Liverpool FC won their third friendly of the summer despite falling behind: the two new signings from Leverkusen played starring roles in the 3-1 win in Yokohama, with Wirtz scoring and substitute Frimpong providing the assist.
As part of their Asian tour, Liverpool FC won the second of three friendly matches this summer: After almost a week in Hong Kong, where the Reds lost 4-2 to Milan with Wirtz impressing in the starting line-up, they traveled to Japan to face Yokohama.
Arne Slot fielded a very strong starting eleven, including Wirtz and new signing Ekitiké, who made his debut. However, in a mixed first half, the Frenchman, who caught the eye with a backheel in the 25th minute, failed to make an impact. Gakpo had the best chance, but the Dutchman hit the right post in the tenth minute.
Yokohama F. Marinos sold themselves dearly and didn’t give much away defensively. At half-time, Slot took off two former Bundesliga pros, Ekitiké and Gravenberch, and brought on Darwin and Jones. The latter would later play a decisive role.
Wirtz and Jones make up for mistakes
But first, Liverpool found themselves behind: Wirtz failed to press his opponent in the penalty area, and Jones let him get away completely. Uenaka pushed behind the defense and, with the help of the right post, scored the much-celebrated 1-0 for the underdogs (55′).
However, the joy was short-lived because Yokohama also played with fire. The defense, which had pushed up far too far, faltered in the 62nd minute, and Jones was lucky to give the ball away to Wirtz, who celebrated his first goal with a determined shot into the left corner.
Two minutes later, his Leverkusen teammate Frimpong came into the game. And he too was to leave his mark: the shin-injured player burst into the right corner of the penalty area and his powerful cross was artistically converted by the 18-year-old Nyon to make it 2-1 (67). The final word went to Ngumoha, a 16-year-old substitute who, after some fine dribbling, calmly slotted the ball into the far corner (87).
