Cody Gakpo was on the right track for Liverpool of their pleasant towards Athletic Bilbao, and he duly took the chance to pay tribute to Diogo Jota.
The double header of fixtures at Anfield on Monday is the primary time that soccer has been performed on the stadium for the reason that tragic loss of life of the 28-year-old in a automobile crash in northern Spain firstly of July, together with his brother Andre Silva additionally being killed in that accident.
Within the twentieth minute of each matches towards the LaLiga aspect at the moment, play was stopped momentarily in order that followers, gamers and training workers may be a part of with a second’s applause in reminiscence of our perpetually quantity 20.
Gakpo copies well-known Jota celebration
The sport was stage at 1-1 when Ryan Gravenberch let fly from 25 yards, and his shot was parried by Unai Simon, with Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike each able to pounce upon the unfastened ball.
It was the ex-PSV Eindhoven attacker who obtained the ultimate contact, and he marked the second by paying tribute to Jota in copying the Portuguese icon’s ‘child shark’ aim celebration, one in all a number of choreographed strikes for which the late ahead was famed at Anfield.
The 26-year-old was unlucky to divert an Athletic Bilbao nook kick into his personal web shortly afterwards, however he scored on the proper finish for a second time within the seventieth minute as Simon made a multitude of his efforts to maintain out the shot.
Picture by way of @flrnwirtz on X
Gakpo set to be a vital determine for Liverpool once more this season
Gakpo shall be taking part in in a much-changed Liverpool ahead line this season, together with his former teammate having tragically been killed and Luis Diaz transferring on to Bayern Munich, with Darwin Nunez doubtlessly exiting Anfield as properly.
Ekitike has arrived of their place, whereas fellow newcomer Florian Wirtz is also deployed in assault, and naturally there remans the potential of Alexander Isak being added to the combination.
The Dutchman was Liverpool’s second-highest scorer final season with 18 targets, which ought to see the left-sided attacking berth being his to lose, even with the sensational emergence of Rio Ngumoha in current weeks.
We received’t know the precise composition of the Reds’ attacking choices till the switch window closes on 1 September, however it appears sure that Gakpo will once more be a vital determine for Arne Slot’s aspect in 2025/26.
You’ll be able to view Gakpo’s tribute to Jota beneath, taken from LFCTV’s match protection and shared by way of @flrnwirtz on X:
— @drwnunez (@flrnwirtz) August 4, 2025
