Liverpool went head-to-head with Qarabag in a Champions League group game at Anfield on Wednesday evening.
The Reds were forced to make changes to their starting XI against Qarabag after the injury to Joe Gomez at the weekend.
It saw Arne Slot opt to play a midfielder out of position alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the backline.
On a more positive note, after he was benched against Bournemouth, Hugo Ekitike was back in from the off, starting alongside Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah.
Any surprises for the Qarabag starting XI? Who is playing centre-back!?
Liverpool began the tie on fire, with Alexis Mac Allister opening the scoring from a set-piece.
Florian Wirtz then made it 2-0 shortly after the 20th minute, being assisted by Ekitike.
Liverpool fans love Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike connection vs Qarabag
We have already seen signs of Ekitike and Wirtz’s brilliant partnership this season, and it was on full display once again on Wednesday.
In turn, many fans have shown their appreciation for the summer signings.
One fan wrote: “Ekitike x Wirtz will destroy Europe under a good manager.”
“This Wirtz x Ekitike partnership,” stated another, followed by a picture of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.
A third added: “Ekitike x Wirtz is exactly what the game’s about.”
Another predicted: “Slotball aside, Ekitike x Wirtz feels like the start of something serious. Europe, take note.”
“This Wirtz x Ekitike linkup might be the biggest thing in football currently,” claimed a fifth.
A sixth commented: “This Ekitike and Wirtz partnership is working wonders for Liverpool right now.”
Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard record can be broken
Liverpool’s second goal against Qarabag means Wirtz and Ekitike have assisted each other five times in all competitions this season.
That is the most from two players aged 23 and younger for Liverpool since Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard in the 2002/03 campaign.
For context, Wirtz is 22 and will not turn 23 until May 2026, while Ekitike will celebrate his 24th birthday in June.
As a result, if the duo combine on two more occasions in the remainder of the current campaign, they will overtake Gerrard and Owen.
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