Manchester City defender Nathan Ake has heaped praise on the "quiet" Julian Alvarez ahead of the Netherlands' quarter-final clash against Argentina on Friday.
Following his superb strike against Poland during the group phase, Alvarez was handed another starting role by Lionel Scaloni for Argentina's round of 16 match against Australia on Saturday. The City star repaid his manager's faith once again as he pounced on a mistake by goalkeeper Mat Ryan to score the South American side's second goal in their 2-1 win.
The result sees Argentina come up against the Netherlands in a mouth-watering quarter-final tie. The two footballing heavyweights have a plethora of stars available to them, with City being represented by both Alvarez and Ake on either side.
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The Dutch centre-back will be all too aware of the threat that Alvarez poses, having watched the 22-year-old both in training and at the Etihad this season. Ake took time ahead of his country's match with Argentina to share some insight on the new City man, as he also heaped praise on his teammate.
He said: "As a player he's very technical, very difficult to mark even in training, very sharp, good finishing, so it will be tough. He's a great player but also a great guy off the pitch. He's a little bit quiet.
"He's still learning English and he comes from a different environment so it's all new for him but he's fitted in really well."
Ake, who started for the Netherlands during their 3-1 win over the USA in the round of 16, also praised national team coach Louis van Gaal for the impact he has had on the team during their time in Qatar.
"Ever since he [Van Gaal] came in he's been great for us, he's very direct and he lets everyone know where he stands," Ake said.
"If you're a starter or if you're a bench player you know exactly what you have to do in the team. I think that makes it very clear for everyone."
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