Inflicting defeat on a fellow Liverpool teammate, Cody Gakpo scored for the first time this year, while Alexis MacAllister continued Argentina’s amazing unbeaten streak.
Six players from Jurgen Klopp’s first team played for their respective countries on Thursday, making it a busy day for Liverpool’s internationals.
Fortunately, there are no serious fitness concerns, although Gakpo did score a goal that gave the Netherlands a 3-0 victory over Kostas Tsimikas’ Greece.
The second goal of the game was scored by Liverpool’s number 18, who carefully controlled the ball with his chest and expertly finished from just outside the six-yard box.
Gakpo, who began the Euro 2024 qualifier on the left of a front three, played 65 of the game’s 90 minutes while Virgil van Dijk and Tsimikas each played the entire time.
Three other players kept on feeling victorious, but Mac Allister contributed to Argentina’s extraordinary qualifier streak, which has now lasted since 2017 and is the third-longest in South American qualifiers.
Lionel Messi scored an incredible free-kick goal to give Argentina a 1-0 victory over Ecuador, extending their unbeaten streak in World Cup qualifiers to 22 games (13 wins, 9 ties).
Having established himself as a dependable No. 6 option for Klopp to start the season, Mac Allister, 24, switched roles for the final 77 minutes of the match and played on the left of a midfield three.
In other South American matches, Luis Diaz played for 88 minutes as Colombia made a good start in their quest to make the World Cup after losing out the previous year.
Venezuela was defeated 1-0 by to a goal from Rafael Santos Borre early in the second half. Diaz was heavily involved, accounting for the fifth-most touches in his team’s lineup (73).
Dominik Szoboszlai, who played the entire 90 minutes in a more forward role and was effective for his team in both phases of the game, guided Hungary to a 2-1 victory over Serbia.
