A round-up of Friday's international fixtures involving Liverpool players
Dominik Szoboszlai in conversation with Giorgi Mamardashvili (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP via Getty Images)
Dominik Szoboszlai in conversation with Giorgi Mamardashvili (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP via Getty Images)
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Milos Kerkez scored his first international goal as Hungary beat Giorgi Mamardashvili's Georgia 1-0 on Friday night.
However, captain Dominik Szoboszlai was withdrawn as a precuation after suffering cramp in the second half.
Liverpool left-back Kerkez headed past his Reds colleague Mamardashvili before half time as Szoboszlai skippered Hungary to a Nations League win in Budapest.
Liverpool goalkeeper Armin Pecsi, currently on loan at TSV Hartberg in Austria, was also on the bench for Hungary, who secured their first win of the international break at the Puskas Arena.
"Thank God I scored my first goal in the national team," Kerkez said. "I'm very happy. The most important thing is that everyone fought hard, we defended well. I'm proud.
"We moved the ball quickly, stepped up at any time, ran a lot and we had the three points.
"How did I score from the header? It doesn't matter to me, a goal is a goal. I don't speak Hungarian well, but I'm trying, I'm still learning. I hope it will go even better in a year or two."
On the decision to substitute Szoboszlai, Hungary boss Marco Rossi said: "He cramped and was very tired by the end.
"He did huge sprints, I don't even know how fast he was capable of, but he was very fast. We decided to play it as a No.6 for one of the first times.
"Dominik, by the way, is capable of playing excellently in practically any attacking midfield position. Even as a right-back, although we won't have anything to do with that."
If Szoboszlai is passed fit, he will captain Hungary when they travel to Ukraine on October 5 but Kerkez, who was booked against Georgia, is suspended.
Liverpool vice-captain Szoboszlai said: "We had our chances, at the break one eye was crying, the other was laughing, because we were amazing, we shouldn't have been leading by one, but I was happy with that too.
"This is the fighting spirit that is needed! Kerkez's header would have been the last thing I expected, but I was very happy.
"He always puts his heart and soul on the line. If you win with one like this, you don't have to explain it, that's what everyone needs."
Jeremy Jacquet played the full game for France as they drew 1-1 with Italy in Paris. Bradley Barcola was a second-half substitute at the Stade de France as Michael Olise's opener was cancelled out by Alessandro Bastoni.
Jacquet impressed on the night, with GetFranceFootball rating him a 7 out of 10 alongside Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano, whose red card saw him awarded a 4.
They wrote: "The Liverpool centre-back looks very much at ease in France’s back-line.
"He’s as much able to clear the danger as he is to pick up a line-breaking pass with an uncisive move. He was so close to what would have been a stunning goalline clearance to prevent Bastoni from restoring parity."
Barcola was introduced for the final 15 minutes of the game as he continues to build up his fitness having barely featured over pre-season with former club Paris Saint-Germain while Liverpool thrashed out a deal that eventually took him to Anfield for £123m in late August.
Zinedine Zidane's side will meet Belgium on Monday evening in Saint-Denis with centre-back Jacquet vying for another start in what are his first set of senior internationals for les Bleus having impressed following his move to Anfield.
Kieran Morrison, who is currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, provided an assist for Northern Ireland as they beat Ukraine 3-0 in Trnava, Slovakia.