HONG KONG: AC Milan beat Liverpool 4-2 in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong on Saturday as the Premier League club’s record signing Florian Wirtz made his first start for them.

Former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish laid a wreath before the game and the players had “Diogo J 20” on their shirts in honour of their former teammate Diogo Jota, who died along with his brother Andre Silva in a car accident in Spain this month.

The English champions fell behind in the 10th minute when Rafael Leao scored from a Christian Pulisic pass. Dominik Szoboszlai levelled 20 minutes later with a curling shot from the edge of the box following an assist by Rio Ngumoha who latched onto a long ball from Ryan Gravenberch.

Leao orchestrated a devastating counter-attack as Milan reclaimed the lead early in the second half.

The Portuguese winger powered past Conor Bradley on the left flank and squared for Ruben Loftus-Cheek who fired home from inside the box.

Mohamed Salah spu­rned an opportunity from a Wirtz assist and Liverpool looked increasingly vulnerable as time passed by. Noah Okafor added Milan’s third in the 60th minute.

“The most beautiful and important thing I’m happy about in these first 20 days of work because the team has a proactive attitude and significantly raised its level of endurance,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri, whose side had lost 1-0 to Arsenal in a friendly on Wednesday, said.

Milan appointed Allegri in May for a second stint after sacking Sergio Conceicao, having finished eighth in Serie A and missing out on European competition for the first time since 2019.

Cody Gakpo nodded

in a stoppage-time consolation for Liverpool before Okafor walked in his second following a bad mix-up between Kostas Tsimikas and new Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili who had rushed out of his box.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said there were positives to take from the game but admitted his side needed to improve before their

first competitive match, the Community Shield against Crystal Palace on August 10.

“I saw a few good things,” he told reporters, referring especially to the first half when a largely first-choice Liver­pool created a host of chances but only converted one.

Slot made nine changes at the break and a largely makeshift defence was caught out time and again.

“We wanted to give 20 players some playing time. So as a result of that, too many players didn’t play in their own position. We were a bit too open.

“We have to improve in certain areas, because we were counter-attacked too much today.”

Liverpool will now fly to Japan to face Yokohama F-Marinos on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2025