Liverpool 2-4 Milan: Report, result, goals as Mamardashvili makes howler in defeat on Wirtz debut

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Noah Okafor scored within eight second-half minutes as Milan capitalised on Liverpool’s defensive frailties and a blunder by Giorgi Mamardashvili to win 4-2 in the first of the Premier League holders’ three pre-season matches in Asia.

Rafael Leao latched on to Christian Pulisic’s long pass and entered the penalty area to fire in for the Italian side after 10 minutes at the 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Sports Park, although Dominik Szoboszlai equalised with a curling effort from just inside the box 16 minutes later.

Portugal winger Leao charged down the left and teed up former Chelsea midfielder Loftus-Cheek for a neat finish from inside the box seven minutes after the restart, and Liverpool were again exposed on the break when Alexis Saelemaekers surged down the right and crossed for Okafor, who played with Szoboszlai at Salzburg in 2020/21, to sweep in clinically in the 59th minute.

Cody Gakpo headed an added-time consolation by powering in from Ibrahima Konate’s delivery, but Okafor charged past new Reds goalkeeper Mamardashvili to slot in to an empty net after the goalkeeper failed to control Konstantinos Tsimikas’s pass.

Liverpool vs Milan: Wirtz makes debut

Manager Arne Slot may be concerned by the ease with which Milan scored three goals on the break but Liverpool looked bright for much of the game, finishing on 69% of possession and 18 of the 28 attempts between the teams.

Midfielder Florian Wirtz, who has joined from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee that could rise to a British-record £116 million, featured for the first time and looked silky on the ball during an eye-catching debut, while Mohamed Salah might have turned the scoreline around with half-time looming when last season’s Premier League top scorer shot against the side netting after Mike Maignan pushed Andy Robertson’s long-range strike away.

Wideman Jeremie Frimpong – signed from Leverkusen for £29.5m in May – produced a classy piece of control to bring down Gakpo’s long ball and test half-time substitute goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano after Milan had scored their third.

Winger or attacking midfielder Rio Ngumoha, 16, who scored in Liverpool’s win over second-tier Stoke City last Sunday, impressed with his speed and dribbling, teeing up Szoboszlai for the Hungary midfielder’s superb leveller.

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Liverpool team vs Milan

First-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker and captain Virgil van Dijk, who Rafael Leao escaped from for the opening goal, were among the players to start.

Winger Harvey Elliott joined them after playing a starring role in England’s Euro Under-21 triumph in June, and defensive midfielder Tyler Morton – also an important part of the Young Lions’ squad – was substituted off during the first half and on again during the second.

Georgia goalkeeper Mamardashvili, who cost an initial £29.9m from Valencia before the 2024/25 season, was one of nine players to come on at the interval, with only 18-year-old midfielder Trey Nyoni and Ryan Gravenberch retained from the starting line-up.

Liverpool starting XI: Alisson; Stephenson, Morton, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Elliott; Salah

Liverpool second-half starting XI: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Tsimikas, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Frimpong, Nyoni, Gakpo; Doak

Joe Gomez injury: Arne Slot cautious

Centre-back Joe Gomez was not involved for Liverpool, having headed back to the UK for rehabilitation on an Achilles issue.

“We thought it was better to assess it back in England and for him to work on it in order to come back into the team in more ideal circumstances for him,” manager Arne Slot told LFC TV.

“We hope and expect to have him back soon.”

Striker Hugo Ekitike – signed from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69m – was not part of the squad, and nor was Alexis Mac Allister, who is recovering from an issue the playmaker sustained towards the end of 2024/25.

Liverpool pre season fixtures 2025/26

July 30 vs Yohohama FM (Japan)
August 5 vs Villarreal (H)
August 9 vs Athletic Club (H)

When does Liverpool’s 2025/26 Premier League season start?

The first round of Premier League matches in 2025/26 will be on the weekend of August 16 2025, with Liverpool starting the action at home to Bournemouth on Friday, August 15 at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT).

The game against one of the surprise packages of 2024/25 is being shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League, Ultra and Main Event.

The last round of matches this season will all start at the same time on May 24 2026. No rounds will take place within 60 hours of each other and there will be no fixture on December 24.

How to watch Liverpool on TV: Sky Sports

Prices for Sky Sports and TNT Sports vary. Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £26 a month for a six-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.

Sky Sports memberships include access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, which offers live streams and a dedicated channel.

How to watch Liverpool on TNT Sports

According to BT, TNT Sports costs £20 a month when bought with a broadband package or £30.99 a month without a contract.

Those prices include discovery+ Premium, which offers access to thousands of exclusive shows and originals.

Liverpool live streams: How to watch games online

Both broadcasters have dedicated apps allowing fans to live-stream the games: SkyGO for Sky Sports and discovery+ for TNT Sports.

Both apps are available on a vast range of devices.

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