What's the next step for Liverpool and Crystal Palace

July 25, 2022

Liverpool started their preparations for the new season with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in Singapore.

Jurgen Klopp's team were beaten by Manchester United in the first of their campaign. However, they responded well to Tuesday's 4-0 loss in Bangkok. Jordan Henderson's early goal gave them the lead at half-time.

Liverpool saw Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, who had suffered a hamstring injury, leave the game just before the break. They made 11 changes at half-time including the introduction of Mohamed Salah, and Darwin Nunez, a new signing.

Salah was quick to join the fray, as his deflected shot beat Vicente Guaita and sealed what was ultimately a comfortable win against Premier League opposition.

Liverpool began brightly and held possession brilliantly during the first stages of the game.

Palace was the one to make the first attempt on target, as Odsonne Edouard rose at the corner's highest, but Adrian was able to snatch his header out of the air.

Curtis Jones forced Guaita to make a smart block, before Liverpool took control.

Harvey Elliott's cutback found Henderson in the penalty area. The England midfielder then swept the ball into a far corner for the Reds first goal of preseason.

Roberto Firmino then swung wide, and Elliott missed a golden chance with Guaita remaining to beat. Liverpool tried to extend their lead, but it was short-lived when Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

Liverpool made 11 changes during the break, including Salah's introduction, and the Egyptian immediately got into the action.

Salah cut in from the right flank and took a left-footed shot off Joachim Andersen. Guaita was wrong-footed, but he got a hold of the ball.

Nunez nearly added Liverpool's third goal a few minutes later. But, after being picked up by Salah’s cut-back Guaita snuffed the striker’s shot away as he waited for his first goal for his new club.

Substitutions continued disrupting the rhythm of the second period, but Liverpool looked more likely to score.

Guaita was the busier of both goalkeepers. He denied Fabio Carvalho and then he stopped Virgil van Dijk from scoring a powerful header to keep it respectable.

"We played really good football."

Liverpoolboss Jurgen Klipp the positives of the match:

"The way we played football, even if you don't see the result and only read it, was good. We lost 4-0 to United because we made the wrong mistakes at the wrong times. Football mistakes are likely to lead to goals, or at the very least, to chances. It all depends on where you make them. You can still resolve it by defending. We were open to these moments and the mistakes we made in our match against United weren't difficult to fix.

"We were more compact today. We played some good football against United, however. We scored twice, something we didn't manage to do. It was a step in the right direction, and it made me very happy. We have four weeks to prepare for the second game. We have Premier League games, but we must use them because we won't have any time to train from September onwards. We only play there every three days.

"That's why we need to get through these kinds of things. Some players were allowed 45 minutes, which was fine for them. Others had 30 minutes. Although they might have been able to play for a bit longer, I wanted to give these young boys the chance to enjoy this amazing atmosphere. They do everything with us, are always with us, and when it's really fun to play football like this, we wouldn't leave them out. They came on because I didn't want that. So far, so OK."

"The goal is not the priority"

Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic:

It was a good pre-season game. We lost in the end, but it was important to remember that we had an intense, good game, with lots of running and plenty of opportunities to try things.

"In the end these games are not about the outcome. We still have two more games to play on this tour. We're excited about that.

"We brought many children with us and they had a wonderful experience. To be able to play against the best clubs in the world and to prove that they can play at this level of football.

"You have to always take positives out of games, and that is what I do."

Analysis by Sky Sports' Richard Morgan

"Job done for both sides in the heat of Singapore as they prepare for the new season. Liverpool responded well to Tuesday's 4-0 defeat against Man Utd by putting on a polished performance.

"As it is at this stage in pre-season, it's all about getting the players some exercise. Klopp made 11 changes at the break and then another half an hour later, making a total of ten more.

"The only negatives for the German would be Oxlade-Chamberlain's muscle injury, which he limped off shortly before the break. Also, Nunez, the club-record signing, was scoreless.

"But, the Uruguay striker who was brought on at half-time did look dangerous, and it's not too long before he opens his Reds account.

"Palace however, had a very different team, and it showed at times. However, there were enough promising attacking moments to encourage Patrick Vieira for the next campaign."