Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch swiftly embarrasses Reds teammate during international duty

Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch shared a warm hug before Hungary’s match against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League on Friday, but they quickly shifted to competitive mode.

The match began with the two Liverpool teammates exchanging pleasantries, but just six minutes in, Gravenberch displayed his flair with a skillful roulette move past Szoboszlai, leaving the Hungarian captain visibly frustrated.

The game, held at Budapest’s Ferenc Puskas Stadium, concluded in a 1-1 draw, featuring an eventful night for Liverpool players. Roland Sallai scored for Hungary, while Denzel Dumfries equalized for the Dutch from a set-piece delivered by Reds star Cody Gakpo. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk received a red card earlier in the match, which means he will miss Monday’s game against Germany.

Van Dijk, Gakpo, and Gravenberch are pivotal to Ronald Koeman’s Dutch squad, with Gravenberch stepping up significantly following his strong start to the season with Liverpool.

This match was Gravenberch’s 15th cap for the national team, where he has been a key midfielder since his breakout period at Ajax under Erik Ten Hag. After transferring to Liverpool in summer 2023 and declining a call-up to the Dutch under-21s, he has had an impressive start to the 2024-25 Premier League season.

The Liverpool midfielder has reestablished himself in the Dutch national team, starting each of his side’s first seven league matches and helping Liverpool earn 18 out of 21 possible points. Upon his return to the national squad in September, manager Koeman offered some insightful comments on the 23-year-old’s resurgence to Dutch outlet AD.

“We have always seen a lot of potential in Ryan,” Koeman remarked. “Many people, including myself, believed that he could enhance his concentration and overcome his laziness.”

“It was too easy for him when he was younger. It seems – we are talking about two matches now – that he realizes what is required in the midfield of Liverpool in the Premier League. That is the reality. If a player is given trust or a chance, that can be the push in the right direction.”

In response to his manager’s comments, Gravenberch told De Telegraaf: “It’s not nonsense; everyone has their own opinion. People say about me that I’m a bit nonchalant. That’s just part of my nature. Now I still have that nonchalance, but people aren’t mentioning it as much because things are going well at Liverpool.”