Liverpool vs SV Darmstadt 98. Friendly Match.
DeepdaleAttendance19,000.
Match report as goals from Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz secure victory for Liverpool over SV Darmstadt 98 in their final pre-season game; Alexis Mac Allister impresses in the No 6 role at Deepdale
Tuesday 8 August 2023 06:04, UK
Liverpool concluded their pre-season schedule with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Bundesliga newcomers SV Darmstadt 98 at Deepdale.
Jurgen Klopp's side, who begin their Premier League campaign against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Super Sunday live on Sky Sports, were two goals ahead inside eight minutes.
Dominik Szoboszlai's corner was glanced on by Luiz Diaz via Virgil van Dijk's boot into the path of Mohamed Salah for a simple close-range finish, his second goal of pre-season.
Salah then pounced on a mistake by Christoph Zimmermann to set up Diogo Jota to double Liverpool's lead.
But Darmstadt, who sealed promotion from Bundesliga 2 last season to end a six-year absence from the German top tier, reduced the arrears two minutes later.
Braydon Manu's probing pass broke Liverpool's high line as Mathias Honsak's precise finish beat Alisson.
Darmstadt briefly threatened an equaliser, with Zimmermann firing over from a corner, but the second period was one-way traffic.
Another Szoboszlai corner was brilliantly flicked into the roof of the net with his heel by Diaz while substitutes Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez were both denied.
"It was a very good start to the game and it was good pressing from us. Their goal was a bit against the run of play but it was a good test and we go now into the season," Jota told the club's in-house media.
"We have options, loads of games and will need everyone. It helps us all push to the limit.
"We've been working a lot on how we want to play. It's been intense and we've shown what we're about offensively. We want to improve defensively as we conceded again today. If we can keep clean sheets, it is always easier then to win.
"Chelsea will start from scratch with a new coach. It will be a tough test but we relish the challenge."
Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes as the Liverpool team bus was stuck in traffic making their way to Preston. The match was being held there due to stadium developments at Anfield.
But Deepdale was sold out, with a few hundred from Darmstadt in attendance.
Klopp opted to play Alexis Mac Allister in a deep-lying role, and the Argentine showed his strength and versatility to control the midfield and underline his credentials as Liverpool's new tempo-setter.
Klopp said afterwards: "He's a top class player on the ball and without the ball. We have to work on it, try and test a couple of different things. In a compact situation, Alexis can play there definitely. Should he play there alone? No. But given it was the first time he's played there for us, he did really well.
"The pre-season never ends after the first Premier League game - it always run until the first international break. We still have four or five really important sessions until Chelsea and we have to put a proper fight in there."
Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo were given licence to play more advanced and while neither got on the scoresheet, there was enough to suggest this could well be how Klopp looks to line up against Chelsea on Sunday, with the shackles off.
Salah has provided more assists than goals during pre-season, but he showed his predatory instincts for Liverpool's fifth-minute opener, while Jota looks ready to battle for a regular start having doubled his side's lead with a clinical finish just three minutes later.
There will remain question marks over Klopp's preference to play a high line as Honsak broke free from Van Dijk to halve the deficit.
"We conceded again which was an obvious mistake," said the Liverpool manager. "We've worked on it but it doesn't mean it is solved immediately. The diagonal protection wasn't there but we scored two goals from set pieces and another goal from a high press situation.
"I'm pleased with our physical state. In the next few days we must now find a formation for the Chelsea game. No body got injured so that is the most important thing."
Trent Alexander-Arnold still needs to time to develop in his new hybrid role, but there were more positives with Ben Doak shining in his cameo off the bench.
Nunez ought to have scored when his effort from close range in the final stages was brilliantly clawed away by substitute goalkeeper Alexander Brunst-Zollner before Gomez's effort on the rebound was cleared off the line.
Liverpool kick off the 2023/24 Premier League season with a trip to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a clash that will be live on Sky Sports on Sunday August 13.
That opening-weekend fixture will be Mauricio Pochettino's first game in charge of the Blues, while the first Merseyside derby of the campaign sees Everton visit Anfield on October 21.
Jurgen Klopp's side take on champions Man City at the Etihad on November 25 and the month of December sees Liverpool face back-to-back home encounters against Man Utd and Arsenal on December 16 and 23.
The Reds also have tricky-looking games at home to Chelsea and away to Arsenal on January 31 and February 3, and Man City come to Anfield on March 9, before Liverpool make the trip across Stanley Park to play Everton the week later.
Klopp's side visit Old Trafford on April 6, with the Reds entertaining Wolves on the final day of the season.
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