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Hugo Ekitike opened his account for France in stunning fashion as Les Bleus romped to an emphatic 4-0 win over Ukraine in Paris.
A brace from Kylian Mbappe coupled with a goal from Michael Olise had already put the result beyond doubt, but Liverpool striker Ekitike put extra gloss on the victory as the final whistle approached.
The 67th-minute substitute collected the ball on the left flank inside his own half before driving towards goal, exchanging a one-two with Mbappe, and slotting the ball underneath the goalkeeper.
The goal garnered plenty of attention on social media, as one Liverpool fan wrote: "We actually hit the jackpot with Hugo Ekitike. Once in a generation center-forward plays for my club."
Some Liverpool fans focused on how the goal demonstrated just how dangerous Ekitike can be when operating off the left wing.
One wrote: "Left wing Ekitike is a cheat code. Slot better tap into that more often." Another said: "I’d love to see Ekitike on the left wing, and Isak as our striker. I’m so confident they will work well together as a partnership."
Liverpool signed Ekitike as well as Alexander Isak over the summer transfer window, and some observers have raised questions since the start of the season over how the pair will fit into the team at the same time, with one popular suggestion being for Ekitike to play out wide and Isak to play through the middle.
That has not been a major issue for Arne Slot to contend with yet due to Isak's recent fitness issues, but Slot was asked about the possibility of Isak and Ekitike playing alongside one another during an interview with TNT Sports last week.
The Dutchman allayed concerns over the pair's compatibility and said that there are a number of ways in which both players can be accommodated in the team at the same time.
“Hugo could also play off the left in my opinion or maybe around Alex, whereas Alex is more of an out-and-out number nine," Slot said.
“Hugo is maybe more a player that also likes to drop more in spaces coming off the left, whereas Alex, I think, prefers to be in the middle.”
Ekitike has enjoyed a much better start to his Liverpool career than Isak, scoring six goals in 16 appearances for his new club, while the Sweden international has one goal in eight outings for the Reds.
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