Liverpool 3 Lyon 1: Salah, Firmino and Alisson return as Klopp’s boys end barren pre-season run – The Sun

July 31, 2019

JURGEN KLOPP gave Liverpool’s fans a promising glimpse of the future as they completed their disappointing pre-season with a win.

After three defeats and a draw, Liverpool overcame Lyon in Geneva with a much better performance and now prepare for Sunday’s Community Shield against Manchester City at Wembley.

Welsh striker Harry Wilson scored a brilliant third goal in the 54th minute and in the second half, played in a front three with Ryan Brewster and Bobby Duncan, Steven Gerrard’s cousin.

But more significantly, strikers Mo Salah and Bobby Firmino, who only returned to training on Monday, both started the game and they look certain to spearhead Klopp’s attack against City.

Memphis Depay scored an early penalty before Liverpool replied with a strike from Firmino, an own goal from Joachim Andersen and the third from Wilson.

Keeper Alisson Becker also started having only returned on Monday, along with Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri who were just back from injury.

There were also starts for Dutch 17-year-old right-back Ki-Jana Hoever who signed a new professional contract earlier in the day at the team’s training base at Evian, striker Wilson and Yasser Larouci who left a pre-season friendly on crutches after a disgraceful kick from Sevilla’s Joris Gnagon.

But it was a terrible start for Liverpool as keeper Alisson was penalised for a foul on Lyon striker Moussa Dembele – although there appeared to be very little contact – and Depay converted the penalty.

Firmino levelled with a brilliant shot on the turn before Andersen scored a spectacular goal – albeit in the wrong net – after a cross from Hoever.

Roberto Firmino smashed past Anthony Lopes inside the box after a sharp turn and first time finish to equalise.

After a 30-minute run-out, Firmino was replaced by Brewster while Swiss international Shaqiri was subbed for James Milner.

And Klopp brought on more youngsters for the second half in Adam Lewis, teenage defender Sepp van den Berg and prolific striker Duncan.

And Duncan played a part in Wilson’s brilliant strike shortly into the second half. New signing from Fulham Harvey Elliott, who only turned 16 in April was also given another run-out and caused Lyon several problems.

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