Liverpool Whip Barcelona 4-0 At Wembley

Sadio Mane, Divock Origi, Marko Grujic and a Javier Mascherano own goal saw Liverpool thrash Barcelona in a pre-season friendly at Wembley.

Mane scored for the first time in a Reds shirt and Origi grabbed an assist and a goal in the space of a minute, but Sturridge and James Milner gave Klopp a potential headache before the big Premier League kick-off. There are once again question marks over Sturridge’s fitness ahead of next week’s opener at Arsenal after the England striker missed out with what the club explained was a slight hip injury.

Nevertheless, the Anfield boss would have been hugely encouraged by his side’s display against Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and others. Suarez was facing his old club for the first time since moving to the Spanish giants having scored 82 goals in 133 appearances during three-and-a-half memorable years with the Reds. 

The Uruguayan was cheered by Liverpool’s fans and hugged his former team-mates, while the convivial atmosphere at the International Champions Cup friendly was also evident on the touchline where Klopp and opposite number Luis Enrique chatted warmly.

Klopp took in much of the action perched on an icebox, while Enrique, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, could hardly have been more casual. Mane, Liverpool’s £34million summer signing from Southampton, looked eager to impress and got off the mark thanks to a slick move after 15 minutes. Adam Lallana stole the ball from Munir on the halfway line and surged forward, playing a neat one-two with Roberto Firmino before setting up Mane to slot home.

Suarez and Messi almost combined to grab an equaliser but the latter’s finish from his strike partner’s flick cannoned back off the far post. Milner then denied Arda Turan with a last-ditch tackle and Simon Mignolet spread himself to keep out a trademark Suarez volley. After Milner had been withdrawn, Klopp introduced Jordan Henderson, Origi and Kevin Stewart at the break, and their impact was instant.

Just a minute had gone when Origi darted down the right and crossed for Henderson, who bundled the ball home with the help of former Red Javier Mascherano, who got the final touch for an own goal. And 60 seconds later Stewart, who began last season on loan with Swindon, robbed none other than Spain star Sergio Busquets before playing in Origi to roll home number three.

Meanwhile, another substitute, Serbian midfielder Marko Grujic, grabbed a superb fourth with a looping header in stoppage time to cap a commanding Liverpool display.

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Dietmar Hamann: 'Leroy Sane arrival means bad news for Raheem Sterling'

Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has claimed that Raheem Sterling's future at Manchester City could be in further doubt following the arrival of Leroy Sane.

The Germany international signed a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday morning to put an end to the long-running transfer saga.

Sane is likely to take up an attacking midfield position at City this coming season, providing direct competition for Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva and Sterling.

Hamann believes that the England man is the one under the biggest threat of losing his place in the side, having struggled to make any real impact during his first campaign at the club.

"If you look at the forward line they will probably play with one up top which will be [Sergio] Aguero. Behind you've got David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne who, when he is fit, will play," he told Sky Sports News.

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"Then I think he'll probably come up against Raheem Sterling and, I've got to say, Raheem Sterling has pretty much stalled since he went to Manchester City. He's never showed the promise he showed at Liverpool earlier in his career, so I think Sterling will be the one who needs to pick it up.

"I think he will improve under Pep Guardiola - Leroy Sane said it himself - the biggest pull for him to come to Manchester City was to work with a manager who he knows will improve him."

Sane is City's third signing of the Guardiola era, with Nolito and Ilkay Gundogan also joining this summer.

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Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino on target for Liverpool in victory over AC Milan

Liverpool picked up their first International Champions Cup victory with a 2-0 triumph over AC Milan at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium on Sunday morning.

Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino were on target for the Reds in what was a repeat of the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals.

Both Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana also had chances to add their names to the scoresheet, but neither could find a way through in California.

The Reds, who lost 1-0 to Chelsea in their ICC opener earlier this week, took time to find their passing groove at the half-full 68,500 capacity stadium.

A rather bland opening to the match soon made way for a better contest, though, as debutant Georginio Wijnaldum began to see more of the ball and fellow summer signing Sadio Mane also grew in confidence.

Origi was brought on at the break for Sturridge, and he took just 14 minutes to get off the mark after latching on to Alberto Moreno's pass and firing the ball home.

Sheyi Ojo, on for Jordan Henderson at the midway point, managed to get forward on numerous occasions and inadvertently set up the second goal when his shot deflected into the path of Firmino.

The Brazilian international slid in to double Liverpool's advantage, setting up the Premier League outfit for a strong finish to the match as they took control of things.

Origi had another goal ruled out for offside, but Milan were unable to really trouble their opponents as the Reds held out for their fifth pre-season win out of six.

