Christopher Nkunku blew up the audience as well as a red balloon following a thrilling goal against Shakhtar Donetsk, to help his team secure a win in the Champions League group stages.
Nkunku ran into the corner, whipped out a red balloon, and actually proceeded to blow it up. Why? Well, according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins, the Frenchman had promised this celebration to his son.
However, the celebration had left the entire Twitterati scratching their heads. But, after the game, Nkunku confirmed Hawkins’ report by retweeting a post by the French Organization – Actu Foot.
Nkunku’s opening goal in the 10th minute of the game marked the beginning of a slew of goals against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The match culminated with RB Leipzig having registered 4 goals while maintaining a clean sheet against Shakhtar’s attempts to score.
The win guarantees the German club’s presence in the quarter-finals of the Champions League 2022/23 and also marks the 3rd time that RB Leipzig qualified to play in the Champions League playoffs, in their entire history.
The goal itself was worthy of Nkunku’s inch-perfect positioning on the field. Just as his teammate, Timo Werner’s shot rebounded off Shakhtar’s last man Anatoliy Trubin, Nkunku slotted the ball in the far right corner from the penalty area, past Shakhtar’s defence line.
While Nkunku simply tucked the ball into the right corner on a rebound off the keeper’s gloves, the goal makes Christopher Nkunku the club’s all-time highest goalscorer in the Champions League. It’s worth noting that Nkunku has been in stellar form, and the goal marks his 14th for his side this season.
In fact, the 24-year-old has been at the peak of his performance throughout this season and that’s evident in Chelsea’s burning desire to bring the striker on board.
Per reports, the English club is also willing to pay more than Nkunku’s Leipzig contract’s fee under the release clause. For your information, the stipulated fee in the contract is €60 million.
The Frenchman’s career trajectory clearly shows that he’s destined for great things. He transferred from PSG in 2019 and went on to rack up a goal tally of 61 in just 156 games. RB Leipzig presently sits at the 6th position in Bundesliga, 7 points below the league leaders Union Berlin.
When questioned about his plans for the World Cup, the Frenchman refused to comment saying that his focus is presently reserved for the performance of his Club. Blowing up a balloon to celebrate a goal? It’s certainly an innovative celebration at the least, and an adorable tribute to his 2-year-old son at best.
