Liverpool’s No. 9 has started the season brightly for club and country and that continued in his final match for Uruguay before his return to Merseyside.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men hosted Brazil in a World Cup qualifier, but there was to be no Liverpool vs. Liverpool match up as Alisson remained on the bench for his country for the sixth game in a row.
And the Brazilian had a front row seat to an influential outing from his club team-mate, with Nunez the difference maker as Uruguay secured a 2-0 win over the Selecao.
He may have only had a total of 29 touches, the third-fewest of any starter, but he had a hand in both goals – first with a header before beautifully setting up Nicola de la Cruz.
Nunez’s goal arrived in the 42nd minute, with his decision to stop his run into the box rewarded as Maximiliano Araujo picked him out with a low cross that required a diving header.
The 24-year-old generated plenty of power and Man City‘s Ederson only dove for the ball after it had safely hit the back of the net.
He was not done there, though.
He put the result out of reach for Brazil late in the second half after refusing to give up on the play when pinned on the byline in the penalty box by three defenders.
With a show of strength, Nunez rode the wave of the tackle to scoop the ball back towards the penalty spot and into the path of De la Cruz, his first-time finish making it 2-0.
A stunning assist that epitomises the type of player Nunez is.
Uruguay’s 22-year wait to defeat Brazil in a World Cup qualifier is now over thanks to Nunez’s fine performance, with the victory also pushing Bielsa’s side ahead of Brazil in the South America qualifying table.
Safe to say, Nunez will return to Liverpool ahead of the derby full of confidence after two goals and an assist in his 180 minutes for his country this month!
