Liverpool beat Mainz 1-0 in their first full pre-season game thanks to an own goal close to the end. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain had the best chance in the first half but his effort was well saved by keeper Robin Zentner. Jurgen Klopp changed his whole team in the second half at the Goldberg stadium. Mainz had chances of their own in the second half with keeper Adrian making a good save from a Dominik Wanner volley. In the 87th minute, Mainz defender failed to sort his feet out and put Owen Beck’s cross into his own net.
First-half team: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Matip, Tsimikas, Milner, Keita, Elliott, Mane, Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Second-half team: Adrian, Williams, Phillips, Koumetio, Beck, Clarkson, Morton, Gordon, Jones, Minamimo, Origi
Ibrahima Konate made his first full game debut alongside Alexander-Arnold, Matip, and Tsimikas. Mainz are two weeks ahead in pre-season training as compared to the Bundesliga outfit. They will play their next pre-season game against Hertha Berlin.
Managers Reaction
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: “I am happy about a lot of situations I saw. In the first half, I saw some really good football, we passed the ball quite quickly against a well-organized side, a good defending side. It was far away from being perfect, but it is absolutely OK.” Klopp said after Liverpool beat Mainz. “Organisation-wise it’s not even close to where we have to be, but how is that? When you are tired you try to bring the best organization possible on the pitch, it’s never about 100 percent. I think the boys did that today, and so I am happy.”
“Nobody injured, which is important, everybody came through, so fine,” he added. “We prepare for a full season, not a pre-season game. I will not risk it for a game here. We have a lot of games still coming, but I don’t see them being involved for the next one.”
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