Florian Wirtz Slovakia performance goes viral as German media make harsh Liverpool claim

Die Mannschaft won the match 6-0

Arriving in England as one of the best-rated talents in world football, the Germany international joined the Reds for close to £116 million in the summer.

A hotly-contested transfer battle saw the champions fight off reported interest from both Bayern Munich and Man City and Wirtz is said to have chosen Liverpool.

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Wirtz has now played 11 times in the Premier League and is still yet to score his first goal, or register an assist in a league game.

Despite his struggles on Merseyside so far, the player has been consistently defended by supporters back home in Germany.

Earlier in the season, ex-Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp said: "[Wirtz is] a once-in-a-century talent, and at some point, he'll show that in every game again, just as he did at Leverkusen," while a week ago, the 22-year-old's manager for the German national team Julien Nagelsmann added: "We can't expect him to perform at the same level for three years straight."

If Wirtz's performance for Germany last night is anything to go by, it seems clear that as long as he continues to show up for his national team, the Liverpool man will continue to maintain his excellent reputation abroad.

As his side secured a qualification spot at next year's World Cup with a 6-0 thrashing of Slovakia, Wirtz was one of the star players. And the 22-year-old's showing brought him plaudits from right across the German press.

This is best summed up by German outlet Suddeutsche Zeitung, writing: "Florian Wirtz left his doppelganger in England this time."

Adding: "Ah, good to see you again, Mr. Wirtz, we've missed you! For weeks it wasn't even clear whether it was Florian Wirtz or a bewildered doppelganger on the pitch in Liverpool and the national team. 

"In Leipzig, the original was back: technique, turns, crosses, passes, two beautiful assists before Leroy Sané's goals – everything was back to normal, just like the player who cost a fortune this summer. 

"He even provided arguments for being named Man of the Match without scoring himself. If Julian Nagelsmann wants to achieve his goal [the title] at the World Cup, he needs exactly this Wirtz."

This perspective was backed up by another German paper, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ).

Their report of the match included the following description: "For Wirtz, struggling at Liverpool, and Sane [Leroy Sane scored a brace] returning to the German national team, this half-time match was balm for the soul after many debates in recent weeks."

The love for Wirtz wasn't unanimous though, another outlet 90 Plus, suggesting that in the opening minutes he showed some signs of a Liverpool-based hangover, before eventually showing signs of improvement.

It reads: "The Liverpool star's current crisis at the club was evident; he didn't initially exude much confidence. 

"However, he improved steadily and played a crucial role in the 4-0 halftime lead with two excellent assists for Sané (36th, 41st minute). He was hard-working defensively and deserved a goal of his own."