Liverpool began a two-game preseason tour of Singapore with an impressive 4-0 win over Championship side Leicester City in Kallang.
Three goals in eight first-half minutes from Darwin Nunez, Bobby Clark and Diogo Jota put the game to bed before youngster Ben Doak got on the scoresheet in the second half.
A lively opening half hour from both sides culminated with Nunez opening the scoring after he tapped home from close range, before Clark steered a first-time shot from Mohamed Salah's pass just inside the box to double Liverpool's lead in the 35th minute.
Salah was happy to play provider once again a few moments later with a delightful cross into the box for Jota to head home.
Things didn't get any better for the Foxes as the match went on and Leicester boss Enzo Maresca will know his side has plenty of work to do ahead of their Championship opener against Coventry City on Sunday.
Nunez continued his impressive run of form in preseason that amounts to four goals and an assist through three Liverpool games now, but it was 17-year-old Doak who capped off a good team performance by heading in at the back post from a Liverpool corner midway through the second half.
Reds fans also got a first taste of life without former captain Jordan Henderson after he completed a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia earlier this week as Virgil van Dijk led the side in the first half before wholesale changes in the second period saw Joe Gomez given the armband.
Klopp's side will no doubt be in for a tougher test when they take on Bayern Munich on Wednesday, as the German makes his final preparations ahead of their opening Premier League clash with Chelsea on August 13.
The Sporting News followed the match live and provided updates and highlights below.
MORE: Why Jordan Henderson's reported move to Saudi Arabia is so controversial
Liverpool vs Leicester City final score
Result | Goal scorers | |
Liverpool | 4 | Nunez (30'), Clark (35'), Jota (38'), Doak (64') |
Leicester | 0 | — |
Starting lineups:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Kelleher (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson — Jones, Clark, Mac Allister — Jota, Salah, Nunez.
Second half (4-3-3): Kelleher (GK) (Alisson 60')— Gomez, Matip, Quansah (Frauendor 85'), Tsimikas — McConnell, Elliott, Szoboszlai (Scanlon 80') — Doak, Gakpo, Diaz.
Leicester City (4-3-3): Hermansen; (GK) — Ricardo, Vestergaard, Doyle, Castagne (Justin 72') — Winks (Choudhury 76'), Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall — Albrighton (Marcal-Madivadua 60'), Daka (Iheanacho 72'), McAteer.
Liverpool vs Leicester City live updates, highlights, commentary
Victory in Singapore against Leicester 🙌 pic.twitter.com/4xFy0m7NP5
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
FULLTIME: Liverpool 4-0 Leicester
90th min: Elliott hits a first-time shot from the edge of the box that goes way over and that's the final kick of the game.
Plenty of encouraging signs for Klopp... not so much from Leicester who kickoff their Championship campaign against Coventry a week from now.
85th min: Quansah goes off following a bad tackle from Ndidi. Klopp is just being cautious and opts to give Frauendor a run out.
Fair to say the game has quietened down a little now in these final stages.
80th min: Szoboszlai hits one from range and is then taken off for Scanlon. Not a bad showing from the new signing.
76th min: Winks is off for Choudhury.
The attendance has just been announced... 28,597.
74th min: Diaz has the ball in the back of the net but it's ruled out for offside.
72nd min: Leicester have a great chance to pull one back but Quansah makes a stunning block to deny Daka.
Iheanacho and Justin are on for Castagne and Daka.
68th min: Gakpo drives a shot from range which forces Hermansen into a full-length save.
64th min: GOAL! Liverpool 4-0 Leicester (Doak)
From a corner, Matip flicks the ball on at the near post and Ben Doak does well to steer the ball home with a header.
Szoboszlai ➡️ Matip ➡️ Doak
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
Another first senior goal in Singapore 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NLyO65H3vy
61st min: Szoboszlai almost scores a stunning first goal from the centre circle. After picking up the ball he attempts to chip Hermansen but the goalkeeper does brilliantly to head the ball over his own bar!
An audacious effort from Szobo 😮 pic.twitter.com/wsYjKbdCar
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
60th min: Alisson gets a huge round of applause as he's replaced by Kelleher.
Leicester decide to make their first change with Marcal-Madivadua replacing Albrighton.
58th min: Liverpool have enjoyed 90% possession in these last 10 minutes if you want an idea of how it's going for Leicester. Elliott goes on a driving run from midfield and hits one from 25 yards but it's a comfortable save.
54th min: A lovely left-footed strike from McConnell from the edge of the box goes just wide of the post. Neat build-up play from Elliott who has looked very tidy since coming on.
48th min: A bright start from Liverpool again as Elliott smashes a shot over the bar before Gakpo has a shot blocked in the next phase of play.
46th min: Back underway! 10 changes for Liverpool as it's just goalkeeper Kelleher who keeps his place. Joe Gomez is given the armband.
Our second-half XI to take on Leicester City 🟢⚪
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
HALFTIME: Liverpool 3-0 Leicester
45th min: Mac Allister does well to keep the ball in on the byline and then cuts it back to Jota who surprisingly misses the target from about six yards.
43rd min: Mac Allister is exploiting all the space in this midfield and it's fair to say Doyle is getting frustrated with the ease his Leicester teammates are allowing it to happen. He again picks out Nunez with a nice through ball but the Foxes clear their Iines.
38th min: GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Leicester (Jota)
Another assist from Salah, who this time plays in a delightful ball into the penalty spot and Jota, unmarked, heads home with ease.
This could get embarrassing for Leicester if they aren't careful.
