Liverpool begin pre-season schedule with victory over Karlsruher SC
Liverpool began their 2023 pre-season schedule with a 4-2 victory away at Karlsruher SC on Wednesday evening.
Darwin Nunez had given the Reds the lead in the third minute of the contest at BBBank Wildpark, before Lars Stindl spectacularly equalised for the 2. Bundesliga outfit towards the end of the first period.
Sebastian Jung put the home side 2-1 ahead five minutes after half-time but proceedings were level again following a well-taken finish from Cody Gakpo.
Diogo Jota then scored twice in second-half added time to complete the comeback and get the visitors’ summer off to a winning start.
The game also saw Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister make their first appearances for the club, with both handed a 45-minute runout.
Liverpool took an early lead with a cool conversion from Nunez from inside the area. A flick forward from Mohamed Salah sent Nunez through and, after combining again with his forward partner, the Uruguayan slotted beyond Patrick Drewes in the Karlsruher goal inside the opening 180 seconds.
Jürgen Klopp’s men had the ball in the net again with Virgil van Dijk’s header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner, though that goal was chalked off for a foul.
At the other end in the 20th minute, Caoimhin Kelleher moved quickly to tip a deflected lift from Stindl over the crossbar after a spell of pressure from the hosts.
Kelleher, however, could do nothing to prevent them from drawing level seven minutes before the break.
Marvin Wanitzek clipped a free-kick to the edge of the box, where Stindl was positioned to meet it with a thunderous volley that crashed into the underside of the bar before rebounding over the line.
Nunez saw a header from an Andy Robertson cross well saved, as an entirely different Reds XI then emerged for the second half.
Karlsruher would go ahead for the first time on the night when Jung was set free down the right wing and advanced into the area to drill a shot beyond Vitezslav Jaros.
Liverpool nearly produced a quick response but Jota and Calum Scanlon were both thwarted by Drewes.
The visitors’ probing continued and they were back level in minute 69 when Gakpo spun and finished near the six-yard box, after Jota rose to knock down a Joe Gomez cross from the right.
Just when the match looked to be heading for a draw, Gakpo and Jota combined again, this time the latter getting on the scoresheet with incredibly neat footwork close to goal and a placed finish.
And in the third minute of injury time, Jota put the finishing touches on the win by running in behind to latch on to Mac Allister’s threaded pass and slotting once more.