Dominik Szoboszlai flashed an important quality in just his second game for Liverpool, and Jürgen Klopp can use it to improve the Reds before the upcoming season.
Dominik Szoboszlai returned to the Liverpool lineup after missing the second preseason game with a slight ankle injury and immediately showed why he is the ideal player for Jürgen Klopp’s system.
The Hungarian team captain had a successful and thrilling performance in Singapore, coming close to scoring with an audacious chip from the half-way line and relentlessly pestering and pressuring his opponents.
His 30 minutes on the field for Liverpool were highlighted by the goal he assisted in creating; he sent in a beautiful corner kick that Jol Matip headed to Ben Doak, who nodded it into the net.
The Hungarian is capable of delivering dangerous set-pieces, such as the one that led to his goal against Leicester. Last year, he helped RB Leipzig score five goals in the Bundesliga from set pieces, three of which he was personally involved in.
Szoboszlai also scored four goals for the Hungarian national team during that time, two of them directly from set pieces and two of them indirectly from well-worked build-ups on the practice field.
Szoboszlai’s development into one of the finest in the business in world football when it comes to set-pieces can be traced back to his youth, when, as his father told me for First Time Finish, the Hungarian would practice 100-200 free-kicks a day.
Szoboszlai would watch hours of footage of the opposing side’s goalkeepers and their positioning during free kicks and corner kicks before Hungarian national team games. Without a doubt, he will replicate his success at Liverpool.
Liverpool D. Szoboszlai
Liverpool and Klopp are not strangers to using set pieces as a scoring opportunity. In reality, Liverpool led the Premier League in direct goals scored from set pieces with nine last season, tied for the lead with Fulham.
The addition of Szoboszlai’s threat provides Klopp even more firepower to rule in this department. Although set-piece deliveries are an often-overlooked but vital component of football, the Hungarian has already demonstrated his effectiveness in this area after just 75 minutes in a Liverpool shirt.
And it’s especially helpful for a team like Liverpool, who has trouble breaking down low-block defenders. Someone on the team who can replicate the flawless training ground deliveries and set pieces might be the key to breaking down those defenders and ensuring Liverpool gets the outcome it deserves.
Now Liverpool has two of the best in the world at their position in Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Alexis Mac Allister and Andy Robertson are two more players who may contribute to Klopp’s team’s offensive and defensive potency.
Szoboszlai’s expertise in that area also makes Liverpool’s results from corners and other set pieces difficult to predict. Now, not just Alexander-Arnold, but also the Hungarian, may create a dangerous opportunity or score directly from a set piece.
Liverpool has a significant advantage in delivering a successful set-piece if all of their players line up behind the ball, as the opposition will not know what to expect or who will take the set-piece. Klopp’s secret weapon is unlikely to stay hidden for long, but it should prove to be quite useful.