If you're curious about how Florian Wirtz is getting on at Liverpool, just take a look at what happened just before the half-hour mark in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Real Madrid.

After Real Madrid lost possession in their own half, freeing Wirtz to exploit space down the right, his precise cross set up Dominik Szoboszlai for a shot that was only thwarted by an exceptional save from visiting keeper Thibaut Courtois. This has been a recurring theme for Wirtz.

While he's the first to admit he hasn't quite hit the heights of his time under Real boss Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, the narrative could have been different if his team-mates had converted even a fraction of the numerous chances he's created this season.

But Wirtz wasn't disheartened. Recalled to the left wing - and sticking more rigidly to the position than during his off-target 45 minutes at Crystal Palace back in September - the 22-year-old put in a tremendous performance.

No player covered more ground, and his...