Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was surprised to find out that Dominik Szoboszlai’s had never played in a derby match for any of his previous clubs just moments before the Reds’ clash with Everton at Anfield yesterday.
A Mo Salah brace handed Klopp’s side all three points against the Toffees in Saturday’s lunchtime kick off in what was our new No. 8’s first experience of a Merseyside derby.
He performed well in the middle of the park, alongside fellow derby first-timers Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, and our German tactician has revealed the conversation he shared with the Hungarian prior to yesterday’s clash.
“When we had the finishing in the warm-up Dom told me, ‘I actually never played a derby before’,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com (via HITC).
“‘What do you mean?’
“‘Salzburg don’t have a derby, Leipzig don’t have a derby, Hungary has maybe a derby but the countries who would be a derby, we never played since I played international football.’
“‘OK, good, no problem, you give always 100 per cent so you are ready for the game’.”
Szoboszlai can be pleased with how he performed against Sean Dyche’s side.
He didn’t do anything spectacular but he was neat and tidy in the engine room and kept us ticking over against an Everton side reduced to 10 men who were sitting extremely deep.
It’s somewhat surprising to hear that the 22-year-old hasn’t played in a derby despite playing for big clubs like RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg but we’re delighted that his first experience of one was a positive one.
Long may that continue!
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