Liverpool’s 5-1 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt was one of those European nights we’ll remember for more than just the scoreline.
Ekitike sends message after Frankfurt return
Hugo Ekitike, who left the Bundesliga side to join us in the summer, produced one of the standout performances of the night – scoring his first Champions League goal for the club and showing pure class after full-time.
As shown by journalist Lewis Steele, the Frenchman briefly joined Frankfurt’s players on their lap of appreciation, applauding the home supporters who had stayed behind.
Later, the 23-year-old shared his emotions on Instagram, writing: “What a blessing to be back here… thank you for your love and all the best ❤️.”
His message drew warm replies from teammates, with Dominik Szoboszlai commenting “👏❤️” and Ibou Konate joking in French, “Hugo Ekitike, I’m on the attack taque,” while Ryan Gravenberch added a simple heart emoji.
It capped a night where the No.22 reminded us exactly why Arne Slot pushed to sign him this summer.
Ekitike had already described the experience as “something special” when speaking to TNT Sports (via Liverpoolfc.com) after the match.
“It was a great feeling,” he said. “Obviously it was something special for me to come back, I would say at home. I know everybody here.
“I have so much respect for them, they made me the player I am right now. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t come to Frankfurt.”
Ekitike settling fast under Arne Slot
Ekitike’s strike brought us level before Virgil van Dijk and Ibou Konate turned the game on its head.
The forward has now scored six goals for Liverpool since his move in July and credited his seamless start to the environment around him.
“I feel really good,” he said. “I have very good teammates, good staff, I love my life here. I just hope I’m going to keep going because it’s [about] consistency in football.”
It’s clear our boss has integrated him perfectly into the system, with the forward’s movement and finishing already looking more assured with every match.
The respect Ekitike showed to his former club summed up the humility and professionalism we’ve come to expect from players representing us.
This was more than just a goal, it was a performance that symbolised Liverpool’s collective spirit returning in full flow.
You can view Ekitike’s post via his Instagram account:
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