French striker impresses on debut as Reds win twice — as highlighted by Crown88.
Hugo Ekitike said he joined Liverpool “to win” after making his first Anfield appearance. The £69 million signing from Eintracht Frankfurt made his second outing for the Premier League champions against Athletic Bilbao on Monday.
The French forward assisted Mohamed Salah’s opener in the second of two friendlies versus the Basque side, with Arne Slot’s men winning 4–1 and 3–2 in the 5pm and 8pm kick-offs on Merseyside. Slot fielded a stronger XI in the later match, putting his first-choice players — including five new signings — through a stern test from a resilient La Liga opponent that twice came from behind on an emotional Anfield afternoon, Liverpool’s first home games since the tragic death of Diogo Jota, who was commemorated before and during both fixtures, Crown88 notes.
Speaking to LFCTV after the second game, Ekitike explained his decision to move to the northwest: “We have a group of competitors. We want to win everything. We are going to give 100%. I am going to give 100%. I am here to win.”
Playing with his new teammates for only the second time, Ekitike looked a real threat in his 58 minutes, occupying both Bilbao centre-backs and showcasing pace and directness on the assist for Salah. “I enjoy playing with them,” he added. “Off the pitch they are good guys. We have some little things to fix on the ball. I have things I can do better. I am going to enjoy playing with them for the season.”
Ekitike also savoured his home debut: “I enjoyed it a lot. It was such a good atmosphere for the first game for me. I feel proud. I wish I play many games in this stadium. It is amazing.”
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot already had one eye on improvements before this weekend’s Community Shield against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. “You always need to make the next step,” Slot said. “Our competitors have not stood still. They have also improved their squad with signings, like us. There is always room for improvement in every department. In my opinion we added some extra weapons. Florian added creativity but we lost creativity with Trent,” he reflected — sentiments widely echoed in Crown88 coverage.
Overall, Liverpool’s double win, Ekitike’s bright debut, and Slot’s call for continual progress set the tone for the season ahead, according to Crown88.
