Dominik Szoboszlaiplaceholder image
Dominik Szoboszlai | Getty Images
Liverpool are back in Premier League action this weekend following the international break
Liverpool are back in Premier League action on Saturday with a home clash against Nottingham Forest. They will be eager to return to winning ways following the international break. The Reds were beaten 3-0 away by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last time out.
Arne Slot’s side have slipped down to 8th place in the table after their first 11 fixtures. They are only a point behind Sunderland in 4th position though. Their upcoming opponents are in the drop zone along with West Ham and Wolves and have recently turned to ex-Everton boss Sean Dyche as their manager.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Hungary defeated by Republic of Ireland
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai played the full game for Hungary as they were beaten 3-2 by Republic of Ireland at home in their latest World Cup qualifier on Sunday afternoon. The 25-year-old was seen visibly upset as his country conceded a last-gasp equaliser. They have now missed out on the World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico next summer.
Hungary took the lead twice in Budapest but weren’t able to get the win in the end. Troy Parrott, who plays for AZ Alkmaar, scored a hat-trick for their opponents. The ex-Tottenham Hotspur man also managed to find the net twice against Portugal last week in Dublin.
Szoboszlai, 25, has made 61 caps for Hungary to date. He joined Liverpool back in 2023 and has since been a key player at Anfield, scoring 17 goals in 110 games. Prior to his move to England, he caught the eye playing in Germany for RB Leipzig.
Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate and Hugo Ekitike feature for France
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate and striker Hugo Ekitike started for France on Sunday evening. They beat Azerbaijan 3-1 in Baku in front of 30,000 fans. Didier Deschamps went 1-0 down after just four minutes but fought back via goals by Jean-Philippe Mateta, Maghnes Akliouche and an own goal by goalkeeper Shakhruddin Magomedaliyev.
France have already qualified for the World Cup in 2026. They have topped Group D ahead of Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan. Deschamps’ men won five out of their six matches and were unbeaten so will be in confident mood ahead into next year’s tournament.
Konate, 26, has played 26 times for his country. He is facing an uncertain long-term future at Liverpool and his situation is up in the air. His contract with the Merseyside giants expires at the end of the campaign and he is due to become a free agent as things stand. The centre-back has recently said: “Some of the things that I read, I’m like… oh la la. That puts me in a tight spot with Liverpool fans, and they don’t even know all the ins and outs.”
As for Ekitike, he was snapped up by the Reds in the last transfer window to boost their attacking department. He has since made a positive impression under the guidance of Slot. He has scored six goals in 16 outings so far, three of which have come in the league.
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