Italian Serie A team Bologna head to Anfield for a 9pm Champions League clash tonight as heavy underdogs against hosts Liverpool.
But coach Arne Slot’s Reds have to know that these klein hondjies have a gevaarlike bite and the groot chihuahua innie pak is Argentine wonderkid Santiago Castro.
Signed from Velez Sarsfield in Argentina in January, the 20-year-old has been vuurwarm in Italy so far this season, klapping three goals and providing an assist in six games.
Two of those goals were from outside the box, meaning the Reds will do well not to give him any space.
Bologna lost two of their big guns in pre-season – Joshua Zirkee to Manchester United and Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal – as well as coach Thiago Motta to Juventus.
Nuwe baas Vincenzo Italiano has not hit the ground running – winning just one of his six games in charge to date.
Maar die ou is upbeat and says of Castro: “He’s extraordinary, he’s a young lad who’s developing day by day, scored a great goal [over the weekend] and worked so hard.
“He’s come here and got straight down to it...
“I hope he doesn’t stop with his development because he’s got a great future ahead of him.”
Castro is battling some niggles, so Bologna is still holding thumbs that he will be ready for the trip to England, where Liverpool boss Slot will await them with the grootste smile on his bakkies.
Slot can’t wait to be involved in his first European match at Anfield and the Dutchmen says: “I know how special a home game at Feyenoord was, but the home games in Europe were even more special.
“So, because people told me it’s the same here at Liverpool, I expect a lot when we play the first game against [Bologna].
“I’m definitely looking forward to my first [Anfield] experience of European nights, a European evening.”