Liverpool forward Diogo Jota had his name up in lights on Monday night as he netted twice in Portugal’s 9-0 drubbing of Luxembourg.
The 26-year-old also helped himself to an assist in the one-sided Euro 2024 qualifier in Faro as his nation took a step closer to an impending place at the finals next summer.
His brace seems to have come at an opportune time, having found himself out of the Reds’ starting XI for their two previous games, but Jurgen Klopp may find it difficult to ignore him after last night’s impact.
That last word was chosen deliberately, for when we look at the statistics from the game (via Sofascore), a few pertaining to Jota will certainly raise quite a few eyebrows.
READ MORE: “I’ve got you…” – Troy Deeney mocks former Liverpool tank over incident from 2015 clash
The Liverpool attacker ended the night with two goals but could easily have had more. One effort came back off the frame of the goal, while he was deemed culpable of missing two ‘big chances’. On another day, he could’ve easily had a hat-trick and Portugal may have topped the double figures mark.
The 26-year-old had six shots overall, and those comprised nearly 20% of his total touches from the game. He made contact with the ball just 32 times, a meagre amount for someone who played the full 90 minutes. For comparison, Joao Cancelo – who only played the last half-hour – recorded 25 touches.
Perhaps the most surprising stat of all was Jota’s pass completion. Bearing in mind that he scored twice and shot six times, it seems crazy to think that he ended the game with a mere eight passes to a teammate (and attempted only 13).
It’s a stat which seems even more staggering when considering Portugal’s sheer domination, not just on the scoreboard but in terms of possession (66% to 34%) and shots (22 to 4).
The numbers might suggest that the match passed the Liverpool ace by somewhat, but it’s impossible to dispute that he made the most of his involvement with three goal contributions. Klopp and Reds fans certainly wouldn’t object to Jota being that clinical in a red shirt over the rest of the season!
#Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️