⚡ Story of: LEÃO PUNISHES LIVERPOOL
🎯 Rafael Leão burst past the Liverpool backline and rifled a powerful shot past Alisson, handing AC Milan the opening goal in style.
📍 Match Overview
- Event: Hong Kong Football Festival 2025
- Venue: Kai Tak Sports Park, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Kick-off Time: 12:30 pm BST / 7:30 am ET / 5:00 pm local time (myKhel, South China Morning Post)
⚽ Final Score
Liverpool 1–1 AC Milan at halftime—and remained level as the first friendly concluded. (Outlook India, South China Morning Post)
🥅 Key Moments
- Rafael Leão (AC Milan): Put the visitors ahead in the 10th minute with a powerful strike after breaking Liverpool’s defense, assisted by Christian Pulisic. (Outlook India, OneFootball)
- Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool): Equalised in the 26th minute, neatly finishing Liverpool’s early pressure. (Outlook India)
👥 Starting Line-Ups
Liverpool (3–4–3): Alisson; Gravenberch, van Dijk, Robertson; Stephenson, Szoboszlai, Morton, Ngumoha; Salah, Wirtz, Elliott. Subs included Mamardashvili, Woodman, Frimpong, Kerkez, Doak, Jones, Nyoni, Gakpo. (AC Milan, Liverpool FC, Yahoo Sports)
AC Milan (3–5–2): Maignan; Tomori, Thiaw, Pavlović; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Ricci, Loftus‑Cheek, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leão. Subs included Torriani, Estupiñan, Chukwueze, Musah, Jiménez, Colombo, Okafor. (AC Milan)
Notable absentees from Liverpool: Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz were not included in the squad. (Yahoo Sports)
🔍 Context & Manager Notes
- The match was Liverpool’s second behind closed doors tune-up in Asia, following wins over Preston North End and Stoke City. (SempreMilan)
- AC Milan came into the game off a 1–0 defeat by Arsenal in Singapore earlier in the week. (SempreMilan)
- Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk praised the smooth integration of new signings like Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez, highlighting their readiness and group spirit. (Talksport)
🌟 Noteworthy Highlights
- Florian Wirtz made his first public appearance for Liverpool since joining from Bayer Leverkusen. (Talksport)
- The match featured a moving tribute to the late Diogo Jota, with fans in Hong Kong holding up cards and banners in his memory. (South China Morning Post)
🧾 Key Takeaways
- A balanced 1–1 draw sets up a competitive tone for both sides as they ease into the season.
- Rafael Leão’s opener and Szoboszlai’s response offered glimpses of quality from both teams.
- The absence of players like Núñez and Díaz may reflect Arsenal transfer speculation or early rotation.
- Liverpool’s summer signings are already being woven into the starting XI, showing ambition to build around them.
Let me know if you’d like insights into tactical play, substitutes used, or upcoming fixtures—like Liverpool’s next game vs Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.
