Karlsruher vs Liverpool result, final score, highlights as Diogo Jota's late brace seals preseason win

Dominic Booth

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Karlsruher vs Liverpool result, final score, highlights as Diogo Jota's late brace seals preseason win image

Liverpool started their 2023 preseason campaign with a comeback victory over German second tier side Karlsruher, thanks to Diogo Jota's late double salvo.

Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo were also on target for the Reds in Germany, although they didn't have everything their own way. Lars Stindl cancelled out Nunez's early strike with a fine volley, before Sebastian Jung's goal saw Liverpool trail 2-1 for a large part of the second half.

Liverpool were without both their Saudi Arabia bound midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, as well as Alisson, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic – the latter trio left out as injury precautions.

Still, it looked like a straightforward evening was in store when Nunez struck within three minutes of kickoff. The new Liverpool No.9 tried to square to Mo Salah in the box, but his pass was deflected back into his path and he then stroked home with his left foot.

Karlsruher were relishing the occasion, their first ever game in a new stadium, the BBBild Wildpark, and their fans roared them on to a deserved leveller, with Stindl volleying home via the underside of the crossbar before half-time to make it 1-1.

Klopp fielded an entirely different XI for the second half, but watched on as his charges went 2-1 down just minutes after the restart. Experienced right-back Jung was afforded acres of space and he hammered into the roof of the net beyond stand-in goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros.

The young Liverpool second half side laboured to get level, but they did eventually achieve parity courtesy of their two experienced forwards – Jota and Gakpo.

First, the Portuguese's headed knockdown found Gakpo, who swivelled and stroked home an equaliser. Then Jota netted two sublime goals in added time, first slaloming through the hosts' defence to slot into the net and finally latching onto a fine pass from new boy Alexis Mac Allister to put gloss on the scoreline.

The Sporting News gave all the updates and you can see how the game unfolded below.

MORE: Champions League qualifying 2023/24: Clubs involved, playoffs, and group stage

Karlsruher vs Liverpool result

  1st Half 2nd half FT Goalscorer(s)
Karlsruher 1 1 2 Stindl, Jung
Liverpool 1 3 4 Nunez, Gakpo, Jota (2)

Karlsruher vs Liverpool updates, final score, highlights from preseason friendly

FULL TIME! Liverpool take the spoils, although they needed two stoppage time goals from Diogo Jota to do it. A 4-2 victory in this preseason outing, after trailing 2-1 at one stage.

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92 min: GOAL! 4-2 Jota with two in a matter of minutes. That puts some gloss on the scoreline, as he latches onto Mac Allister's pass and scores via another superb finish. Cruel on Karlsruher, in truth.

90 min: GOAL! 3-2 Jota with a mazy run and Liverpool have snatched it at the death.

Fantastic play from the Portugal forard, skipping inside off the left and passing it into the corner of the net. That'll be enough for the win.

89 mins: Jaros isn't looking wholly convincing in the Liverpool goal as the home side continue to have the better of these latter stages. He misses a corner, Gakpo heads it behind, and Liverpool live a little dangerously, as the clock ticks down towards 90.

85 mins: Some defending to do for Liverpool late in the game, with Karlsruher chucking in a couple of dead balls in the mixer towards Jaros' goal. No real alarms.

83 mins: The game is being disrupted by more and more substitutions and you suspect there's no particular eagerness from Liverpool now to grab a winner – although it would be a nice bonus if it came. No major chances.

79 mins: There's going to be another change for Liverpool, as Lewis Koumas comes on for Calum Scanlon. Lewis is the son of former Wales international Jason. The Anfield talent production line shows no sign of relenting!

74 mins: The home side have made a raft of substitutions. They'll believe, as well, that they can nick the victory.

72 mins: Can Liverpool push on and win this now? They've not been overly impressive, in truth, but 2-2 is perhaps a fair scoreline based on the overall play.

69 mins: GOAL! 2-2 and it's the commentator's (live blogger's) curse as Gakpo calmly dispatches the leveller. A good knockdown from Jota, as well, heading it down to the Dutchman, who turns and lifts it into the net. Liverpool's pressure tells.

Time for a drinks break after that.

67 mins: Doak has proven more lively than his front three partners, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota, so far. That says a lot about the 17-year-old's talent!

62 mins: McConnell's cross flies straight into the goalkeeper's arms. Maybe some of these Liverpool youngsters are trying a bit too hard at the moment. They're eager to make an impact, which is understandable.

Mac Allister has been quiet so far on his unofficial debut for the Reds.

