Dominik Szoboszlai's highlights vs Karlsruher on Liverpool debut | OneFootball

The new occupant of the fabled Liverpool number 8 shirt Dominik Szoboszlai made a strong impression on his debut appearance for the Reds last night in a pre-season friendly against second-tier German side Karlsruher.

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Despite only playing for the first 45 minutes, the 22-year-old playmaker showcased a calmness and elegance in the centre of midfield that the Reds have been crying out for recently.

Szoboszlai was positioned on the left side of a midfield triumvirate alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold at the base and Bobby Clark to the right. Given it was his first outing in a Liverpool shirt, the combinations with his teammates, particularly Andrew Robertson and Luis Diaz down that left-hand channel, were eye-catching.

Dominik Szoboszlai's debut for Liverpool

The style of play that Szoboszlai exhibits is a marked difference from previous midfielders of the Jurgen Klopp era. For all their range of talents, players like Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, and Naby Keita were best known for their relentless energy and box-to-box running. It only takes one look at Szoboszlai to realise that he is not in the same mould.

At six feet and one inch tall, the Hungarian has a physical presence which immediately separates him from the diminutive workers that Klopp has shown a predilection for in the past. However, it is not stature which differentiates Szoboszlai, rather it’s his technicality.

During the Karlsruhe match, Szoboszlai repeatedly dropped deep to give a passing option to Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk when they had the ball. Often he would receive it from a centre-back around the halfway line with his back to goal and an opposition player snapping at his ankles, but this didn’t seem to affect him in the slightest.

He was always able to turn away or find another teammate with a short pass. If he is to be compared to another Liverpool midfielder, these attributes would be most reminiscent of Thiago Alcantara.

The best example of this during last night’s friendly in Germany came in the 11th minute, when a lofted Karlsruhe clearance dropped towards Szoboszlai just inside the opposition half. Whereas many players would have attempted to bring the ball under control, the £60 million man caressed an instant side-foot pass between the lines of defence and midfield into the feet of Darwin Núñez, who was able to receive the ball without breaking stride and charge forward.

It was a touch of brilliance that was over in the blink of an eye. The sort of moment that must be re-watched to truly appreciate the quality. The sort of moment that can make the difference at the highest level.

It is precisely this creative ability that would have attracted Klopp and his scouting department to the Hungarian.

According to Opta, Szoboszlai served up 161 chances to his RB Leipzig teammates over the past two Bundesliga seasons - with 99 of them coming from open play. The amalgamation of open-play and set-piece threat elevates Szoboszlai’s overall game to another level.

Against Karlsruhe, Szoboszlai didn’t get an opportunity to display the wonderful ball-striking ability that has been a feature of his game ever since he first appeared in professional football. Liverpool already have a player who has that capability with his right foot in Alexander-Arnold, but it can never hurt to have another dead-ball specialist in the team.

Until his recent transfer to Merseyside, Szoboszlai may have been most remembered in England for the penalty that he scored against the Three Lions for Hungary in a Nations League fixture in Budapest in June 2022. His overall record from 12 yards is very strong, having only missed one of 16 penalties in his career thus far.

Given the issues that Mohamed Salah has had from the spot lately - notably missing the target in crucial games against Arsenal and Bournemouth last season - it might be time for Klopp to shake up the penalty pecking order at Anfield.

That sort of pressure is unlikely to faze Szoboszlai. He has been the star man and biggest hope for his country ever since he made his international debut at just 18 years of age in March 2021. Since then, he has relished the burden of national expectation.

His first international goal came from another sumptuous curling free-kick against Slovakia in a Euro 2020 qualifier. Later in that same qualifying campaign, with his nation a goal down to Iceland in a play-off and heading for elimination, Szoboszlai channelled his inner Steven Gerrard to drag Hungary back from the brink and elevate his status to that of a demigod in his homeland.

After hauling themselves level with two minutes remaining, the game looked set for extra-time until Szoboszlai charged up the pitch on a counter-attack deep into injury time. The Icelandic defenders were helpless as he exploded past them before unleashing an unstoppable shot on the edge of the penalty area. The ball nestled into the far corner of the net to win the game and send Hungary to the tournament.

Missing those European Championships in the summer of 2021 through injury was probably the toughest point of Szoboszlai’s career to this date. Liverpool fans need not fear, though, as their new signing has a strong fitness record since then, missing just one Bundesliga match through injury in the last two seasons.

The two-and-a-half years spent in Germany were successful for Szoboszlai.

After making the move from Red Bull Salzburg to RB Leipzig in January 2021, he got off to a slow start due to the aforementioned fitness issues in his first six months. From that point on, though, he has been a mainstay of the Leipzig midfield, providing goals and assists from various positions.

Initially utilised as a right-sided midfielder, Szoboszlai found his best form playing on the left wing or on the left side of a central three in midfield last season. These positions offer him the chance to cut in on his deadly right foot, which he did to good effect, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists in 46 appearances in all competitions in 2022/23.

Szoboszlai’s time at Leipzig culminated in glory as he scored the clinching goal in the DFB-Pokal final against Eintracht Frankfurt in June. He joins Liverpool with an honours list containing two German cups, three Austrian cups, and four Austrian league titles, as well as a host of individual awards.

The Reds will be hoping that he bulks out that trophy cabinet during his time with the club. If his first performance is anything to go by, he stands a good chance.