Florian Wirtz demonstrated his growing influence at Liverpool with a standout performance in the club’s final pre-season fixture in Asia, as the Reds secured a comeback victory over Yokohama F. Marinos at the Nissan Stadium. The German midfielder, who only recently joined the Merseyside club from Bayer Leverkusen, was instrumental in turning the game around after Liverpool had fallen behind early in the second half.
Hugo Ekitike may have drawn a blank on his first appearance for Liverpool but fellow new signings Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong were both directly involved in goals before youngster Rio Ngumoha put the seal on a 3-1 victory over Yokohama F. Marinos in Wednesday's friendly in Japan.
Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for Liverpool since completing a £116 million ($156m) British record transfer from Bayer Leverkusen this summer. He opened the scoring for the Reds in a comfortable 3-1 victory over J1 League side Yokohama F Marinos in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday. Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha were the other scorers for the English side.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has revealed why he wanted to sign Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford on loan this summer. The German also delivered his verdict on ex-United star Jesse Lingard ahead of Barca's pre-season friendly clash with FC Seoul.
After missing the friendly against Celtic, Jorrel Hato was once again left out of the Ajax squad for their match against Como, amid speculations that the Dutch defender could join Chelsea this summer. The Blues have been in taks with the Eridivisie side since the beginning of July and are now reportedly closing in on securing the 19-year-old's transfer.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was full of praise for teenage sensation Max Dowman after the 15-year-old delivered a standout display in a pre-season win over Newcastle. Dowman won a penalty and impressed with his pace and confidence, leaving fans and coaches stunned. Arteta labelled the youngster’s impact as 'special' after a strong outing at the Singapore National Stadium.
Barcelona completed the loan move for Marcus Rashford from Manchester United earlier this week, and the England winger has already made his debut for Hansi Flick's side. Rashford came on as a substitute in the Catalan side's 3-1 win over Vissel Kobe in Japan, and the 27-year-old loanee has received loads of love from cules for his strong showing off the ball.
Arsenal dealt with a huge injury blow as Riccardo Calafiori limped off the pitch at the start of the second half against Newcastle United. The Italian defender was sidelined with multiple injuries in the 2024-25 campaign now even before the new started, he picked up yet another knock. Despite Calafiori's injury scare, the Gunners registered a 3-2 win.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim admitted that club captain Bruno Fernandes loses his temper quite often on the pitch which in turn affects his focus on the match. Amorim shared an advice for compatriot on what to do on the field. Fernandes was on fire during the club's first pre-season friendly in the US tour as his brace helped United pip West Ham 2-1.
Manchester United's marquee signing had plenty of good moments alongside the club's biggest star in a 2-1 win over West Ham to kickstart the Premier League Summer Series.
Rafael Leao paid a touching tribute to compatriot and Liverpool star Diogo Jota, who, along with his brother Andre Silva tragically past away on July 3 in a car crash in Spain. Leao scored an outrageous goal in the pre-season friendly between AC Milan and the Reds in Hong Kong and then gestured 20 with his hand to indicate Jota's jersey number at Anfield.
Liverpool forwards Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz have been left out of the matchday squad for the Reds' pre-season friendly against AC Milan on Saturday. Both Diaz and Nunez have been strongly linked with a move away from Anfield this summer. Napoli are keen on securing the Uruguayan's signature, while Bayern Munich remain interested in the Colombian winger.
Jorrel Hato was left out of Ajax squad for their friendly against Celtic as Chelsea ramp up their pursuit of the Dutch defender. As talks between the Premier League club and the Amsterdam side continue, Hato’s exclusion has been interpreted as a sign that Ajax may be coming to terms with the likelihood of his departure.
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