How Florian Wirtz compares to Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League for Liverpool this season

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Florian Wirtz finally got the assists fans and critics have been waiting for against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The German shone against his old Bundesliga rivals when he provided two assists for Liverpool in their 5-1 victory against Frankfurt, with the team looking better with him in it.

Since joining the Reds, the 22-year-old has been criticised for his debut displays in a red shirt, and without a goal contribution to his name, there were questions over whether Wirtz was worth the £116 million price tag.

It is always difficult coming to a new country and club to play what is a very different type of tempo and physicality to what you are used to, which it seems the player has struggled with this season.

However, recently his performances have picked up, especially in the Champions League, where he has seemingly flourished for Arne Slot.

Florian Wirtz is third behind Kylian Mbappe and Andre Guler in most chances created in the Champions League

There has been a noticeable difference in how Wirtz carries himself in these games, and the space he creates and finds consistently creates opportunities for the team.

During the opening three matches of the competition this season, the player has racked up 11 chances created in the Champions League, joint third with Nicholas Pepe.

That only puts him behind Kylian Mbappe (16) and Andre Guler (13) in the league this season, quite impressive given the mountain of criticism he has faced.

Of course, Mbappe has been clearly the better player in terms of output this season across the board as he has come into his own in a Real Madrid shirt, as expected.

However, it is interesting to see how the pair compare in terms of passing and big chances created so far in the Champions League.

Florian Wirtz has created more big chances than Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League

Wirtz has more assists than the French forward this season, but has also created more big chances (4) than Mbappe (2).

What it does present is how effective the player is on the ball, that he can provide this Liverpool side with a greater creative flow.

The problem always comes when he expects his teammates to finish the chances, which, up until last night, had not happened.

The German midfielder also has a higher number of long balls per game, with an 80% accuracy compared to the 26-year-old.

This is obviously not to claim that the German is a better player, but it is instead to demonstrate what he offers to Liverpool currently and how it can be utilised in the future once he gets up to speed.