Liverpool beaten 4-2 by AC Milan in Hong Kong pre-season friendly

HONG KONG – Liverpool manager Arne Slot said his side were “too open in the counter-attack” after AC Milan beat the Reds 4-2 in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong on July 26, as the English Premier League club’s record signing Florian Wirtz made his first start for them.

Former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish laid a wreath before the game and the players had “Diogo J. 20” on their shirts in honour of their former teammate Diogo Jota, who died along with his brother Andre Silva in a car accident in Spain earlier in July.

The English champions fell behind in the 10th minute when Rafael Leao scored from a Christian Pulisic pass at Kai Tak Sports Park.

Leao paid tribute to his former Portugal teammate Jota by making a “2” and “0” sign with his fingers.

Dominik Szoboszlai levelled 16 minutes later with a curling shot from the edge of the box following an assist by Rio Ngumoha.

Leao orchestrated a devastating counter-attack as Milan reclaimed the lead early in the second half.

The Portuguese winger powered past Conor Bradley on the left flank and squared for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who fired home from inside the box.

Mohamed Salah squandered an opportunity from a Wirtz assist and Liverpool looked increasingly vulnerable as time passed by. Noah Okafor added Milan’s third on the hour mark.

“The most beautiful and important thing I’m happy about in these first 20 days of work is that the team has a proactive attitude and significantly raised its level of endurance,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said.

“As for Leao, I believe he’s growing and has the mature mindset to have a great season.”

Milan appointed Allegri in May for a second stint after sacking Sergio Conceicao, having finished eighth in Serie A and missing out on European competition for the first time since 2019.

Cody Gakpo nodded in a stoppage-time consolation for Liverpool, before Okafor walked in his second following a bad mix-up between Kostas Tsimikas and new Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who had rushed out of his box.

“Conceding four isn’t what we want, but you have to consider the circumstances. We missed seven senior players and wanted to give 20 players playing time, so players have to play out of position,” said Slot.

“We still were able to play our normal game, but we were a bit too open in the counter-attack.”

Mamardashvili replaced Alisson Becker in the second half, while Milan’s new Ecuadorian defender Pervis Estupinan, who joined from Brighton & Hove Albion, also made his debut.

Wirtz and Ngumoha, only 16, were the standouts for Liverpool in the first half and Jeremie Frimpong impressed in the second, but Slot’s team were outplayed by their Italian opponents.

Slot confirmed that winger Luis Diaz did not play due to speculation over his move away from the club, while forward Darwin Nunez and defender Joe Gomez were sidelined with injuries.

Said Slot: “In Lucho’s situation, it was (linked to his future). There are a lot of rumours around it lately and I cannot go into that.”

Bayern Munich are reportedly set to make another bid for the Colombian winger soon.

Liverpool travel to Japan next to take on Yokohama F. Marinos in the J.League World Challenge on July 30.

They begin their Premier League title defence at home to Bournemouth on Aug 15. REUTERS