60 mins: This is turning into a decent game. Doak is a real threat on the right, but Karlsruher are just about stymying him at the moment.

57 mins: Good save from Drewes in the hosts' goal as Calum Scanlon drills a low shot at goal after a decent Liverpool move. This is a bit better from Klopp's young charges as they search for an equaliser.

52 mins: A decent chance for Matip to level from a Liverpool corner, as he heads on target, but straight at the goalkeeper.

50 mins: GOAL! 2-1 to Karlsruher! Sebastian Jung storms forward from right-back and slams a shot into the roof of the net from close range and Liverpool trail. Sixes and sevens there, in the visitors' defence and the experienced full-back is loving it.

Jaros should really have done more to try and save that one. More thinking for Klopp to do.

47 mins: It's good to get a glimpse of Ben Doak, the highly promising teenager signed from Celtic last year, who is stationed on the right-hand side. He doesn't turn 18 until November this year; he was born AFTER the 2005 Ashes took place. Gulp.

SECOND HALF: Rather than go through the changes one by one, it's easier just to list the completely new side that's emerged for this second half, with Klopp understandably sharing out the gametime in the German heat in this preseason contest.

Jaros (GK) – Gomez, Matip, Quansah, Tsimikas – McConnell, Scanlon, Mac Allister – Doak, Gakpo, Jota

HALF TIME: Well, it's Karlsruher 1-1 Liverpool at the interval.

After that early Darwin Nunez goal, it looked for all money like we'd see a walkover here from the Reds, but the home side really came into the contest as the half wore on and got a deserved leveller through Lars Stindl's eyecatching effort. Food for thought for Klopp, and most likely some changes to come.

Jurgen Klopp smiles during Liverpool training at the State de France

44 mins: Nunez's header from close rannge is well saved by Drewes! That was a big opportunity to restore the lead, just before the break.

41 mins: It looked for a moment there as if Szoboszlai was about to get a major chance, as the ball dropped his way, with Liverpool looking for a quick response, but the referee's whistle went. The same happens when Nunez gets the ball in space, but is flagged offside.

Frustration for Liverpool here.

38 mins: GOAL! 1-1 and it's an absolute beauty from Stindl, latching onto a corner from the edge of the box and volleying quite superbly into the net, via the underside of the crossbar. The crowd loved that!

36 mins: Diaz picks the defender's pocket and feeds Salah, who tries to curl a left-footed shot into the far corner. It's deflected out for a Liverpool corner – which in turn drops to Salah, whose shot is saved by Drewes.

33 mins: It's been all Liverpool in the past few minutes, without them creating any chances of note. Salah is getting squeezed out of it, a touch.

29 mins: Nebel has been a dangerman for the hosts on the right and once again Liverpool let them break away, winning a corner, which is headed harmlessly over Kelleher's crossbar.

27 mins: Lovely feet from Diaz down the Liverpool left, but this Karlsruher side have adjusted well into the game and are defending well, then countering.

23 mins: The searing European heat means a scheduled drinks break is enjoyed by both sets of players. A chance for Liverpool's stars to mop their brows.

20 mins: The home side are having by far their best spell of the game, catching Liverpool out down the flanks with some good searching balls. Stindl finds his way in behind and his deflected effort, from a tightish angle, needed tipping over the bar by Kelleher.

17 mins: A fizzing cross from the right comes in from Alexander-Arnold, with Clark involved again, and it falls for Salah who slices his finish. It's tamely away for a goal-kick.

15 mins: There was some debate as to whether Szoboszlai would feature in central midfield, or out wide, today – and longer term for Liverpool. He's in the middle so far and he's been pretty impressive, seeing lots of the ball.

11 mins: Lots of Liverpool possession, lots of noise from the Karlsruher fans. Very preseasony so far.

9 mins: A blue streamer flies across the pitch as Diaz looks to get at the hosts' defence from the left. Applause from Klopp – who's wearing shorts – as the play is switched to Bobby Clark on the opposite side. Another corner sees the ball in the net, but Van Dijk's effort is disallowed for a foul.

6 mins: Alexander-Arnold whips in a corner from the right, which Karlsruher struggle to clear, despite getting a couple of chances to do so. This has been a very easy start for Liverpool.

3 mins, GOAL! 1-0 to Liverpool: And immediately after that, Nunez scores! He tries to square it to Salah, it rebounds back to him and he cannot miss with his left foot. Liverpool are a goal up already.

