Liverpool thrash Barcelona in pre-season friendly

By Daily Sports on August 7, 2016

Fifty minutes had not yet passed at Wembley, but Liverpool’s attacking blur had already finished off Barcelona. By then it was 3-0, with Lionel Messi standing with his hand over his mouth in disbelief as he looked up at the scoreboard.

Jurgen Klopp had made it abundantly clear ahead of kick off that the result of this International Champions Cup match would mean little but his side’s execution in the 4-0 victory certainly provided sizeable encouragement.

When Sadio Mane powered the Reds in front after a period of sustained aggression, the 49-year-old displayed his trademark rapid fist-pump before turning to the dugout with a knowing look. The goal, born from Adam Lallana winning the ball back and Liverpool transitioning speedily, was straight out of their pre-season playbook.

Jordan Henderson forced an own goal from Javier Mascherano, Divock Origi followed that up with another composed finish for his ever-growing archive and Marko Grujic converted a stunning header. All four goals had the same theme: steal possession and turn it over incisively.

During their tour of the United States, Liverpool worked rigorously on counter-attacks. At their camp in California, there was often no opposition as the team worked on the exercises so repetitively it would become habit.

On Saturday evening, however, they had the best team in the world trying to thwart them and while it was only a pre-season test, the players and backroom team will be inspired to see their blueprint implemented so effectively.

Klopp wanted to use the game to measure how much his side still needed to do before next weekend’s Premier League opener at Arsenal and on the evidence provided, his list will be quite short. “Always when we were active we were really good and when we were defending, our passing game after winning balls, our direction - great football, good build-up, we played between their rows and in the half-spaces and it was all good,” he said in the aftermath of the blitz.

In his pre-match press conference, Klopp was adamant he was not interested in what Barcelona could or couldn’t do but solely focused on Liverpool’s development. “It’s about us,” he said, and while prior to kick-off talk at Wembley centered around Luis Suarez, once the first whistle went it was indeed the Liverpool show.

“We didn't think before the game we are one level with Barca and we don't think after the game we are on a higher level than Barca – we are not crazy,” said Klopp.

“But the only job to do today was to play football as good as possible and we did it.”

Rather excellently, too.

•Sourced from Goal. Photo shows Liverpool players celebrating one of their goals.

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 7, 2016


 

You may also like...
Edinson Cavani Informs Man Utd He Wants To...

NFF Presidency 2022: The Man Christian Emeruwa Unmasked!...

Icardi Leaves Inter Training Camp amid Transfer Rumours...

Emenike bemoans Turkish referees’ decisions

UPDATED: Defending champions Senegal crash out of AFCON...

Man City Beat Leicester To Move Seven Points...

 

Latest News CAF awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie, Edo Queens bag nominations Lagos SWAN, PAACC Hold SWAN Day At Golfview Hotels, Ikeja Crisis looms as Eagles’ form raises AFCON, W’Cup concerns Ex-Nigerian Super Falcons player handcuffed, children assaulted as police storm Anambra Football Academy Sports NFF, teammates console Nwabali on father’s death Abia Govt hails Nigeria Olympic Committee over staging an admin course in Umuahia Libya deliver Eagles 2025 AFCON ticket Eagles battle Cheetahs for 2025 AFCON ticket Yellow Greens gear up for T20 W’Cup qualifiers Tyson tips Fury to beat Joshua Sadiq absent as 22 Eagles train in Abidjan Eagles’ striking trio hot for Cheetahs, Amavubi clashes

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,164 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,308 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,370 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,015 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,948 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,904 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,743 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,312 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,366 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,054 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,507 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,932 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media