Liverpool 2, AC Milan 4 – Match Recap: Disappointment For Reds

Liverpool: Dominik Szoboszlai 26’, Cody Gakpo 90+3’AC Milan: Rafael Leão 10’, Ruben Loftus-Cheek 52’, Noah Okafor 59’, 90+4’Pre-Match Florian Wirtz is set to make his Liverpool debut against AC Milan. The team will understandably be without the brand new Hugo Ekitike, but it will still be interested in seeing many of the new players work together a mere few weeks before the start of the season. Wataru Endo is out with illness and Joe Gomez has been set back to Merseyside with an injury to his Achilles’ heel. Prematch, the fans revealed a lovely DJ 20 mosaic and Sir Kenny Dalglish placed some floral arrangements out as well.First HalfBoth teams started by feeling each other out. The Reds knocked the ball around for a while, but it’s Milan that gets the first chance, via a mistake in the back by Tyler Morton. Alisson Becker blocks it. He’s not as lucky later when Rafael Leao makes it 1-0 after only 10 minutes. The preseason isn’t known for its pretty goals, but Dominik Szoboszlai manages to score one anyway. In the 26th minute, Ryan Gravenberch starts the play with an excellent pass in. Rio Ngumoha collects and gets it to Szobobszlai. The Hungarian international whips in a shot straight past the goalkeeper, and the Reds became lever.Andy Robertson goes down in the box, but the referee has no interest in it. He’s told to keep playing, and the left-back is not happy about the situation.Wirtz puts in a good shift, though nothing spectacular came from it. It will be one of the first and last times he’s not playing with the burden of controlling the game due to his £116m price tag.Second HalfAfter the break, Arne Slot, as expected, cycles in several new players. Wirtz gets taken off after his 45 minute run out. He is replaced by fellow new kid Jeremie Frimpong. If the first half was underwhelming, Liverpool completely lose the plot in the second.They started off strong with some good pressure with the ball, and Cody Gakpo nearly makes it count. However, his shot is over the bar. After that, in the span of seven minutes, they concede two goals. The first one comes from Rafael Leao beating Conor Bradley and then laying it off the Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The second is another poor defensive showing when Milan put on the fast break. Noah Okafor gets the winning touch with a right-footed goal to the top corner. Well, I guess if Slot learns anything from this game, it’s to work on their defensive strength when the opposing team gets a fast break.Cody Gakpo gets one back in extra time, scoring a nice header from an assist by Ibrahima Konaté. However, that momentary happiness is cut short by Okafor, who almost immediately scores again on the other end.Final ThoughtsSo yeah, some kinks to work out for when the season truly starts. It was nice seeing Wirtz get a chance to play with his new team. Szoboszlai was also very pretty. Umm, what else? I don’t think anyone got injured? It is what it is – a preseason exhibition in muggy, 90 degree F heat. The six goals were surely worth the price of admission for the spectators. Onto the next one.