How Liverpool-Bound Florian Wirtz Performed During Germany 1-2 Portugal

Florian Wirtz, of course, will only help Liverpool retain their status as Premier League champions should he arrive in the summer – and the Anfield faithful have now reacted to the 22-year-old’s performance in Germany’s 2-1 loss to Portugal on Wednesday.

At the Allianz Arena, the sought-after attacking midfielder lined up alongside Leroy Sane and debutant Nick Woltemade as Die Mannschaft looked to book a spot in the final of the UEFA Nations League, and he was closely watched by fans of Liverpool.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Across his 221-game club career, Wirtz has plundered 69 goals and a further 67 assists.

The Reds, who won the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s maiden campaign with four games remaining, have been laser-focused on securing the youngster’s signature ever since it became apparent that Manchester City and Bayern Munich were not his preference.

A move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool now seems inevitable – and, according to Mail Online’s German sources, the German playmaker’s move to Anfield is all-but completed. But how did he perform against Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Co?

Related Liverpool’s Dream 11 For 2025/26 Season if They Sign Florian Wirtz Following Mohamed Salah's contract extension, Arne Slot and his entourage could fight on all fronts with this starting line-up next season.

Wirtz’s Performance for Germany vs Portugal

The German playmaker completed a 90-minute performance in 2-1 loss

He’s one of the most exciting in world football for a reason. In 2024/25 alone, he plundered 16 goals and a further 15 assists in 45 outings for the Bundesliga outfit, who failed to retain their status as the champions of Germany this season.

A livewire for Julian Nagelsmann’s side when they were on top, Wirtz was committed to the cause – as evidenced by his desire to dance in and out of opposition. His goal, which opened the scoring in Munich, epitomised the role of a box crasher.

Assisted by Joshua Kimmich, the Bayer Leverkusen star – widely regarded as one of the best players in world football – wandered behind a bystanding Portugal defence, latched onto Kimmich’s looping ball and diverted it past a hapless Diogo Costa.

Given he’s not blessed with height, something that is useful for those who are aerially dominant, the Pulheim-born international kept it cool and collected as he caressed it into the back of the net. It took real poise – but Wirtz made it look easy.

Statistically, Wirtz impressed: three of his five dribble attempts were successful and he won eight of his 13 ground duels, though his energetic display wasn't able to spearhead a victory on home soil. Floating centrally, he picked up lovely pockets of space as he looked to dart about and cause problems.

As things stand, Dominik Szoboszlai occupies Wirtz's position under Slot, while Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch – two of world football's best midfielders right now – form the two-man pivot behind the Hungarian. But Wirtz is on his way to snatch his spot.

Despite reports suggesting that Wirtz was keen to adopt the No.10 shirt, which is what he has donned throughout his spell at the BayArena, his own by taking it off Mac Allister, he hit back to claim that as fake news, as he has plenty of respect for the Argentine.

Wirtz Earned Rave Reviews from Anfield Faithful

‘Mohamed Salah is going to love playing with Florian Wirtz’

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What Liverpool fans are saying shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The Reds, often, rely on the brilliance of their go-to man, Mohamed Salah, to pull them out of tricky situations – but that won’t be the case with the 29-cap Germany international.

Posting a video of Wirtz’s delicately placed ball to Joshua Kimmich at the back stick, another Liverpool supporter insisted that he would be perfect for Salah. They wrote: “Mohamed Salah is going to love playing with Florian Wirtz."

While dissecting his 90-minute performance against Portugal, one fan spotted something favourable about the world-beater’s style of play: how calm he remains. “One thing I love about Wirtz is that he plays the game at his own pace,” they said before adding: “Never phased, never rushed, always composed.”

“Florian Wirtz is a £100m player. World class.” one posted before another insisted that it would be a 'pleasure' to watch him ply his trade in one of football's best leagues, the Premier League. "Florian Wirtz is a genius. It'll be a pleasure having him in the PL if this Liverpool signing goes through."

Szoboszlai's 24/25 Premier League Stats vs Wirtz's 24/25 Bundesliga Stats Statistic Szoboszlai Wirtz Minutes 2496 2357 Goals/Assists 6/6 10/12 Average passes per game 34.5 51.3 Pass success rate (%) 85.8 82.3 Shots per game 1.9 2.5 Key passes per game 1.6 1.8 Dribbles per game 0.6 2.6 Overall rating 6.89 7.50

All statistics per Sofascore and WhoScored - correct as of 04/06/2025

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