The two European behemoths delivered 90 minutes of emotion and goals. Here are five noteworthy highlights.
1. Jurgen Klopp’s migraine
After a recent run of friendly matches, Liverpool’s defense scheme revealed numerous flaws. The 4-4 tie with Greuther Furth demonstrated that The Kop lacked excellent reserve players in central midfield. This presents a tremendous challenge for boss Jurgen Klopp.
The Anfield team’s frailty was shown again when they faced Bayern Munich. After 28 minutes of rolling the ball, Liverpool took the lead in front of the Bavarian Gray Lobster. However, Liverpool immediately lost its lead.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker had to pick up the ball twice between the 33rd and 42nd minutes. The fact that Trent Alexander-Arnold frequently rises causes a wide gap in the right wing corridor to appear. At the same time, Joel Matip had a less outstanding first half performance.
The 31-year-old center-back was slow and lacks decisiveness in the interception stage, which allowed Serge Gnabry to finish shortening the score. Liverpool, more than ever, needs to sign a top-tier center defender before the new season begins.
Liverpool had conceded two goals by the time the second half began. Joe Gomez made “impressions” in both scenarios that led to the home team’s goal. Klopp must rapidly repair the defense before the start of the next season.
2. ‘Speed Ghost’ is the second song.
Alphonso Davies is one of Bayern Munich’s shining moments against Liverpool. On defense, the Canadian full-back possesses a rhythmic attack. Davies’ natural quickness and enthusiasm help him to gain an advantage in hand-to-hand combat.
The 22-year-old star sliced deep into the Liverpool right wing corridor on a consistent basis. When racing with Davies, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are both ‘losing’.
3. Liverpool’s ferocious attack
In contrast to the insecure state of the defense system, Liverpool’s attack performed admirably over a series of friendly matches in the summer of 2023. The offensive stars of The Kop put on a spectacular performance against Bayern Munich.
Liverpool’s first goal was scored by Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo. The Kop’s third goal came in the 66th minute, thanks to the excellent coordination of Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz.
Darwin Nunez, if he had been more smart, would have had his own goal. The Uruguayan attacker squandered at least two golden chances in front of Bayern Munich’s goal.
4. Mac Allister’s Concerns
Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, both rookies, played well in the first half. After the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, fans anticipated Szoboszlai and Mac Allister to take over in The Kop’s midfield.
However, Liverpool fans were concerned when Mac Allister collapsed on the field in the final minute of injury time. The Argentine midfielder appeared to have a knee injury.
The former Brighton star’s whereabouts are unclear. Klopp does not want to lose another star before the new season begins.
5. The model captain
After Henderson left Anfield, Virgil van Dijk was named Liverpool captain. The Dutch star made a strong effort in his debut encounter as captain.
In the 28th minute, the 32-year-old Liverpool great made it 2-0. Van Dijk started from Andrew Robertson’s corner and headed high, shredding Yann Sommer’s net.
Van Dijk developed into a reliable defender when he was present in the 16m50 Liverpool area.
