Alexis Mac Allister is a key player for both Liverpool and Argentina.
The midfielder was still a Brighton and Hove Albion player when he announced himself on the global stage by helping the Albiceleste win the World Cup.
In the summer of 2023, Jurgen Klopp brought him to Anfield, and Mac Allister had a very impressive debut season as a Liverpool player.
For Argentina on Thursday night, the 25-year-old started against Canada in their first game of this summer’s Copa America.
The defending champions picked up a 2-0 win, and Mac Allister played a big part in the first goal.
How Argentina’s media reacted to Alexis Mac Allister’s performance vs Canada
Liverpool agreed to pay an initial £35 million to sign Mac Allister in a deal that could potentially reach £55 million through add-ons (BBC).
There wasn’t much doubt about the midfielder’s quality when the Reds signed him, and he immediately won over the fans at Anfield. Diogo Jota even called him the best player in the Premier League.
Mac Allister is a popular figure in the Argentina national team as well.
The Liverpool midfielder started in midfield alongside Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes against Canada on Thursday night.
Despite a difficult start, he had a solid game in the middle of the park and even came close to scoring from a header. He was the biggest reason why Julian Alvarez scored Argentina’s opener in the second half.
Mac Allister rushed inside the box to get on the end of a pass, and he took the ball around the goalkeeper brilliantly. But, the Liverpool star was brought down.
However, his touch to get the ball away from the goalkeeper pushed it into Alvarez’s path, who slotted it into the back of the net.
Here’s how media outlets in Argentina reacted to Mac Allister’s display.
TyC Sports gave Mac Allister a 6/10 rating and wrote: “From smallest to largest. It took him a long time to get into the game. First, it was showy and then effective. Key to Julián’s goal.
Ole gave him a 7/10 rating and said: “Key participation in the 1-0 due to his advance-assistance to Julián with the tip of the boot.
“He failed to head a cross-pass from De Paul with power like a number nine. He was judicious with his passes too.”
Mac Allister’s stats vs Canada
Fans of Argentina and Liverpool were a bit scared after Mac Allister went down in pain when he was brought down inside the box.
The midfielder stayed down for a while even during the celebrations.
However, Mac Allister managed to complete the game without any trouble, and his numbers are really good.
Along with the assist, the 25-year-old had 56 touches of the ball and completed 33 of his 37 attempted passes, thus maintaining a healthy 89 per cent passing accuracy.
Mac Allister also registered two key passes and created one big chance (SofaScore).
The Liverpool man should be really happy with his display, and he is likely to start again when Argentina take on Chile in their next Copa America game.