- Liverpool conceded four goals in a frantic second-half display.
- Darwin Nunez scored twice and provided an important assist.
- Liverpool’s preseason continues in Singapore.
Liverpool blew a 3-1 lead in the second half and were beaten to a 4-4 draw with Greuther Furth in their second pre-season friendly of the summer.
The Reds dominated the first half and led thanks to the brilliant Luis Diaz, but wholesale changes at halftime resulted in 45 minutes of craziness from which Liverpool were fortunate to escape with a point.
Liverpool had some early success down the wings, with Andy Robertson and Ben Doak both racing at their opposition full-backs and having chances on goal that ultimately went unanswered.
Soon after, Diaz drew the first meaningful save from Furth keeper Jonas Urbig, driving low from the edge of the box and watching his effort turn wide.
The pressure from Liverpool was constant, and the opening goal came shortly after the 20-minute mark. Diaz manoeuvred himself around three defenders and went for a similar area to his previous attempt, but Urbig was powerless to stop it.
Diogo Jota somehow missed doubling Liverpool’s lead straight after. Jota went through on goal after snatching possession after a sloppy touch, but pulled his attempt wide when one-on-one with Urbig.
Jota’s unorthodox effort right before halftime hit the post, but Liverpool’s domination yielded only one goal in the first 45 minutes.
Jurgen Klopp made 11 substitutions at halftime, and the second half began disastrously. Julian Green pounced on Adrian’s poor ball to James McConnell and redirected it into an empty net after only two minutes.
However, Liverpool took the lead again after only two minutes. Mohamed Salah played Darwin Nunez through on goal, and the Uruguayan turned Urbig and slammed in a simple finish to restore his team’s lead.
Soon after, Salah blasted over, but Adrian made amends for his previous gaffe by making an excellent save to clear a wayward pass from Joel Matip. The high tempo continued as Nunez went right down the other end and added his second goal of the afternoon, beating a defender and tapping home.
Furth scored their second goal of the game in the 67th minute. Although the German side appeared to profit from the lack of VAR to bring out a missed offside shout, Lukas Petkov caught Joel Matip in control and drove home from a restricted angle.
Furth tied things up with a little over 15 minutes to go, when Armindo Sieb slammed home from the edge of the box, setting up a thrilling climax.
Sieb added another goal a little more than a minute later, shooting in from close range just seconds after Liverpool’s third keeper, Marcelo Pitaluga, joined the fray.
To preserve face, Liverpool stole a late equalizer when Nunez’s fizzed cross was cleverly directed into an empty net, and the Uruguay international would have headed home a winner if Urbig hadn’t made an incredible stop.
Liverpool player ratings vs Greuther Furth (4-3-3)
First Half XI
GK: Alisson – 6/10 – A pleasant sight after his injury, but he was a spectator for the majority of the first 45 minutes.
Conor Bradley – 7/10 – Played inverted full-back and seemed a serious threat whenever he moved forward. I got along well with Doak.
Ibrahima Konate – 6/10 – CB Didn’t do much wrong, but didn’t always exude confidence on the ball. He lost his calm in front of the referee.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 6/10 – Wore the captain’s armband and, in an empty stadium, it was easy to hear how much he was talking with his teammates.
Andy Robertson – LB – 6/10 This new system is clearly still being figured out. Making an occasional impact while moving forward.
DM: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6/10 – Composed on the ball but not utilised as much as in the Karlsruher game due to Liverpool’s attention on the wings.
Alexis Mac Allister CM – 7/10 He was really impressive in possession and appeared in a couple dangerous situations, but you could tell he is still learning the ropes in this Liverpool system. There will be more to come.
CM: Cody Gakpo – 8/10 – Enjoyed the freedom to roam about the pitch and was at the heart of Liverpool’s great performance.
Ben Doak – 8/10 – RW With the ball at his feet, he’s a tremendous terror. He seems to want to make something happen with every contact.
Diogo Jota – 7/10 – Missed a sitter but was otherwise really threatening.
8/10 for Luis Diaz When running at his defenders, he is a real threat. A fantastic goal that could have easily had one or two more.
Second Half XI
Adrian – 5/10 – Didn’t get much credit for Furth’s opening goal, but he did make some great stops to keep a few more goals out.
Joe Gomez – RB – 4/10 – He appeared disoriented as he struggled to keep up with Furth’s attackers. I was really struggling.
Jarell Quansah – 5/10 – CB A few inexperienced flashes, but that’s to be expected from an academy star.
Joel Matip – 2/10 – CB Very sloppy. He appeared to be slow as he allowed pressure and chances that led to goals from the German hosts.
4/10 LB: Kostas Tsimikas Frequently caught off guard. That’s not good enough.
5/10 DM: James McConnell Adrian fed the wolves for the first goal and appeared to be lacking confidence after that.
6/10 CM: Lewis Koumas He was a little greedy in possession at times, but he did connect well with players in front of him.
Curtis Jones CM – 5/10 He didn’t have as much control as he did with England’s Under-21s earlier this summer. Maybe a little fatigued.
RW: Mohamed Salah – 7/10 – Immediately injected some real quality into the game and appeared determined to tally up the assists. He took his objective seriously.
Darwin Nunez received an 8/10. I’m really excited about this one. He took both goals with poise, added the important assist, and surely sent a message to Klopp.
Harvey Elliott – 7/10 – Looked smart and imaginative as he attempted to link up the midfield and attack.
Marcelo Pitaluga (75′ for Adrian) comes on as a substitute. – 5/10 – Apart from pulling the ball out of his net with his first touch, he was largely uninvolved.
Calum Scanlon (75′ for Elliott) – 6/10 – Energetic and enthusiastic substitute.
Melkamu Frauendorf (75′ in place of Jones) – 5/10 – I was unable to participate in the game.
6/10 – SUB: Bobby Clark (75′ for Koumas) A quiet and unobtrusive outing.
Manager
6/10 – Jurgen Klopp Will have undoubtedly figured out the answers he sought. Some of these players deserve to be on the first team, while others have a lot of work ahead of them.
