Liverpool star Szoboszlai justifies transfer as Reds narrowly avoid upset

Liverpool newcomers Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister were given one half each on Wednesday, with Jurgen Klopp handing out non-competitive debuts to both summer signings. The Reds almost landed themselves in a spot of bother against German second-tier side Karlsruher, however, as three second-half goals prevented what would have been an embarrassing defeat. With the dust settling, Express Sport takes you through four things we learned from the pre-season encounter…

Reds narrowly avoid upset

It was shaping up to be a stroll in the park for Liverpool when Darwin Nunez fired them ahead with barely two minutes on the clock, but a first-half thunderbolt from Lars Stindl slammed off the underside of the crossbar and levelled up the scores.

Sebastian Jung put the underdogs ahead after the break, and while Cody Gakpo equalised from close range with just over 20 minutes to play, it took until second-half stoppage time for Diogo Jota to pop up with two last-gasp goals and seal the win.

Although the result will go down as a positive one, there is no doubt that Klopp will have wanted a more emphatic display from his players, even if three, in particular, stood out…

Szboszlai shows why Reds splashed out

All eyes were on £60million man Szoboszlai when he was named in the starting XI on Wednesday. The Hungarian is no stranger to playing in Germany, having arrived from RB Leipzig after two years in the Bundesliga.

Although the Reds’ performance was disjointed on the whole, Szoboszlai treated fans to a series of nice touches, sharp turns and perfectly-played long balls. Featuring on the left side of a midfield three before switching over to the right, the 22-year-old certainly showed enough to spark an excited reaction from Liverpool fans on social media.

Nunez ready to hit ground running

A return of nine Premier League goals will be lower than Darwin Nunez had hoped for in his debut season after completing an £85m move from Benfica. Against Karlsruher, the Uruguayan played like a competitor keen to prove their worth and ready to hit the ground running once the competitive campaign gets underway.

Nunez didn’t take long to get off the mark in Germany, netting inside three minutes after a one-two with Mohamed Salah inside the penalty area. Tight touches, aggression and a sharp turn of pace were also evident during the first half, and the Reds’ frontline was worse off when he was withdrawn at the interval.