Flagship rookie of the summer, the Uruguayan international striker passes a life-size test this Saturday against Manchester City, during the Community Shield.
With 4 titles over the last 5 seasons for Manchester City, Liverpool is an eternal challenger in the Premier League, but, with Darwin Nunez, the Reds hope to have responded to the arrival of Erling Haaland at the Sky Blues, before the Community Shield , Saturday in Leicester (6 p.m.).
The injury of a historic quadruple which escaped them with two matches – the Champions League final lost against Real Madrid (1-0) and the Premier League, uncertain until the last day – is at hardly closed that the Reds go back to the campaign. In the end, the FA Cup and League Cup, won on penalties against Chelsea, almost seemed like poor consolation for such an ambitious club.
Disputed in Leicester, Wembley being mobilized for the final of the Women’s Football Euro, the Community Shield, which pits the defending champion against the winner of the FA Cup at the start of the season in England, could not have dreamed of a more prestigious poster. .
Different profile, more options
Manchester City will go there after having achieved arguably the most coveted deal this summer by attracting Norwegian nugget Erling Haaland, as well as a choice reinforcement in the middle with England international Kalvin Phillips, but having lost Raheem Sterling, gone to Chelsea, Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal with Oleksandr Zinchenko. Liverpool FC put an end to an unbearable suspense by extending Mohamed Salah for two seasons, but also broke their record for the biggest transfer to attract the Uruguayan Darwin Nunez for 85 million pounds (100 M EUR), while his Senegalese striker, Sadio Mané, has joined Bayern Munich.
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Replaced in the axis since the thunderous arrival of Luis Diaz, last winter, Sané leaves a big void in the liverpuldian attack, which Nunez will have the task of filling. Quick, physical and fearsome in front of goal, he should bring an additional threat to opponents but also provide new options for Liverpool with his ability to play in a two center forward scheme.
In pre-season matches, he alternated, at 23, the worst, like this improbable miss in a humiliating defeat (4-0) against Manchester United, and the best, like the quadruple coming off the bench against Leipzig (5 -0), or, more recently, an inglorious match against Salzburg (0-1). Haaland only played one game with City, scoring after just 12 minutes the winning goal against Bayern Munich (1-0).
Nunez will haveneed more support»
Despite very different recruitment policies and projects, comparisons between City and Liverpool recruits, especially attacking, seem inevitable, which is not to Jürgen Klopp’s taste. “He needs a lot more support around him. The other players around him need to be much busier to not be focused on him. This is how. It’s not ideal, but we accept it as it is and we’ll deal with it.“, he had explained.
In a list, the Community Shield will always remain a minor success which often does not bode well for the coming season. On a psychological level, any confrontation that can serve to shake the quiet strength of the Citizens is welcome, but the small ascendancy that the winner will take will only be fleeting, nevertheless estimated Klopp. “The truth is that it is a very important game, but also that we are still preparing for the season, we cannot ignore it“, he had relativized. “Will this be indicative of the upcoming season? In any case, I expect two good teams“, he had decided.