Cody Gakpo is thriving for the Netherlands after Liverpool struggles

Cody Gakpo has been the driving force behind the Netherlands’ run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.

The Liverpool forward was named Player of the Match in a 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16, grabbing a goal and an assist in what was the Dutch’s most convincing performance at the tournament so far.

With two goals in the group stage, his tally of three in four games so far puts him joint first in the race for the Golden Boot.

The 25-year-old’s leading role in Germany is in contrast to the relatively underwhelming season he has just had at Anfield, which saw him struggle for consistency and often play a peripheral part in their attack.

So, what is the secret behind Gakpo’s success for his country? Read on as we take a closer look.

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Best position

Gakpo earned his £35million move to Liverpool in 2023 with his impressive form on the left side of attack for PSV Eindhoven, cutting inside to make himself a threat on goal.

In that position, he scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists in 27 games during the first half of the 2022-23 campaign prior to leaving for Anfield in January.

At Liverpool, he is one of several attacking stars, meaning he is often shifted more centrally to accomodate the likes of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez and only 13 league starts last season shows he has struggled to make a position his own.

That is no such issue for the Netherlands, with the left wing is firmly his – much like his PSV days. Under Ronald Koeman, he is given the license to run at right-backs, with most at this tournament struggling to deal with his pace and power.

Cody Gakpo emphatically opened the scoring for the Netherlands against Romania 🤩#Euro2024 | #ROUNED pic.twitter.com/ihkfM7CyMe

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 2, 2024

Manager Ronald Koeman said after the Romania win: “Yes, he can play as a striker, but he has shown today that he’s most dangerous…

Source link : https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/euro-2024-gakpo-netherlands-liverpool/

Author : Cian Cheesbrough

Publish date : 2024-07-04 16:19:24

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