Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Noah Okafor scored inside eight second-half minutes as Milan capitalised on Liverpool’s defensive frailties and a blunder by Giorgi Mamardashvili to win 4-2 within the first of the Premier League holders’ three pre-season matches in Asia.
Rafael Leao latched on to Christian Pulisic’s lengthy cross and entered the penalty space to fireside in for the Italian aspect after 10 minutes on the 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Sports activities Park, though Dominik Szoboszlai equalised with a curling effort from simply contained in the field 16 minutes later.
Portugal winger Leao charged down the left and teed up former Chelsea midfielder Loftus-Cheek for a neat end from contained in the field seven minutes after the restart, and Liverpool have been once more uncovered on the break when Alexis Saelemaekers surged down the proper and crossed for Okafor, who performed with Szoboszlai at Salzburg in 2020/21, to brush in clinically within the 59th minute.
Cody Gakpo headed an added-time comfort by powering in from Ibrahima Konate’s supply, however Okafor charged previous Mamardashvili – getting into his first Liverpool marketing campaign after a season on mortgage at Valenca – to fit in to an empty internet after the goalkeeper failed to regulate Konstantinos Tsimikas’s cross.
Liverpool vs Milan: Wirtz makes debut
Supervisor Arne Slot could also be involved by the convenience with which Milan scored three objectives on the break however Liverpool seemed shiny for a lot of the sport, ending on 69% of possession and 18 of the 28 makes an attempt between the groups.
Midfielder Florian Wirtz, who has joined the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen for a payment that might rise to a British-record £116 million, featured for the primary time and seemed silky on the ball throughout an attention grabbing debut, whereas Mohamed Salah might need turned the scoreline round with half-time looming when final season’s Premier League prime scorer shot in opposition to the aspect netting after Mike Maignan pushed Andy Robertson’s long-range strike away.
Wideman Jeremie Frimpong – signed from Leverkusen for £29.5m in Might – produced an aesthetic piece of management to deliver down Gakpo’s lengthy ball and check half-time substitute goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano after Milan had scored their third.
Winger or attacking midfielder Rio Ngumoha, 16, who scored in Liverpool’s win over second-tier Stoke Metropolis final Sunday, impressed along with his velocity and dribbling, teeing up Szoboszlai for the Hungary midfielder’s very good leveller.
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Liverpool staff vs Milan
First-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker and captain Virgil van Dijk, who Rafael Leao escaped from for the opening purpose, have been among the many gamers to start out.
Winger Harvey Elliott joined them after taking part in a starring function in England’s Euro Underneath-21 triumph in June, and defensive midfielder Tyler Morton – additionally an necessary a part of the Younger Lions’ squad – was substituted off throughout the first half and on once more throughout the second.
Georgia goalkeeper Mamardashvili, who price an preliminary £29.9m from Valencia earlier than the 2024/25 season, was one in every of 9 gamers to return on on the interval, with solely 18-year-old midfielder Trey Nyoni and Ryan Gravenberch retained from the beginning line-up.
Liverpool beginning XI: Alisson; Stephenson, Morton, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Elliott; Salah
Liverpool second-half beginning XI: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Tsimikas, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Frimpong, Nyoni, Gakpo; Doak
Joe Gomez harm: Arne Slot cautious
Centre-back Joe Gomez was not concerned for Liverpool, having headed again to the UK for rehabilitation on an Achilles concern.
“We thought it was higher to evaluate it again in England and for him to work on it so as to come again into the staff in additional preferrred circumstances for him,” supervisor Arne Slot advised LFC TV.
“We hope and count on to have him again quickly.”
Striker Hugo Ekitike – signed from Eintracht Frankfurt for an preliminary £69m – was not a part of the squad, and nor was Alexis Mac Allister, who’s recovering from a problem the playmaker sustained in direction of the top of 2024/25.
Liverpool pre season fixtures 2025/26
July 30 vs Yohohama FM (Japan)
August 5 vs Villarreal (H)
August 9 vs Athletic Membership (H)
When does Liverpool’s 2025/26 Premier League season begin?
The primary spherical of Premier League matches in 2025/26 can be on the weekend of August 16 2025, with Liverpool beginning the motion at residence to Bournemouth on Friday, August 15 at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT).
The sport in opposition to one of many shock packages of 2024/25 is being proven stay within the UK on Sky Sports activities Premier League, Extremely and Major Occasion.
The final spherical of matches this season will all begin on the similar time on Might 24 2026. No rounds will happen inside 60 hours of one another and there can be no fixture on December 24.
Find out how to watch Liverpool on TV: Sky Sports activities
Costs for Sky Sports activities and TNT Sports activities differ. Through Now TV, Sky Sports activities prices £14.99 for a day membership, £26 a month for a six-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
Sky Sports activities memberships embody entry to all 12 stay Sky Sports activities channels and Sky Sports activities+, which affords stay streams and a devoted channel.
Find out how to watch Liverpool on TNT Sports activities
In keeping with BT, TNT Sports activities prices £20 a month when purchased with a broadband package deal or £30.99 a month and not using a contract.
These costs embody discovery+ Premium, which affords entry to 1000’s of unique reveals and originals.
Liverpool stay streams: Find out how to watch video games on-line
Each broadcasters have devoted apps permitting followers to live-stream the video games: SkyGO for Sky Sports activities and discovery+ for TNT Sports activities.
Each apps can be found on an enormous vary of gadgets.
