Luis Diaz might’ve been foiled from the penalty spot in Colombia’s 0-0 draw against Ecuador on Tuesday night, but the Liverpool forward still lit up the match with one outrageous piece of skill.
Shortly before the hour mark in Quito, the 26-year-old gathered possession near the halfway line and surged into the space ahead of him, eventually being forced wide by the close attentions of Willian Pacho.
Wing-back Angelo Preciado then doubled up on the Reds attacker by the touchline, but just when it looked as if he’d nowhere to do, the Colombian found a narrow gap between the 25-year-old’s legs and coolly slipped the ball through him.
The two Ecuadorians gamely battled to try and win possession back but the unrelenting Diaz still came away from the tight spot and played the pass which led to the penalty incident.
The subsequent spot kick didn’t have the desired outcome, but the Liverpool man’s skill and determination in the preceding passage of play showed what he’s all about.
You can view the nutmeg from Diaz below, taken from Deportes RCN‘s match coverage and shared on Twitter/X by @AlfonsoH:
La jugada de Luis Díaz es de leyenda y pocos en el mundo pueden hacer algo así. Perrenque puro para aguantar la pelota y luego filtrar el pase que terminó en penal, aunque lo falló no le quita la jugadota con la Selección Colombia. pic.twitter.com/89t75DY30H
— Alfonso Hernández (@AlfonsoH) October 18, 2023