A lot has been happening in English football since the end of last season. Pre-Sesson games has been a joy to watch as each club prepare for the upcoming footballing season. The transfer window is also on and buzzing.
You know my focus is mostly on Liverpool. So, this post is a highlight/review of our last double-header Pre-Seaon game which was played two days ago.
Yeah!
We had a double fixture against Atletic Bilbao on Monday and Liverpool won both games. Obviously, a Pre-Seaon game is a game of no consequence. So, winning or losing doesn't really define how we will be performing in the upcoming season.
However, I know I didn't enjoy being on the losing end when we played AC Milan during our tour in Hong Kong. So, I'm enjoying the feel-good vibe that comes from that double win against Atletic Bilbao.
Most importantly, it was a pleasure to watch our players do what they do best, especially the new players that joined Liverpool this transfer window.
Here's a quick highlight of what unfolded in each of the game;
It's notable to let y'all know that Virgil, Bradley, Alisson, and Gomez, were unfortunately unavailable for either of the games for several reasons. Hopefully, they will all be fully fit and match ready for our Sunday community shield fixture.
First Game (4 - 1 Win)
At first look, the line up for this game felt weak because we didn't have the likes of Salah, Wirtz, Gravenberch and other first team players in the squad. However, upon closer look, you would notice that it's still a fairly decent and solid squad which we can trust to get the job done in the early stages of Cup games.
Athletic Bilbao also featured a comparatively weaker XI. So, this was basically a B-team fixture. Liverpool comfortable won this one with a couple of really notable performance from the likes of Rio and Nunez who both got a goal and an assist. Ben Doak also got a solo goal just before the HT break.
Rio in particular has been making headlines because of his really inspiring performance in this Pre-Seaon window. Some people are even suggesting he needs to be given decent game time next season. So, that says a lot about his performance.
Second Game (3 - 2 Win)
Liverpool lined up a solid squad for this second game. The first team players including the new signings were featured in this and each of them were impressive as they rocked our newly released jersey for the upcoming season.
Our first goal in this one came from a smooth assist that was delivered by Ekitike and fabulously finished by Mohammed Salah. Liverpool were really impressive, especially in our attacking speed. Each of the players also pressed from the attacking line and they were quick to drop back whenever we lose the ball.
That first half ended as a 1-1 draw because of a goal we conceded due to defensive negligence. Now, this is a reminder that Liverpool need fresh legs in our CB position, especially because we sold Quansah to Leverkusen and Gomez is barely fit to play 15 games in a season.
The second half of this game was chaotic.
Cody Gakpo scored all 3 goals that were scored in this half of the game although one of those goals was an own-goal which counted against Liverpool. We even got a penalty which should have pushed the scoreline to 4-2 win. However, Salah shot wide and missed that penalty.
The first is the FA Community Shield game which we will play against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Honestly, we should be winning this... Easily! The trophy is surely not a major one. However, bagging it just before the beginning of a fresh season would count as a perfect start to the season.
The next would be the opening game of the season which we will play against Bournmoth on 15th August. That's just in a week interval. Our first 5 EPL games is going to be a dramatic and highly competitive one because of the profile of the opponents we will be facing.
Well... That's it for the day!
Thanks For Not Missing Any Full-stop or Comma.
Thumbnail Image is taken from Unsplash.
