Liverpool star Diogo Jota struggled to impress for Portugal during Tuesday night’s 0-0 draw against Scotland in the Nations League.
The 27-year-old has blown hot and cold for Liverpool this season and struggled to make any meaningful impact in the Portuguese frontline against Scotland.
Jota is often deployed as a centre-forward for Liverpool, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence in the Portuguese team pushed the former Wolverhampton Wanderers star to the left flank.
It wasn’t necessarily uncharted territory for Jota, considering he played in the position during his time at Wolves and often under the leadership of former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
However, Jota failed to provide the spark Portugal desperately needed in the final third. Not only was he ineffective, he was largely a ghost throughout his spell on the pitch.
The former Wolves star spent just over an hour on the pitch but only managed 19 touches. He managed to get a shot on target and also registered one key pass.
However, he was repeatedly bullied in 1v1 contests, winning just one of his five ground duels. He was surprisingly better in the air, although he only contested two aerial duels and won one.
Jota’s performance earned him a Sofascore rating of 6.7, but it might not be enough for him to secure a spot in Liverpool’s starting line-up this weekend.
Arne Slot’s side return to Premier League action on Sunday evening, facing a resurgent Chelsea side in a box office showdown.
The Merseyside giants will welcome the Blues to Anfield on the back of a six-match winning streak across all competitions, but they’ll be up against it as Enzo Maresca’s side has improved significantly this season.
Nevertheless, they’ll head into the game as slight favourites, although Jota may have to settle for a place on the bench, with one of Darwin Nunez or Cody Gakpo poised to lead the line.
Stats from Sofascore.com
