'What a guy' – 60-pass Liverpool colossus lauded for 'monster' international performance
Today at 08:43 AM
Of the many Liverpool players currently away on international duty, Ibrahima Konate will be among the happiest with how this window has gone.
The defender captained France from the start for the first time as they defeated Italy 3-1 in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday night, a result which saw them usurp the Azzurri at the top of their group and duly secure a theoretically 'easier' quarter-final.
The 25-year-old produced some standout moments during the match in Milan, being congratulated by four teammates for a particulary impressive piece of defending and also hoodwinking Federico Dimarco with a delightful dragback in the second half.
Konate a 'monster' for France in Milan
Konate came in for plenty of praise for his overall performance at the San Siro (where he scored in a Champions League win for Liverpool two months ago), with the Reds' number 5 receiving a 7/10 in Eurosport's post-match player ratings.
That mark was awarded by Martin Mosnier, who wrote: "What a presence again… His size alone is an invitation to look elsewhere. In 90 minutes, he put [Mateo] Retegui and then [Moise] Kean in his pocket.
"In duels, he is a monster and, at the start of the season, at Liverpool as with France, he is returning to his best level. Good luck to his next direct opponents. In short… What a guy."
Konate returns to Liverpool on a massive high
Although Konate was among the lower end of the overall player ratings on Sofascore, he still accrued some impressive statistics from France's win over Italy.
The Liverpool defender completed 60 of his 67 passes (90%) and won four out of six duels, along with making six clearances (the most of any French player) and picking out four long passes.
In five months, he's gone from being an unused member of Les Bleus' Euro 2024 squad to captaining his country and doing so with aplomb, with Didier Deschamps now well and truly convinced of the 25-year-old's abilities.
Retegui and Kean are the top two scorers in Serie A this season with 11 and eight goals respectively (Transfermarkt), but both were brilliantly shacked by the imperious Konate last night. Our number 5 will return to Merseyside off the back of a memorable night on a personal and collective level.
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