Castello Lukeba has endured a rather eventful 24 hours as he featured for RB Leipzig in their 1-0 UEFA Champions League defeat against Liverpool.
The French international has gone from strength to strength since signing for the Bundesliga club from Lyon last summer and signed a new contract until 2029 earlier today.
Despite his extension, Liverpool are keeping tabs on Lukeba and are keen to sign him in 2025 as they aim to add to their central defensive options.
The Liverpool faithful got more than just a glimpse of the 21-year-old as he played the full 90 minutes at the Red Bull Arena as they took to X to deliver their verdicts on his performance.
Liverpool fans torn on Castello Lukeba’s performance
Lukeba was booked for a rash challenge on Dominik Szoboszlai early in the game and Liverpool fans were quick to point out that his tackle was worthy of a red card.
One fan wrote ‘How is that challenge by Lukeba on Dominik Szoboszlai, not a red card?’ as he got away with just a booking.
Mid-way through the second half, Darwin Nunez gave the away side the lead after Mohamed Salah’s header fell kindly to him.
Eagle-eyed Liverpool fans criticised Lukeba for losing a header to Salah, who is hardly the tallest player on the pitch.
One fan opined ‘Lukeba gave the ball away and lost a header to 5’9 Salah,’ seemingly pointing out that the Frenchman was at fault for the solitary goal of the game.
On the other hand, one fan noted that Lukeba’s profile would be perfect for Liverpool on the left-hand side of the backline, while another one said ‘Lukeba is incredible on the ball, should be a serious consideration for LCB/LB for us.’
Lukeba’s stats vs Liverpool
In what turned out to be an eventful game against a relentless Liverpool side that breezed to a win barring a couple of scares in the closing stages of the game, Lukeba was a busy man.
Here’s what his underlying numbers looked like as he played the full ninety minutes for Leipzig.
- 79 touches
- 54/63 accurate passes (86% pass completion rate)
- Five clearances
- One key pass, tackle and interception apiece
- Three out of four duels won
Lukeba earned himself a Sofascore rating of 6.9 for his performance and is set to be watched keenly by Liverpool in the coming months as they weigh up making a move for him.
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