An inch-perfect @MoSalah cross for @DiogoJota18 to head in 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Q7x0mhzG8O
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
35th min: GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Leicester (Clark)
Leicester give the ball away in midfield and Mac Allister gets the ball out to Salah quickly. The Egyptian looks to cut in from the right but sees he has two players to beat and instead plays a short pass to Bobby Clark as the youngster steers his first-time finish into the bottom corner.
A wonderful, sweeping finish from Bobby Clark in the first-half 😍 pic.twitter.com/uFQYeGtJXw
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
34th min: Alexander-Arnold whips in a cross to the back post where his full-back teammate attempts an audacious volley but Robertson can't keep the shot on target. Admire the effort though.
30th min: GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Leicester (Nunez)
Nunez can't stop scoring in preseason! This is a poacher's finish. After Hermansen saves Jota's shot from distance, the Uruguayan is quickest to react and converts from a tight angle to put the Reds 1-0 up.
Darwin opening up the scoring in Singapore 👌 pic.twitter.com/vqw3655NjT
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
25th min: Leicester give the ball away in a dangerous position and Salah puts in a dangerous cross which is just beyond Nunez, but Hermansen still has to get down low to his right to palm the cross away.
20th min: After a frantic start, things have quietened down a little. Leicester have a corner but Albrighton's cross is wasted.
15th min: Some tidy build-up play by Liverpool around the edge of the box results in Salah teeing up Alexander-Arnold but his first-time shot is weak and it's an easy save for the goalkeeper.
10th min: At the other end, Nunez has the ball in the net after flicking the ball over Hermansen but it's ruled out for offside.
9th min: Sloppy defence from Liverpool sees McAteer play a neat pass beyond Konate, but Daka's shot from close range is saved brilliantly by Kelleher!
7th min: Ouch! Dewsbury-Hall is very late on a huge tackle on Mac Allister and despite the Argentine going down in pain, he's soon back up. If he does that in the Championship next week he'll be sure to pick up a yellow card!
5th min: Albrighton whips in a dangerous ball but his cross is just a tad high for Dewsbury-Hall arriving at the back post.
3rd min: A lively start from Salah as he dances through the Leicester defence but then gets his feet in a muddle in the box and Doyle shields the ball out of play.
KICKOFF: We're underway!
5 mins to kickoff: We're almost set. Leicester City chairman Top and his brother, vice-chairman Apichet, are both at the game in attendance for today's match.
Here come the teams!
20 mins to kickoff: They'll be plenty of fans in the stadium donning their red Liverpool kits today... but there won't be many wearing this one!
Yep, Liverpool's new away kit gets its first official outing today. It's a bold look.
A first outing for our 2023/24 @nikefootball away shirt today 💚🤍 pic.twitter.com/7QyEhGRLP9
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
50 mins to kickoff: The teams are in!
Here’s how we line up to face Leicester City in Singapore 📋
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 30, 2023
The Foxes side set to take on Liverpool in Singapore! 📝 pic.twitter.com/FScSTNT6jC
— Leicester City (@LCFC) July 30, 2023
1 hour 20 mins to kickoff: Virgil van Dijk will captain Liverpool today but will he be Jordan Henderson's long-term successor? Klopp wasn't giving too much away when asked about the situation.
"Virgil will start the game tomorrow if nothing happens in training today and will be captain of the team. I know already my decision, the only thing is I have to tell the players first before I speak in public about it," Klopp said.
"I didn’t expect this situation a few weeks ago. To be honest, I have to think about it. It all happened pretty quickly.
"So that’s it, pretty much. But in general, the games so far, I didn’t think before about that, ‘Who should I give it’, ‘Who will I give it at half-time?’."
2 hours to kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of today's pre-season friendly between Liverpool and Leicester. Just a few months ago this would have been an all-Premier League tie but with the Foxes relegated last season, new boss Enzo Maresca will be keen to test his side against Jurgen Klopp's Reds.
Reds in Singapore ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VF4zKF4kJM
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 29, 2023
Liverpool vs Leicester City lineups
Klopp is planning for life without captain Jordan Henderson after the England international completed a move to Al Ettifaq, with midfield partner Fabinho set to join him in Saudi Arabia.
Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Conor Bradley were three players not included in Liverpool’s 27-man squad for the trip to south-east Asia.
Liverpool starting lineup (4-3-3): Kelleher (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson — Jones, Clark, Mac Allister — Jota, Salah, Nunez.
Liverpool subs: Alisson, Adrian, Mrozek, Gomez, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, Matip, Scanlon, Doak, McConnell, Koumas, Quansah, Frauendorf.
New Foxes boss Enzo Maresca will be relying on an experienced core in preseason and in their upcoming fight for immediate promotion back to the Premier League in 2024.
Leicester City starting lineup (4-3-3): Hermansen; (GK) — Ricardo, Vestergaard, Doyle, Castagne — Winks, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall — Albrighton, Daka, McAteer.
Leicester subs: Ward, Iversen, Stolarczyk, Souttar, Nelson, Justin, Thomas, Soumare, Choudhury, Marcal-Madivadua, Iheanacho.
Liverpool vs Leicester City live stream, TV channel
Alongside selected countries offering broadcast and streaming options to fans, LFCTV will also be streaming the match live for supporters across the world, with monthly packages available for £4.99, with the first month free.
TV channel | Streaming | |
---|---|---|
USA | — | Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo |
UK | LFCTV | LFCTV |
Australia | — | Paramount+ |
Canada | — | LFCTV |
Hong Kong | — | LFCTV |
India | — | LFCTV |
Malaysia | Astro SuperSport 3 | Astro GO, sooka |
New Zealand | — | LFCTV |
Singapore | — | meWATCH |
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