Alexander Isak has been faced with criticism following his performance vs Inter Milanplaceholder image
Alexander Isak has been faced with criticism following his performance vs Inter Milan | Getty Images
This Liverpool star has earned drab ratings from Italian media following his performance against Inter
Italian media outlets have had their say on Liverpool’s win over Inter Milan this week, which puts them up to ninth in the Champions League standings. One man in particular has fallen into the firing line following another quiet performance in red.
Liverpool edged all three points at the San Siro but the clash wasn’t without its controversial moments. A first half goal from Ibrahima Konate was chalked off following a lengthy VAR check, which ruled a handball scenario had interfered during the build-up.
The incident involving Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike has been criticised by many, with Alan Shearer - who was on commentary duty - disagreeing with the call of deliberate handball. Some have argued the game levelled itself out when Liverpool were awarded a penalty late on. The spot-kick came after Florian Wirtz went down in the box following a tug on his shirt by Liverpool target Alessandro Bastoni.
Many believe the penalty to have been a soft call from the VAR check, while others feel it reinstated the offside goal from the first half. Dominik Szoboszlai’s penalty conversion earned him plenty of praise, while the majority of the starting 11 also earned solid feedback. However, Isak’s underwhelming form since arriving at Anfield continues to attract the wrong kind of attention.
Italian media criticise Alexander Isak performance vs Inter Milan
While English media were far from bowled over by Isak’s performance, Italian outlets have also had their say on his efforts against Inter. Tuttosport gave the Sweden international a dismal 4.5 out of 10 rating, stating Inter defenders Francesco Acerbi and Manuel Akanji were able to ‘manage him without too much worry’.
Meanwhile, Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport gave respective 5.5/10 and 5/10 ratings, with the latter outlet describing Isak as ‘the worst’ player on the pitch and going on to talk about how he still hasn’t fully settled at Anfield.
Indeed, Isak’s form since joining Liverpool is a far cry from his superb season with Newcastle United. The 26-year-old bagged 23 goals in the Premier League alone last campaign but he has just two in all competitions for Liverpool so far.
Alexander Isak struggles continue at Liverpool
After foregoing a proper pre-season with Newcastle due to his fallout with the club, Isak’s debut for Liverpool was delayed while he got his match fitness up to scratch. His first goal came against Southampton in the Carabao Cup and it took until the last day of November to mark his first in the Premier League. In a total of 754 minutes played so far for Liverpool, Isak has just two goals on his tally.
Fans have started to lose their patience with their club’s record signing. Many tore into the Swede during and after the Inter match, with one stating their preference of Hugo Ekitike over the former Newcastle star. Isak cost Liverpool a British transfer record of £125 million over the summer but his hefty price tag is only adding more pressure to his performances, which continue to fall short on most occasions.
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