Hungary’s 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic below.
Dominik Szoboszlai vs Czech Republic pic.twitter.com/EMaIgmUmsX
— 1947 (@1947production) September 10, 2023