AC Milan Stuns Liverpool 4-2 in Shocking Friendly Upset: Player Ratings Revealed
Liverpool experienced their initial pre-season exhibition loss of the summer on Saturday, falling 4–2 to AC Milan in Hong Kong.
Prior to kickoff at Kai Tak Sports Park, there were additional heartfelt tributes to Diogo Jota following the tragic loss of the Liverpool striker, and his fellow Portuguese player Rafael Leão paid tribute to him through his goal celebration after putting Milan ahead against the flow of play with a rapid counter-attack.
Milan kept posing threats on the counter but Liverpool's control of possession finally led to the leveling goal. 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha set up Dominik Szoboszlai just within the penalty box, with the Hungarian delivering a beautiful yet unconventional strike that found its way into Mike Maignan's upper corner.
Christian Pulisic, who had provided the assist for Leão's opening goal, nearly restored Milan's advantage twice as he sent one attempt just wide before forcing a save from Alisson. Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah almost put Liverpool ahead with volleys at the opposite end, but an active first half concluded in a draw.
Liverpool implemented nine substitutions at halftime and the revamped team quickly fell behind after the break. Another clinical Milan counter penetrated the Reds' defense, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek coolly finishing Leão's delivery from short range.
The pattern repeated for Liverpool at the hour mark as they were again caught by a rapid Milan breakaway. Alexis Saelemaekers discovered plenty of room behind the advanced Milos Kerkez and located half-time replacement Noah Okafor at the penalty area's edge, with the Swiss player firing a brilliant finish past Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool kept pushing forward in search of a way back into the contest, with Ryan Gravenberch nearly cutting the gap. The Dutch midfielder struck the crossbar from distance, with his national teammate Jeremie Frimpong almost scoring his first goal for the Reds moments later.
Liverpool finally managed to score in the third minute of added time as Cody Gakpo directed a perfect header past Pietro Terracciano, but a costly miscommunication between Kostas Tsimikas and Mamardashvili shortly after allowed Okafor to add Milan's fourth goal and seal a disappointing defeat for the Reds.
Liverpool Player Ratings (4-3-3)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Player | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Alisson | 7.1 |
RB: Luca Stephenson | 6.4 |
CB: Ryan Gravenberch | 6.8 |
CB: Virgil van Dijk | 6.4 |
LB: Andy Robertson | 6.2 |
CM: Harvey Elliott | 6.7 |
CM: Tyler Morton | 6.1 |
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai | 8.0 |
RW: Mohamed Salah | 6.4 |
ST: Harvey Elliott | 6.6 |
LW: Rio Ngumoha | 7.6 |
SUB: Trey Nyoni (33' for Morton) | 6.5 |
SUB: Giorgi Mamardashvili (46' for Alisson) | 6.0 |
SUB: Conor Bradley (46' for Stephenson) | 6.2 |
SUB: Ibrahima Konaté (46' for Van Dijk) | 7.8 |
SUB: Kostas Tsimikas (46' for Szoboszlai) | 5.8 |
SUB: Milos Kerkez (46' for Robertson) | 6.7 |
SUB: Curtis Jones (46' for Elliott) | 6.3 |
SUB: Jeremie Frimpong (46' for Salah) | 7.1 |
SUB: Ben Doak (46' for Wirtz) | 6.1 |
SUB: Cody Gakpo (46' for Ngumoha) | 7.8 |
SUB: Tyler Morton (63' for Gravenberch) | 6.1 |
Subs not used: Freddie Woodman (GK).
AC Milan Player Ratings (3-5-2)
*Player ratings provided by FotMob*
Player | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Mike Maignan | 6.6 |
CB: Fikayo Tomori | 7.0 |
CB: Malick Thiaw | 7.8 |
CB: Strahinja Pavlović | 6.9 |
RWB: Alexis Saelemaekers | 7.9 |
CM: Youssouf Fofana | 7.0 |
CM: Samuele Ricci | 7.2 |
CM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek | 8.1 |
LWB: Davide Bartesaghi | 6.7 |
ST: Christian Pulisic | 7.8 |
ST: Rafael Leão | 8.2 |
SUB: Pietro Terracciano (46' for Maignan) | 6.6 |
SUB: Noah Okafor (46' for Pulisic) | 8.3 |
SUB: Matteo Gabbia (46' for Pavlović) | 6.2 |
SUB: Yunus Musah (46' for Fofana) | 6.6 |
SUB: Samuel Chukwueze (63' for Leão) | 6.4 |
SUB: Warren Bondo (63' for Loftus-Cheek) | 6.2 |
SUB: Pervis Estupiñán (63' for Bartesaghi) | 6.2 |
SUB: Filippo Terracciano (78' for Tomori) | 5.9 |
SUB: Christian Comotto (78' for Ricci) | N/A |
SUB: Matteo Duțu (84' for Thiaw) | N/A |
SUB: Vittorio Magni (84' for Saelemaekers) | N/A |
Subs not used: Lorenzo Torriani (GK), Álex Jiménez, Mattia Liberali, Lorenzo Colombo.