Erling Haaland Sends Message to Dominik Szoboszlai After Liverpool Star's Stunner vs Barnsley

In Liverpool's dominant 4-1 FA Cup victory over Barnsley at Anfield on Monday night, Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai stole the spotlight with a breathtaking 30-yard screamer just nine minutes in, rocketing past goalkeeper Murphy Cooper to open the scoring.[1][2]

The strike, a beauty worthy of any highlight reel, eased early nerves around Anfield after Barnsley's strong start. However, Szoboszlai's muted celebration caught attention—no wild jumps into the stands or exuberant fist pumps, despite the quality of the finish.[1][2]

Watching from afar was his former Red Bull Salzburg teammate, Manchester City's Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker, who notably failed to score in City's 10-goal thrashing of Exeter on Saturday, couldn't resist chiming in. On his Snapchat story, Haaland shared a clip of the goal with the cheeky caption: "Domi, what a goal. Smile a bit."[1][2]

The tongue-in-cheek message highlighted the subtle humor between the rivals, poking fun at Szoboszlai's restrained reaction. Despite the early error—Szoboszlai's massive blunder in his own box that let Barnsley back into the game—the 25-year-old delivered an otherwise excellent performance.[1][2]

Liverpool sealed progression with further goals from Frimpong in the first half, and late strikes from Wirtz and Ekitike. Managers Arne Slot and Barnsley's coach both praised Szoboszlai post-match.[2]

Haaland and Szoboszlai will renew their rivalry in early February when City visit Anfield. Liverpool, eyeing a top-four spot, will need the midfielder's magic to avenge November's 3-0 Etihad loss and channel last year's 2-0 Anfield triumph.[1]

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