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Taiwo Awoniyi to join Dutch side NEC Nijmegen

Liverpool young forward Taiwo Awoniyi is set for a loan move to Dutch outfit NEC Nijmegen.

Awoniyi joined the Reds last season but was sent out on a year-long loan to FSV Frankfurt

And manager Jurgen Klopp believes the 18-year-old needs more time away from the club to gain experience.

So, he is reportedly set to sign another year-long loan deal to join Dutch club NEC Nijmegen.

Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo reports that the teenager will move to the Dutch side imminently, as the Reds send another young player out on loan.

Awoniyi joined Liverpool last summer, and was immediately loaned out to FSV Frankfurt, where he only managed one goal in 14 games.

He appeared mainly as a substitute, though, and at just 18 years of age, he is a player still very much developing his game.

It is believed that another loan spell at a European club will help aid the Nigerian in securing a work permit to play for the Reds on his return.

Although a number of German clubs have shown an interest in signing Awoniyi, as well as Hajduk Split and Tondela, NEC seem to have won the race for his signature.

The fact that the Eredivisie club are managed by youth development expert Peter Dyballa may have also played a key role in Awoniyi’s decision, with Dyballa having worked with Jurgen Klopp as U19s coach during their Borussia Dortmund days.

Dyballa led NEC to a 10th-placed finish in last season’s Dutch top flight, and will be hoping to build on this in 2016/17.

Awoniyi’s imminent departure is just the latest in a string of young Liverpool players going out on loan, as Klopp looks to trim down his squad ahead of the new season.

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Cesc Fabregas shown straight red card as Chelsea defeat Liverpool in California

Chelsea have clinched a 1-0 win over Liverpool in a feisty International Champions Cup clash in California which saw Blues midfielder Cesc Fabregas sent off.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp gave starts to recent arrivals Ragnar Klavan, Sadio Mane and Loris Karius in a match which was watched by more than 53,000 inside the Pasadena Rose Bowl, the stadium which hosted the 1994 World Cup final.

Antonio Conte's charges were dangerous early on and took the lead just 10 minutes in as Fabregas whipped a corner into a dangerous area and Gary Cahill rose above Marko Grujic to head home from 10 yards out.

Liverpool enjoyed the majority possession in the first half but rarely opened up the Chelsea defence, save for a 20-yard free kick by Philippe Coutinho in the 23rd minute which Asmir Begovic tipped over the crossbar.

The second period saw little goalmouth action as the tackles became more intense, culminating in Fabregas's studs-up lunge on Klavan 71 minutes in, which led the referee to show the Spain midfielder a straight red card.

Despite the one-man advantage, the Anfield side struggled to create a meaningful chance as the game petered out and Klopp's men suffered their first pre-season defeat of the season.

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Joel Matip Takes Cameron Brannagan's No. 32 Shirt After Arriving at Liverpool

Joel Matip Takes Cameron Brannagan's No. 32 Shirt After Arriving at Liverpool

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Done Deal: Saido Mané is a kop

Done Deal: Saido Mané is a kop

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Mario Balotelli Heading Back to Liverpool as Agent Blasts 'Lie' Linking Forward With Besiktas

Mario Balotelli Heading Back to Liverpool as Agent Blasts 'Lie' Linking Forward With Besiktas

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Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho will reportedly face no further punishment from UEFA in relation to the doping charges that have seen him suspended for the last 30 days.

UEFA handed out a 30-day suspension while they investigated the reasons for Sakho’s failed drugs testfollowing Liverpool’s Europa League clash with Manchester United in March.

However, according to L’Equipe, the centre-back will have no further punishment and could still be included in the France squad for Euro 2016.

The exact nature of the drug has still not been confirmed, but it is understood that the centre-back took a banned fat burner in order to drop some weight.

There were initial suggestions that the Frenchman could face a suspension ranging anywhere between six and 12 months.

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Skrtel '90 per cent certain' to leave Liverpool

Martin Skrtel is '90 per cent certain' to leave Liverpool, according to his agent Karol Csonto.

Skrtel made just 18 appearances after the arrival of Jurgen Klopp as manager in October with many of those coming when the German opted to rest several first-team regulars during the club's run to the UEFA Europa League final.

The Slovakia international is interesting Turkish champions Besiktas, but Csonto admitted a deal was not yet done.

He told Slovakian TV station Markiza: "Besiktas is one of those interested in Martin but we're haven't reached a point where I can confirm Martin is going there, or anywhere else.

"I can say that it is 90 per cent certain Martin will leave Liverpool, but it is far from closed."

Skrtel moved to Anfield from Zenit St Petersburg in 2008.

