Darwin Nunez netted a first-half hat-trick in simply 14 minutes as Liverpool cruised to a 5-0 victory over Stoke Metropolis in a behind-closed-doors pre-season pleasant on Sunday.
The Uruguayan ahead, who continues to be linked with a summer season departure from Anfield, had the Reds up 3-0 contained in the opening 20 minutes.
Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa additionally discovered the web in a dominant show at Liverpool’s AXA Coaching Centre.
New signing Florian Wirtz, who arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record payment earlier this summer season, featured in a powerful first-half line-up that additionally included Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool rang the adjustments at half-time, with 10 new gamers launched. Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo, Kostas Tsimikas, and Ryan Gravenberch all took half, together with summer season arrivals Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
Giorgi Mamardashvili began in objective however was changed by Armin Pécsi shortly earlier than the hour mark. Alisson Becker was not concerned within the match.
A number of pictures from our behind-closed-doors pleasant win over Stoke Metropolis 📸
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 20, 2025
Studies counsel Liverpool stay in negotiations with Eintracht Frankfurt over a possible deal for Hugo Ekitike as they proceed to discover methods to bolster their attacking choices.
In the meantime, one other reported goal, Alexander Isak, missed Newcastle’s 4-0 pre-season defeat to Celtic on Saturday.
Supervisor Eddie Howe attributed the absence to ongoing hypothesis round Isak’s future, although he added that he stays assured the striker will keep at St James’ Park regardless of curiosity from Liverpool.
Liverpool’s beginning XI within the first half included Mamardashvili, Gomez, Van Dijk, Szoboszlai, Núñez, Salah, Jones, Robertson, Wirtz, Ngumoha, and Nyoni.
Within the second half, the Reds lined up with Mamardashvili (changed by Pecsi within the 59th minute), Endo, Konate, Chiesa, Gakpo, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Doak (substituted by Stephenson within the 74th minute), Kerkez, Frimpong, and Bradley.
