Dominik Szoboszlai joined Liverpool at the start of the summer transfer window, but is still looking for his first goal since arriving from RB Leipzig, though he came close against Leicester
Dominik Szoboszlai attempted to score his first Liverpool goal with an audacious chip
Dominik Szoboszlai was denied a stunning first goal for Liverpool by Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen saving the midfielder’s audacious chip with his head.
The Reds were facing Leicester in a pre-season friendly in Singapore, the first game of their Asia tour. The Foxes proved to be no match for their Premier League opponents, with Jurgen Klopp’s men securing a 4-0 win over the Championship side.
It could have been an even bigger win for Klopp’s side if Szoboszlai’s inventive strike had payed off. The Liverpool star won the ball off Harry Winks in his own-half, shrugging the Englishman out of the way before bursting forward.
After taking one touch to move the ball beyond the halfway line, Szoboszlai looked up and chipped the ball towards goal. He was still inside the centre circle when he did so, with Hermansen outside his box.
The Leicester keeper was just able to scramble back, flinging himself in the air to head the ball behind for a corner. Szoboszlai was playing his first game since suffering an ankle injury in the Reds’ Germany training camp.
The Hungary captain played the entire second half, alongside the likes of Harvey Elliott, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo. By that point, the Reds were already three goals ahead following a barnstorming first-half performance.
They scored their opener on the half-hour mark, with Alexis Mac Allister feeding Diogo Jota inside the area. The attacker fired a shot towards goal, but Hermansen could only parry it to Darwin Nunez who slotted in.
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Szoboszlai shot from inside the centre circle in Liverpool’s hammering of Leicester (
Image:
LFCTV)
Mac Allister was involved in Liverpool’s second goal five minutes later, again linking up with Jota, who played it into Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian then fed teenager Bobby Clark, who fired in a low finish.
It was to be three after 38 minutes, when Jota sprinted into the area to meet Salah’s cross with a brilliant header. Liverpool made 10 changes at the break, with Leicester continuing to struggle to get a foothold.
That led to the fourth, with Szoboszlai’s corner being flicked on by Joel Matip before Ben Doak steered it into the net at the back post. Liverpool will next face Bayern Munich, with Jota happy with the progress his side are making.
“We wanted to build in this pre-season: the way we create from the back, the way we press. I think we had good moments [and] not-so-good moments in that first half. I think the result in the end was clearly favourable for us,” he told LFCTV.
“But we want to build on this physical side of the game and the way we can build as well. Of course we want to do a lot better than we did last season. Last season was not great so we really want to improve on that.
“That’s what pre-season is all about: to build and try to get better for the start of the season.”