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Ibe secures draw for Liverpool against West Brom

Liverpool clearly had their minds on Wednesday’s Europa League final but West Brom were still unable to end their Premier League campaign with a win as they drew 1-1 at The Hawthorns.

Jurgen Klopp perhaps gave an indication of what his starting line-up will be in Basle against Sevilla by making 11 changes, with star performers such as Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge not even on the bench.

A disjointed Liverpool team made a lacklustre start in the west Midlands and fell behind after 13 minutes. Joe Allen, perhaps the only man on duty on Sunday with any hopes of being involved in the forthcoming European showpiece, did his slim chances little good by giving the ball away midway inside his own half to Jonathan Leko.

The teenager weaved his way between three Liverpool defenders before slipping a pass down the right-hand side of the penalty area to Salomon Rondon who beat goalkeeper Adam Bogdan at his near post with a low shot.

It was a great individual run by Leko but an an even better solo effort from Jordon Ibe brought Liverpool level midway through the first half.

Ibe dummied the ball on the halfway line and embarked on a run down the right-hand touchline. In the absence of any meaningful challenge, he drifted infield, inside the penalty area and sent a left-foot shot into the far corner of the net.

The two goals were the only noteworthy attempts of a largely forgettable first half which had a typical end-of-season feel to it. Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster made a straightforward save from a tame Sheyi Ojo shot while Allen and Kevin Stewart were way off target with long-range efforts.

The second half offered marginally more in the way of goalmouth action, mainly at the Liverpool end and primarily involving Rondon.

The Venezuela international striker almost restored West Brom’s lead immediately after the break. His glancing header from Craig Gardner’s free-kick struck the inside of a post and he put the rebound over the crossbar from a tight angle.

Either side of the hour mark Rondon then glanced another header wide, this time from a driven Craig Dawson cross, and then saw a shot, after initially mis-controlling the ball, diverted wide by the fingertips of Bogdan.

In between came a couple of notable moments for Liverpool as Danny Ings made his long-awaited return from the cruciate knee ligament injury he suffered in Klopp’s first training session in October.

Jordan Henderson was also introduced from the bench, returning from the knee ligament problem he sustained last month, and possibly putting himself in the frame for inclusion in Basle on Wednesday evening.

West Brom applied some pressure late in the game but never really looked like making the breakthrough that would have ended their eight-game winless run and brought the three points which would have seen them surpass last season’s points tally of 44.

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Suarez admits Tevez helped inspire his move to Liverpool

Luis Suarez has revealed he was inspired to move to the Premier League and join Liverpool five years ago by the performances of Carlos Tevez.

Liverpool signed Suarez from Ajax for £22.7million in January 2011, and the forward went on to become a star at Anfield, before joining Barcelona three years later.

And the 29-year-old says Tevez, who scored 84 goals in the Premier League for West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City, proved that he would be able to cope with the physicality of English football.

“When I was playing at Ajax, it was Carlitos Tevez who inspired me to try to play in the Premier League,” he told ESPN.

“I would watch him and I would think, ‘If Carlitos can do that, why can’t I? He is tiny against all those defenders.'”

Since moving to Barcelona, Suarez has scored 81 goals in all competitions and is currently on the brink of beating Cristiano Ronaldo to the Pichichi Trophy, awarded to the top scorer in La Liga at the end of every season.

The Uruguay international is currently four goals ahead of the Real Madrid star with one match remaining of the current campaign, and heaped praise on his Barcelona team-mates for his form.

“The entire team deserves the credit for my streak,” he said. “Now my team-mates look for me because they know I am in the running.

“Leo [Messi] and Ney[mar] give me the penalty kicks. That shows that the team sees what I am capable of over these last few games and they want me to score.”

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Liverpool target Caner Erkin secretly undergoes Inter Milan medical

Fenerbahce left-back Caner Erkin has been linked with a move away from Turkey this summer.

The Turkish left-back is out of contract in the summer and there are plenty of clubs looking to snap him up on a free transfer.

Recently it was reported that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is an admirer of the Fenerbahce defender and was looking to sign him on a free this summer.

Liverpool are lacking depth and experience in the left-back position and Erkin would have been a good addition alongside Alberto Moreno. The Spaniard has been very good going forward, but his defensive performances have not quite been up to the mark so far.

The Italian media are now reporting that Caner Erkin is heading to the Serie A and has already undergone a secret medical with Italian giants Inter Milan.

Liverpool will not have to look elsewhere for another left back. Klopp is eyeing up a move for the German international Hector as well.

Liverpool have got considerable depth going forward, but the Reds need to add a few defenders this summer in order to challenge on all front next season.

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