Cody Gakpo has been the driving pressure behind the Netherlands’ run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
The Liverpool ahead was named Participant of the Match in a 3-0 win over Romania within the final 16, grabbing a aim and an help in what was the Dutch’s most convincing efficiency on the match thus far.
With two objectives within the group stage, his tally of three in 4 video games thus far places him joint first within the race for the Golden Boot.
The 25-year-old’s main position in Germany is in distinction to the comparatively underwhelming season he has simply had at Anfield, which noticed him wrestle for consistency and sometimes play a peripheral half of their assault.
So, what’s the secret behind Gakpo’s success for his nation? Learn on as we take a more in-depth look.
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Finest place
Gakpo earned his £35million transfer to Liverpool in 2023 together with his spectacular kind on the left aspect of assault for PSV Eindhoven, chopping inside to make himself a menace on aim.
In that place, he scored 12 objectives and supplied 13 assists in 27 video games throughout the first half of the 2022-23 marketing campaign previous to leaving for Anfield in January.
At Liverpool, he’s one among a number of attacking stars, which means he’s typically shifted extra centrally to accomodate the likes of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez and solely 13 league begins final season reveals he has struggled to make a place his personal.
That’s no such situation for the Netherlands, with the left wing is firmly his – very like his PSV days. Below Ronald Koeman, he’s given the license to run at right-backs, with most at this match struggling to cope with his tempo and energy.
Cody Gakpo emphatically opened the scoring for the Netherlands towards Romania 🤩#Euro2024 | #ROUNED pic.twitter.com/ihkfM7CyMe
— ITV Soccer (@itvfootball) July 2, 2024
Supervisor Ronald Koeman stated after the Romania win: “Sure, he can play as a striker, however he has proven right this moment that he’s most harmful from the left aspect.
“His beginning place is on the left aspect as a result of he’s actually harmful if he comes one towards one with the fitting full-back.
“He can go inside, outdoors, he has his qualities, he’s sturdy. He’s taking part in a fantastic degree this match, perhaps an important participant till now. I hope that the remaining can come to that degree.”
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Harnessing his aim menace
Eight objectives and 5 assists within the Premier League present Gakpo is a scientific participant and the Netherlands are benefiting from that in Germany.
In reality, just one participant has bettered the Dutchman’s tally of six on the final two main worldwide tournaments – and his identify is Kylian Mbappe.
His three objectives at Euro 2024, scored from solely seven pictures heading in the right direction, place in esteemed firm amongst his countrymen too.
The opposite Dutch gamers to attain that many at a match are Marco Van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Ruud van Nisterlooy and Georginio Wijnaldum.
All these document proves he’s a person who can deal with the burden of being the group’s most important goalscorer and maybe make the very fact his Anfield profession hasn’t set alight all of the extra puzzling.
Gakpo not too long ago stated of his Liverpool struggles: “It doesn’t at all times go how you want, typically you’ve got a spell the place issues don’t go your method.
“However I’ve a fantastic group at Liverpool, nice people who find themselves there for you, they saved believing in me and serving to me. The previous couple of video games of the season we had been additionally good, I performed good video games.
“I took that with me and saved working onerous and I’m very comfortable I could be of worth on this sport tonight [vs Romania].”
Cody Gakpo fires the Netherlands forward 🔥
He turns into the joint top-scorer on the Euros with three objectives 👏#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #ROUNED pic.twitter.com/DvLJoOYmeb
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 2, 2024
Can Slot get the very best out of Gakpo?
The excellent news for Gakpo is that when he returns to Liverpool, he shall be taking part in underneath a supervisor who is aware of him nicely from his time within the Netherlands.
Arne Slot will kick off a brand new period on Merseyside after three years accountable for Feyernoord in addition to one with AZ Alkmaar, the place he repeatedly got here up towards his Dutch compatriot.
He shall be nicely conscious of his abilities and may have been keenly watching his performances this summer time – although the query stays whether or not he could make the left aspect his personal at Anfield.
Diaz, Nunez and, after all, Mohamed Salah have confirmed more practical weapons within the large positions, whereas the Reds’ reported pursuit of Anthony Gordon solely provides to his competitors.
If he can produce extra magic for his nation towards Turkey, Slot could don’t have any selection however to discover a strategy to match Gakpo into his aspect.
