Luis Diaz scored an excellent no-look goal in Liverpool training yesterday as The Reds stepped up their pre-season preparations.
Liverpool were back on home soil at the AXA Training Centre. And as seen on LFCTV’s Inside Training video, Diaz was enjoying his return.
Collecting a pass during a training drill, the 25-year-old bore down on Marcelo Pitaluga in goal. Opening up his body to send it to Pitaluga’s left, Diaz then looked over his right shoulder and fired it the other side.
To the young goalkeeper’s credit, he almost read it perfectly. He couldn’t keep it out though, and Diaz had his Roberto Firmino moment.
Diaz learning from Bobby at Liverpool
After an astonishing first six months at Liverpool, there’s a lot of expectation on Diaz’s shoulders this season.
If the Colombian is feeling the pressure of that, then on this evidence, he isn’t showing it. We’ve already got used to him attempting a variety of no-look bits and pieces during games, and it looks like that will continue apace.
At times, it can feel frivolous and actually detrimental to Liverpool’s play. But who are we top stop a footballer simply having fun on the pitch.
As the game has moved towards a more robotic, system-driven sport, it sometimes feels as though we’ve lost a bit of that spontaneity. Diaz is the kind of player who makes you remember why you fell in love with the game.
Firmino is too. The Brazilian has made the no-look stuff something of a trademark since arriving at Liverpool. He’s also one of the most naturally gifted players you’ll ever see, and he always, always plays with a beaming smile.
We didn’t see loads of Diaz and Firmino in tandem last season. Hopefully they can be on the pitch together a little more during 2022/23, and we can see their joyous football in all it’s glory.
Judging from what we’ve seen away from the pitch on tour, they look to have struck up a friendship. Let’s hope that as that understanding grows, it will do so on the field, too.