The Reds continued preparations for the new season by beating the Italian side Bologna twice in back-to-back hour-long games. Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane, and Takumi Minamino scored the goals across the two fixtures, while Divock Origi missed a penalty.
Jurgen Klopp named most of what is expected to be his first team this season for the first friendly. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson started as the full-backs while Virgil Van Dijk partnered with Joel Matip in central defence. The midfield trio of James Milner-Naby Keita-Harvey Elliott provided support to Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane.
Jota scored the opening goal with just seven minutes on the clock. The Portugal international intercepted a loose ball by Bologna’s Kevin Bonifazi, skipped past the defender and calmly finished past the goalkeeper, Lukasz Skorupski. A similar wayward pass by Emiliano Vignato seven minutes later was pounced upon by Mane, who rounded the goalkeeper and managed to stay on his feet to tap the ball into the empty net.
Klopp named Alisson in goal for the second game, along with a defence of Neco Williams, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, and Kostas Tsimikas. Fabinho, who recently penned a new deal at Anfield, anchored the midfield alongside Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Roberto Firmino started in the attack, flanked on either side by Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri.
Once again, Liverpool scored with fourteen minutes on the clock. Minamino’s well-timed run was spotted by Shaqiri, who lifted the ball over the Bologna defence and straight into the feet of the forward. The Japan international hit a fine shot at the first time of asking and the ball nestled in the corner of the net.
Despite Origi’s late penalty miss, Liverpool managed to win their second consecutive game against Bologna. They play Athletic Club and Osasuna at Anfield next.
