Liverpool Defeat Concludes Leicester's Pre-Season
Darwin Núñez, Bobby Clark and Diogo Jota gave the Reds a sizable lead at half-time, before Ben Doak added another for the six-time European champions. The City squad will now fly back to the United Kingdom to continue preparations for the new Sky Bet Championship season.
A Foxes side sprinkled with new signings Mads Hermansen, Callum Doyle and Harry Winks adorned the 2023/24 adidas away kit for the occasion in Singapore – a nod to the Club’s formative years, featuring black shirts with a Cambridge blue sash. Jürgen Klopp, on the other hand, selected a strong XI with Mo Salah’s appearance particularly pleasing the local crowd.
Despite the end result, it was in fact a bright start from City. Their first chance came about after quick-thinking from Patson Daka freed Kasey McAteer down the left flank. The youngster spotted the run of Wilfred Ndidi through the middle and the Nigerian got a touch it on. Caoimhin Kelleher, though, was alert to the danger and made a brave, point-blank low stop.
Although Núñez had the ball in Hermansen’s net shortly afterwards, the offside flag had been raised before the ball bulged the net. Leicester’s response was to advance again. Navigating tight channels to play out from the back, starting with Hermansen, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s insightful pass had Ndidi through on goal. There were Liverpool defenders rushing back, so he elected to square it for Marc Albrighton. By this stage, Virgil van Dijk had made up the distance and got in the way.
City’s pressure continued, though. Two Jannik Vestergaard headers – from Albrighton corners – were both headed over. Trent Alexander-Arnold, on the other hand, curled a shot into Hermansen’s gloves from the right angle of Leicester’s penalty area. Hermansen, a recent signing from Brøndby, was then called upon to stretch his 6ft 1in frame to palm away Salah’s excellent attempt to curl the ball into the top corner.
Liverpool were beginning to stir and they’d open up a three-goal lead by half-time. On 29 minutes, they were ahead. Diogo Jota’s low ball ended up bobbing up at the far post and Núñez had a yard’s advantage to get there before Ricardo Pereira and slot it into Hermansen’s net. Clark’s smart finish, teed up by Salah, doubled the 19-time English champions’ advantage before the break. It was 3-0 soon after when Salah again crossed into the box – a gift-wrapped invitation for Jota to glance his header into the bottom corner.
City Manager Enzo Maresca was not pleased on the sidelines when Alexis Mac Allister’s challenge on Ricardo went unpunished and it nearly led to a fourth Liverpool goal. The Argentine dragged it back for Salah to hit the stanchion. Set beneath a domed roof, the Singapore National Stadium is designed to recycle airflow to cool the players. In any case, the weather was clearly a factor for both sides to deal with. The pace dropped a little at the end of the first half, with the break offering a reprieve.
The Reds started the second period on top. Jones knocked over while Cody Gakpo’s effort was blocked. James McConnell drilled wide as well just before Vestergaard leapt into the path of Luis Díaz’s strike from the edge of the box. Hermansen dived across his goal on the hour as well to catch Harvey Elliott’s 20-yard hit. City were nearly punished for losing the ball in the middle later on. Liverpool’s Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai, a second-half substitute, tried his luck from 40 yards out. Hermansen, however, raced back and headed the ball off its course to goal.
Szoboszlai was about to play a role in a fourth goal for Klopp’s side. It was his corner which eventually came to Doak to head in at the back post. Gakpo was again frustrated by Hermansen on 67 minutes, the Dane nudging his shot around for a corner. Leicester did have their own opportunities in the second period. Firstly, Ndidi broke away, cutting back and supplying Daka to fire at goal. Jarell Quansah did well to block the Zambia striker’s effort, though.
Dewsbury-Hall also arrowed the ball across the face of goal and wide. Elsewhere, Díaz’s header was disallowed for offside and he then hit one straight at Hermansen a few moments later. Alisson Becker, on for the latter stages, was agile to prevent Dewsbury-Hall inside his area with 12 to play in the final moments. The final act was for Kelechi Iheanacho, on from the bench, to head James Justin's free-kick high and wide of Alisson's goal.
Major moment - Liverpool's opener
After a bright start against illustrious opposition, it will have been frustrating for Enzo Maresca to see his side end the first half three goals behind. Darwin Núñez's opener ultimately changed the course of the evening in Singapore.
Who impressed? Wilfred Ndidi
David Nugent, a Championship title winner with Leicester City in 2014, said live on the Fox Hub broadcast: “In the first 20-25 minutes, I thought everyone was excellent. There wasn’t really a standout player. But I’d probably have to say [Wilfred] Ndidi for his midfield running. He’s been given a licence by [Enzo] Maresca to get forward. He’s had three good chances. Being that defensive midfielder, he’s not really had that before. Hopefully he’ll get more opportunities to do that.”
Coming up - Coventry City (H)
Leicester City’s pre-season fixture schedule is now complete. In a week, next Sunday, Coventry City are the visitors to King Power Stadium on the opening weekend of the Sky Bet Championship season (12pm kick-off). A short trip to Pirelli Stadium will be next up for the Foxes, to take on Burton Albion in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday 9 August (8pm kick-off).