"Pandora's box has opened!" - Klopp hails 'perfect night' for Darwin Nunez after new striker nets
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp called it a 'perfect night' for marquee rookie Darwin Nunez as he came off the bench at half-time and scored four goals in the 5-0 win of his team against RB Leipzig on Thursday.
It was 1-0 at the break after Mohamed Salah scored the opener eight minutes into the friendly, with Liverpool making four substitutions before heading off for the full 45 seconds, including Darwin replacing Roberto Firmino at the start. before.
The former Benfica striker didn't have to wait long to get on the scoresheet, leaping from the penalty spot and converting to make it 2-0 in the 48th minute.
Just three minutes later, Darwin was the beneficiary after a turnover deep in the Leipzig defence, slipping through on goal by Trent Alexander-Arnold before finishing hard and low on the goalkeeper in the corner lower left.
He completed his hat trick with a tap-in lunge from the edge of the six-yard box, netting the end of a low cross from Harvey Elliott, before ending his rout with a fourth in downtime.
Speaking to the media after the win, Klopp said he was delighted to see his side click away in the second half with their nearly £100million man, and that it was the best way to quell any discussion of its high purchase price.
"When we struggled a bit, it was always after a three-minute break that we would play football again, then take a deep breath and play football again," he said. "I wanted us to be a little harder on ourselves, to get through to this point - it's pre-season.
"I think we did it in the second half, obviously. 'Hendo' came in, and [James Milner] – they were both lively.
"Hendo all of a sudden as an eight, went behind and we created chances. Then Mo gives the penalty to Darwin and Darwin - Pandora's box was open. It's of course a night perfect for him.
"We always think that if you pay a lot of money, the players don't feel any pressure or anything - they're all perfectly normal human beings.
"If the first touch isn't perfect, then all of a sudden...this generation of gamers reads social media, which is really not smart, but they do. All of a sudden, you're in a hurry and that kind of stuff.
"That's obviously the best way to stop all this talk. He's a different striker to what we have or had, but he's a really good striker."
Liverpool's next friendly will be away against Salzburg next Wednesday.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp called it a 'perfect night' for marquee rookie Darwin Nunez as he came off the bench at half-time and scored four goals in the 5-0 win of his team against RB Leipzig on Thursday.
It was 1-0 at the break after Mohamed Salah scored the opener eight minutes into the friendly, with Liverpool making four substitutions before heading off for the full 45 seconds, including Darwin replacing Roberto Firmino at the start. before.
The former Benfica striker didn't have to wait long to get on the scoresheet, leaping from the penalty spot and converting to make it 2-0 in the 48th minute.
Just three minutes later, Darwin was the beneficiary after a turnover deep in the Leipzig defence, slipping through on goal by Trent Alexander-Arnold before finishing hard and low on the goalkeeper in the corner lower left.
He completed his hat trick with a tap-in lunge from the edge of the six-yard box, netting the end of a low cross from Harvey Elliott, before ending his rout with a fourth in downtime.
Speaking to the media after the win, Klopp said he was delighted to see his side click away in the second half with their nearly £100million man, and that it was the best way to quell any discussion of its high purchase price.
"When we struggled a bit, it was always after a three-minute break that we would play football again, then take a deep breath and play football again," he said. "I wanted us to be a little harder on ourselves, to get through to this point - it's pre-season.
"I think we did it in the second half, obviously. 'Hendo' came in, and [James Milner] – they were both lively.
"Hendo all of a sudden as an eight, went behind and we created chances. Then Mo gives the penalty to Darwin and Darwin - Pandora's box was open. It's of course a night perfect for him.
"We always think that if you pay a lot of money, the players don't feel any pressure or anything - they're all perfectly normal human beings.
"If the first touch isn't perfect, then all of a sudden...this generation of gamers reads social media, which is really not smart, but they do. All of a sudden, you're in a hurry and that kind of stuff.
"That's obviously the best way to stop all this talk. He's a different striker to what we have or had, but he's a really good striker."
Liverpool's next friendly will be away against Salzburg next Wednesday.
What's Your Reaction?