2 mins: It's interesting to see Alexander-Arnold – with a new haircut for the new season – playing in a central midfield role, with Conor Bradly at right-back. How much will Klopp use that setup going forward this season? Nunez nearly gets an early opening but the through-ball is beyond his reach.

KICK OFF: Here we go! Plenty of noise from the home fans as we get going – slightly behind schedule.

10 mins before kickoff: Glorious sunshine at the BBBank Wildpark stadium, the ideal conditions for a friendly preseason runout. It won't be long until the teams emerge and we get up and running.

30 mins before kickoff: "There's a lot of excitement," says Liverpool stand-in goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who starts today in the absence of Alisson who is missing as a 'precaution', fitness-wise. The brand spanking new stadium is starting to fill up ahead of kick off.

50 mins before kickoff: This is how Liverpool's second tier German opposition line up today.

1 hr before kickoff: So with the game getting under way at 5.30pm UK time, just a moment to confirm that, as well as Fabinho, there is no involvement for Alisson, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Nat Phillips or Stefan Bajcetic for Liverpool today. There's a fairly strong front three set to start the game, though, as well as the likes of Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and new boy Alexis Mac Allister on the bench.

1 hr 25 min before kickoff: Liverpool team confirmed!

Kelleher (GK) – Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson – Alexander-Arnold, Clark, Szoboszlai – Diaz, Salah, Nunez

Subs: Jaros, Mrozek, Gomes, Mac Allister, Gakpo, Jota, Tsimikas, Matip, Scanlon, Doak, McConnell, Koumas, Quansah.

1 hr 30 min before kickoff: Whatever team Klopp does pick today, you can bet your life we'll get a raft of halftime changes, possibly a whole team's worth of them. This is very much the start of Liverpool's preseason programme; they're jetting off to Singapore before the Premier League season starts in around a month.

1 hr 45 min before kickoff: We'll bring you team news as soon as we get it from Germany.

There's some stories doing the rounds suggesting Jordan Henderson won't be involved, as talks continue with regards to his potential move to Al Ettifaq. Fabinho is definitely out.

2 hrs before kickoff: Hello and welcome to our live blog charting updates from Liverpool's preseason friendly against Karlsruher. Not much at stake today, but a good chance for players to get minutes in their legs as preseason cranks up a notch. Stay tuned for team news and then updates from the match itself.

Liverpool lineup vs Karlsruher

Klopp will use this game as an opportunity to give players some valuable minutes as they build their fitness ahead of the season proper starting next month.

Fabinho is not in the Liverpool squad that has travelled to Germany, as he continues to be linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and neither is Jordan Henderson – also touted for a Saudi Pro League transfer. New boy Dominik Szoboszlai starts in midfield alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Fellow midfielders Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara are missing with injuries, while Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are absent having featured in England's successful European Under-21 Championship campaign.

  • Liverpool confirmed lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Kelleher (GK) – Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson – Alexander-Arnold, Clark, Szoboszlai – Diaz, Salah, Nunez

MORE: Liverpool's complete preseason fixture schedule

What time does Karlsruher vs Liverpool kick off?

This preseason friendly takes place at the BBBank Wildpark in Karslruhe, Germany, and kicks off on Wednesday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. local time.

Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:

  Date Kickoff time
USA Wed, Jul 19 12:30 p.m. ET
Canada Wed, Jul 19 12:30 p.m. ET
UK Wed, Jul 19 5:30 p.m. BST
Australia Thu, Jul 20 2:30 a.m. AEST
India Wed, Jul 19 10 p.m. IST
Hong Kong Thu, Jul 20 12:30 a.m. HKT
Malaysia Thu, Jul 20 12:30 a.m. MYT
Singapore Thu, Jul 20 12:30 a.m. SGT
New Zealand Thu, Jul 20 4:30 a.m. NZST

Karlsruher vs Liverpool live stream, TV channel

The match is not being broadcast on the traditional channels, as the match falls outside the domestic football calendar.

  • Date: Wednesday, July 19
  • Time: 5:30 p.m. BST / 12:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: LFCTV
  • Live stream: LFCTV

The match will be available in most countries on Liverpool's in-house channel LFCTV, where users will be able to sign up for a one-month free trial, enabling them to watch the match for free.

Servus TV in Germany will also be screening the match.

Dominic Booth

Dominic Booth Photo

Dominic joined the Sporting News in November 2022, initially working on our World Cup coverage as a freelance sub editor. He was previously a sport content editor and Man United writer at the Manchester Evening News and is a regular at both Old Traffords, football and cricket.