Merseyside | Liverpool round off pre-season tour with a win

Yokohama F. Marinos 1 - 3 Liverpool

Florian Wirtz opened his Liverpool account as Arne Slot’s side rounded off their pre-season tour of Asia with a 3-1 victory over Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.

Author | William G

Stadium | Nissan Stadium

The Premier League champions, featuring a debut for Hugo Ekitike and a first pre-season appearance for Alexis Mac Allister, grew into the game after a relatively subdued start.

Teenager Trey Nyoni gave Liverpool the lead before Rio Ngumoha sealed the win late on, with more than 67,000 supporters watching at the Nissan Stadium.

Liverpool controlled much of the first half but lacked a clinical edge. Cody Gakpo struck the post following a surging run from Conor Bradley, and Wirtz had a shot deflected wide. Mohamed Salah, predictably at the heart of the Reds' attacking moves, clipped a superb ball over the top to Gakpo, whose effort was smothered by a defender.

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A sweeping Salah switch found Dominik Szoboszlai’s run, but the midfielder failed to round the goalkeeper, while Ekitike saw a clever flick kept out by Il-Gyu Park. Giorgi Mamardashvili was called into action to deny Jun Amano’s goal-bound header just before half-time.

Darwin Núñez replaced Ekitike after the interval and wasted Liverpool’s first chance of the second half with a miscued volley. Moments later, Yokohama struck as Ren Kato’s precise pass set up Ueneka for a composed finish.

Japan captain Wataru Endo received a rousing reception when introduced, and Liverpool were soon level. Curtis Jones regained possession and combined with Salah, whose return ball was met by Wirtz, calmly slotting home.

Nyoni then acrobatically converted Jeremie Frimpong’s cross, before Ngumoha added a third, breaking forward and finishing low to round off an encouraging performance.

Trey Nyoni takes his chance

Trey Nyoni may not yet generate the same level of conversation as some of his peers in Liverpool’s academy, but the 18-year-old midfielder is undoubtedly a talent worth watching.

He finished his goal with composure against Yokohama and was a regular presence in dangerous areas throughout the match. It is understood that Arne Slot holds him in high regard.

Having featured several times for the senior side last season, this could be a pivotal year in Nyoni’s development. His performances in training have caught the eye, and he is already playing a significant role within the first-team setup.