Liverpool loanee Ronald Araujo is still settling into life with the Reds following his move from Barcelona, with the defender impressing early on with some of his performances
Ronald Araujo has impressed at Liverpool so far
Ronald Araujo has impressed at Liverpool so far(Image: (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images))
Andoni Iraola has revealed that he is very impressed by the early performances of Ronald Araujo, as the Liverpool loanee started his second consecutive match for the side.
It came in a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, as goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister canceled out an early opener from familiar foe Marcos Llorente. Araujo played a significant role in the match, featuring at right-back once again, following on from an impressive full debut in that role against Ipswich last week.
The Barcelona loan star showed the elements that could make him a fan favorite, with the tenacity and hunger to continue pressing and working well defensively, while he also seems to have a trick or two up his sleeve.
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Despite being a defender by nature, Araujo showed some of the more attacking elements of his game, especially with his role in the lead-up to the equalizer.
The Uruguayan international found himself in the Atletico Madrid box, dragging several players toward him in the process.
In a moment of genius, the defender produced a backheel flick beyond all of the opposition around him, finding Szoboszlai free to poke home from a few yards out.
Considering Liverpool's difficulties at right-back over the past year, there will be plenty of hope that Araujo can now be the solution, one whom Iraola has been full of praise for.
"I think he's been very, very good," the manager told the press after the game. "The other day [against Ipswich] and he has been, I would say, even better today. I think he's defending really well his side, but also sometimes because he's a center-back, we underrate his offensive side. Today, he gives a great assist to Dom Szoboszlai.
Ronald Araujo impressed again for Liverpool against Atletico Madrid
Ronald Araujo impressed again for Liverpool against Atletico Madrid(Image: (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images))
"He's made a couple of very good serves from his position, and I'm very happy with him. Very happy. He's come with the willingness to show that he belongs to this level, and I hope we can keep him there because he's in a lovely place."
It certainly shows the faith that Iraola has in Araujo, who, after just two games, has seemingly won the right-back shirt for himself moving forward.
Considering the struggles with injuries and mental health battles over the past year, it's quite the comeback for the 27-year-old, who has quickly made himself a fan favorite.
It remains to be seen whether he can retain that place moving forward, as different teams will bring different challenges out of him, which could require a different skillset or a change in the team altogether.
However, for now, Araujo's loan switch is looking like shrewd business from Liverpool that could be all the difference.