‘Wonderful player’ – Joe Cole enraptured by 46-touch Liverpool genius in first half v Sunderland
Joe Cole was enraptured by one ‘wonderful’ Liverpool player in the first half against Sunderland on Wednesday night.
The Reds were in the ascendancy for much of the opening 45 minutes at the Stadium of Light but were unable to find the breakthrough against a resolute Black Cats side.
Florian Wirtz came the closest to breaking the deadlock just after the half-hour mark when he took control with a brilliant first touch and made space for himself inside the hosts’ penalty area before hitting the post with a curled shot.
Cole praises ‘wonderful’ Wirtz
Speaking on co-commentary for TNT Sports in reaction to that attempt from Liverpool’s number 7, Cole was full of praise for the 22-year-old, who was unfortunate not to see his effort nestle in the back of the net.
The former Reds winger said (via BBC Sport): “A wonderful touch and Florian Wirtz makes time for himself in the smallest of places. He is a wonderful player.”
BBC Sport reporter Aadam Patel also commended the German’s performance as he observed during the first half: “Florian Wirtz has found a new gear in the last few minutes. If anyone’s going to make something happen, it’s the German.”
Wirtz was superb in the first half v Sunderland
The Liverpool playmaker has been in a rich vein of goalscoring form, netting six times since Christmas, and he appeared to do everything but score in the first half at the Stadium of Light.
In addition to his shot which struck the post, he forced a couple of strong saves from reported Reds transfer target Robin Roefs, and there was also more than one occasion where he worked back to win possession from Sunderland in the visitors’ half of the pitch.
Wirtz’s underlying statistics from the opening 45 minutes (via Sofascore) also reflect just how impressively he’s been playing, without getting a tangible reward.
| Touches | 46 |
| Passes completed | 31/36 (86% success) |
| Duels won | 2 |
| Shots on target | 2 |
| Key passes | 1 |
| Tackles won | 1 |
In addition to his formidable talents on the ball, the first half was notable for the German’s increased adaptation to the physical rigours of the Premier League, something that he has rightly acknowledged in the lead-up to this game.
If the 22-year-old can continue in the same vein after half-time, there’s every chance that he’ll get his name on the scoresheet once more for the Reds!
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