Liverpool star Hugo Ekitike gets brutally honest verdict from French media

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French media have given their assessment on Hugo Ekitike's performance as France cruised to victory over Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifyingHugo Ekitike received a low rating from French media as he struggled to replicate his excellent Liverpool form on the international stage. Ekitike has hit the ground running since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, with his silly sending off against Southampton in the Carabao Cup after removing his shirt in celebration being the only blot in his copybook.That form led to him being handed his first senior caps by France boss Didier Deschamps last month.

After substitute appearances against Ukraine and Iceland, Ekitike was thrown into the starting line-up for Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan, partnering Kylian Mbappe in a front two.Mbappe scored for the 10th successive match and for the 13th time in 14 appearances this season as France won 3-0. Ekitike, who was replaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta on 79 minutes, had a quieter game than strike partner Mbappe.As a result, he picked up a lowly rating of just 4/10 from leading French title L’Equipe, who said of his performance: “Plenty of effort and energy, but little end product.“He struck eight times, hit the base of the post, but missed the target too often.

His movement was good, yet his execution lacked precision.”Only Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise - a player who has been linked with Liverpool - received a lower mark, 3/10. Speaking in August, after calling him up for the first time, he said: “Hugo, because of what he did last season and at Liverpool, we were already following him at Frankfurt.“Good for him.