Darwin Nunez opens His UCL scoring account as Liverpool extends away winning streak

After months of waiting, Darwin Nunez finally opened his scoring account in Wednesday's Champions League clash against RB Leipzig, netting the only goal to secure Liverpool's sixth consecutive away victory. The Reds have also won 11 of their first 12 matches since the season began.

Despite seeing reduced playing time this season under manager Arne Slot, Núñez has remained resilient, making the most of his limited opportunities, which reach Slot’s current demand for the Uruguayan striker. 

Nunez Shows His All-Around Game

Since Liverpool signed Federico Chiesa, competition for attacking spots has intensified, leaving Nunez with fewer minutes compared to the time he enjoyed under former manager Jürgen Klopp.

So far this season, Nunez has made just one start, which came in last month's match against Bournemouth. In that game, he made the most of his chance by scoring a sensational goal, curling the ball into the far-left corner.

Rather than taking a rough shot, Nunez displayed a newfound composure in front of goal. After skipping past a defender, he calmly weighed his options, either cross or shoot, and chose to shoot.

“I think it comes down to what you have to do when we have the ball and when we don’t have the ball and fit his own characteristics into that,” Slot said after a 3-0 win over Bournemouth. "We did work with him on his qualities to get the best out of him, but there’s also a general thing he has to understand, like all the others.”

When Liverpool faced a revitalized Chelsea last Sunday, Nunez was called off the bench in a tough situation. Diogo Jota, a dependable forward, picked up an injury, and Nunez had a chance to step in. Although he didn’t register a shot, Nunez played a crucial role in other aspects of the game.

He contested the most 17 duels and won nine of them, also contributing with three tackles to help Liverpool defensively.

Offensively, Nunez was involved in building up play, creating two chances and completing six out of eight passes. One of his key passes found Curtis Jones, who was fouled by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, resulting in a penalty for Liverpool.

Nunez’s all-around contribution without attempting a shot is a positive sign of his growing maturity. Last season, he scored 11 goals from 107 shots, averaging one goal every 10 attempts.

He also posted up 4.7 shot attempts per PL match, the top of the category last season. This year, he’s taking fewer shots and focusing more on linking up with teammates and making other meaningful contributions.

Liverpool Needs Nunez to Shine Amid Injury Woes

Injuries have become a recurring issue for Liverpool, and this season is no different. With Chiesa and Jota both sidelined, Nunez is now stepping into a more prominent role.

Starting in Liverpool's recent Champions League match against RB Leipzig, Nunez was eager to make an impact. He recorded five shots, two of which were on target, and finally broke his UCL scoring drought by converting Mohamed Salah’s unsecured header into the net.

Minutes later, Nunez linked up with Cody Gakpo who dribbled on the left flank, connecting with a powerful header that was only denied by Leipzig goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi.

Early in the second half, he nearly set up Gakpo for another chance, skillfully keeping possession near the baseline with two people marking and threading a pass to his teammate in the middle, though Gulácsi once again thwarted the effort.

“What I liked from Darwin was that he was also strong, comfortable on the ball, kept the ball a lot, fighting if he had to defend, so he made it a really difficult game for the two centre-backs of Leipzig. And then for him scoring, I think that is always nice for a striker to be on the scoresheet,” Slot said after the 1-0 victory over the Bundesliga team.

Liverpool is entering one of the toughest schedules of the season, and with Chiesa and Jota’s return dates still uncertain, Nunez is expected to feature in the coming matches as a starting frontman.

With his first UCL goal under his belt and increasing trust from Slot, Nunez is likely to maintain his momentum and prove his worth.