Tag: Wirtz

  • EPL: Wirtz gets his first goal as Liverpool beat Wolves

    EPL: Wirtz gets his first goal as Liverpool beat Wolves

    Florian Wirtz scored his first Liverpool goal as they held out to beat Wolves on an emotional afternoon at Anfield as Diogo Jota was remembered by both sets of fans.

    Arne Slot’s side scored twice in two minutes through Ryan Gravenberch and Wirtz in the first half and though Wolves pulled one back through Santiago Bueno, Liverpool made it three Premier League wins in a row. Wolves remain winless in the top flight this season.

    Dinis and Duarte, Jota’s sons, were mascots for the game and came out on to the pitch alongside Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

    Jota, who played for Liverpool and Wolves, during his time in England, was remembered again when both sets of fans sang his song in the 20th minute. Liverpool retired his shirt number ’20’ following his death in a car crash in July.

    Rob Edwards’ Wolves held firm for most of the first half until Gravenberch broke the deadlock in the 41st minute as he finished from Jeremie Frimpong’s ball.

    A minute later, Wirtz got on the end of Hugo Ektike’s delivery and slotted past Jose Sa to double Liverpool’s lead.

    The visitors had a glimmer of hope six minutes into the second half, as Bueno scored the rebound after Alisson saved Tolu Arokodare’s header from a Wolves corner.

    Edwards made three changes just after the hour mark as his side hunted for an equaliser and they came close when Arokodare headed over but Liverpool held firm to make it seven games unbeaten in all competitions.

  • Wirtz makes first start as Liverpool lose to Milan

    Wirtz makes first start as Liverpool lose to Milan

    Liverpool’s record signing Florian Wirtz made his first start for his new club as Arne Slot’s side were beaten 4-2 by AC Milan at a sold-out Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.

    However, there was no place for Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz in the Reds squad amid speculation they could leave following the arrival of Hugo Ekitike and the pursuit of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.

    Slot said after the game that Nunez missed the match because of injury but Colombia forward Diaz was left out as a result of “speculation on his future”.

    Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish laid a wreath of flowers before kick-off and the players had ‘Diogo J 20’ on their shirts in tribute to their former team-mate Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident as he and his brother Andre Silva drove through the Spanish province of Zamora earlier this month.

    The Premier League champions dominated the opening 10 minutes but it was the Italian side who opened the scoring when a counter-attack ended with Rafael Leao smashing past Alisson Becker.

    Dominik Szoboszlai equalised with a fine curling strike into the top corner of Mike Maignan’s goal from the edge of the box.

    Read Also: Alonso, Wirtz lead Leverkusen’s summer exodus

    England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek restored Milan’s lead early in the second half as the Reds were again caught short at the back and Noah Okafor made it 3-1 with a brilliant finish beyond Liverpool’s new Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

    Cody Gakpo pulled one back in added time with a header from Ibrahima Konate’s pinpoint ball into the box but an awful mix-up between Mamardashvili and Kostas Tsimikas allowed Okafor to net his second.

    Liverpool now travel to Japan and will play Yokohama F. Marinos on Wednesday.

    BBC

  • JUST IN: Liverpool agree £116m deal for Wirtz

    JUST IN: Liverpool agree £116m deal for Wirtz

    Liverpool have agreed a £116m deal to sign Germany attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

    The fee includes a guaranteed £100m and a further £16m in add-ons.

    Those bonus payments would become payable if the Reds achieve a sustained level of success at elite level – and would only then become a British record.

    Read Also: Alonso, Wirtz lead Leverkusen’s summer exodus

    The British record for an initial fee remains Chelsea’s £107m signing of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in 2023.

    Chelsea also brought in Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo for an initial £100m fee, which could rise to £115m.

    BBC