'Well below his level': Liverpool star slated in '4/10' display for his country last night, just 22 touches of the ball

Today at 01:15 PM

Liverpool have a host of players away on international duty as countries compete against each other in the final break of the calendar year.

The Nations League group stage is being wrapped up this month, while qualifiers for the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations are ongoing.

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones scored on his England debut and delivered an impressive display overall, giving him a November break to remember already.

However, performances will vary between players and countries. For instance, one of Jones’ teammates at club level struggled for his nation on Thursday night.

READ MORE: Martin Keown says Liverpool have the best player in the Premier League in his position

Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister endures off-night for Argentina in Paraguay

The player in question is Alexis Mac Allister, whose Argentina side fell to a shock 2-1 loss at Paraguay in their latest World Cup qualifier.

Several Argentine media outlets criticised the team as a whole, with the Liverpool man also among those who were underwhelming on the night.

Ole gave Mac Allister a 4 out of 10 rating and wrote: “Inaccurate in his passes.

“Looked lost in his role as a link in front of De Paul and Enzo to attack, and he retreated along the right wing to cover Molina’s sector. Well below his level.”

Likewise, La Voz went with a 4 out of 10 for the Anfield lynchpin and wrote: “A weak game for the former Argentinos Juniors player.

“He never made contact with the ball and even seemed uncomfortable. He played too much with his back to the rival goal and was absorbed by the marking.”

Mac Allister stats in Argentina loss in Paraguay

As per Sofascore, Mac Allister took just 22 touches of the ball in his 64-minute outing, with Alejandro Garnacho replacing him off the bench.

He also passed the ball just 13 times, with 10 of those passes finding the target, and neither of his long-ball attempts found the intended target.

All in all, it was a night that Mac Allister will want to forget, as will the rest of the Argentina squad, but they remain in a strong qualifying position.

The Albiceleste remain top of the CONMEBOL group, with 22 points from 11 games, and the top six from the group automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Colombia sit second at present, with Brazil in third, Uruguay in fourth, Ecuador in fifth and Paraguay in sixth. Seventh-placed Venezuela are on 12 points.