There was plenty to keep an eye on for Liverpool supporters during Friday night’s international action.
And thankfully, there was more good news than bad.
Milos Kerkez got himself on the scoresheet for Hungary, Jérémy Jacquet played another full game for France, Bradley Barcola got some minutes off the bench, Giorgi Mamardashvili was in goal for Georgia and Kieran Morrison picked up an assist for Northern Ireland.
Not a bad night for the Reds.
Kerkez gets his first Hungary goal
This is the one that immediately caught my eye.
Milos Kerkez scored his first international goal as Hungary beat Georgia 1-0.
And there was a nice little Liverpool connection to it because the player he beat with his header was his club teammate Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Kerkez got into the box and headed Dániel Lukács’ cross past Mamardashvili ten minutes before half-time.
It was enough to win the game.
It was also Kerkez’s first goal for Hungary, which makes it a particularly nice moment for the Liverpool left-back.
He played the full match and, from a Liverpool point of view, I’m really hoping this gives him a bit of confidence.
Kerkez has had a mixed start to life at Anfield, but there’s clearly plenty of ability there.
I still think we’re going to see a lot more from him once he properly settles into Liverpool’s way of playing.
One little downside is that he picked up his second yellow card of the Nations League campaign, meaning he will miss Hungary’s next game against Ukraine.
Mamardashvili couldn’t stop his Liverpool teammate
It must have been a strange one for Giorgi Mamardashvili.
You’re playing for Georgia and trying to keep a clean sheet.
Then the Liverpool teammate you see every day at Melwood turns up in your penalty area and heads the ball past you.
Mamardashvili completed the full 90 minutes and reportedly made five saves, so the 1-0 scoreline could have been worse for Georgia.
It wasn’t the result he wanted, obviously, but another full game for him is useful.
Liverpool will need Mamardashvili to be ready whenever his opportunity comes at club level.
Jacquet keeps going
I’m really enjoying watching Jérémy Jacquet’s international rise.
It wasn’t long ago that we were talking about his France debut.
Now he’s already played another full 90 minutes.
Jacquet started at centre-back as France drew 1-1 with Italy in Paris. It was his second consecutive start for France under Zinedine Zidane, following the 1-0 victory over Belgium earlier in the international window.
That’s a big deal for a 21-year-old Liverpool defender.
And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Liverpool supporters are becoming increasingly excited about him at the same time.
We’ve already seen how composed Jacquet can look alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Now he’s getting international experience alongside some of France’s best defenders.
That’s only going to help him.
The result wasn’t what France wanted, with Italy coming back to draw 1-1, but from Liverpool’s point of view I’m much more interested in Jacquet getting another 90 minutes.
Give me that all day.
Barcola gets another 14 minutes
Bradley Barcola came off the bench for France and played around the final quarter of the match.
It wasn’t long enough for him to make a huge impact, but at least he’s getting minutes.
After the injury problems Liverpool have had in attack recently, I’m just happy to see Barcola getting through another international appearance.
He was introduced for the final 15 minutes against Italy, while Jacquet stayed on for the full game.
Hopefully he can build up his minutes and return to Liverpool feeling sharp.
The last thing Liverpool need right now is another injury. Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak have already sustained injuries during this period, so everyone connected with the club will be hoping the remaining players can get through the international break safely.
Szoboszlai captains Hungary
Dominik Szoboszlai also completed the full match for Hungary.
He wore the captain’s armband as Hungary beat Georgia 1-0, with Kerkez providing the decisive goal.
For me, Szoboszlai’s role as Hungary captain is another reason why I think Liverpool have something special in him.
He’s still only 25, but he’s already carrying major responsibility for his country.
Liverpool will need that leadership too.
There have been games this season where I’ve wanted more from Szoboszlai, particularly when Liverpool have struggled to control midfield.
But I still think there’s a very good player in there.
And having these international responsibilities can only help him grow into the sort of leader Liverpool will eventually need.
Morrison gives Northern Ireland a boost
And then there’s Kieran Morrison.
The Liverpool youngster is another player I always like keeping an eye on when international football comes around.
He started for Northern Ireland against Ukraine and produced an excellent assist as his country won 3-0.
Morrison’s cross was headed back across goal before Isaac Price finished it, and he played 78 minutes before being substituted.
That’s a really good experience for him.
Northern Ireland have made an excellent start to their Nations League campaign and are yet to concede after three games, so Morrison is getting the chance to be part of something positive with the senior national team.
He’s one of those Liverpool youngsters who could be easy to overlook because he’s not yet around the first team every week.
But keep an eye on him.
He’s developing.
Overall, a good night for Liverpool
When you look at it all together, there was plenty to like.
Kerkez scored his first international goal.
Jacquet played another full game for France.
Barcola got more minutes.
Szoboszlai captained Hungary.
Mamardashvili played the full 90.
And Morrison picked up an assist in a 3-0 win for Northern Ireland.
That’s exactly what I want from an international break.
Give our players minutes.
Give the youngsters experience.
And, most importantly, bring everybody home healthy.
Gakpo and Isak sustaining injuries is a reminder that international breaks can quickly become costly for clubs. Liverpool really don’t want any more players joining the injury list before the season resumes.
There are still more international games to come, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed on that last part.
Liverpool have plenty waiting for them when the international break is finally over.
And after watching some of these performances, I’m looking forward to seeing the Reds back together again.
By Jamie (The Kopite View)
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