Young talent Ngumoha (middle) attracted attention with a brilliant performance
Ngumoha shines, young strikers play explosively
Liverpool kicked off their pre-season at home with a double friendly against Athletic Club, bringing home two convincing wins (4-1 and 3-2) and a series of positive signals from all lines.
Most notably, 16-year-old talent Rio Ngumoha, new signing Hugo Ekitike and striker Cody Gakpo have emerged – names that have helped shape the new attacking look for The Reds under coach Arne Slot.
In the first match of the afternoon, coach Arne Slot gave a chance to the young players and reserves. In the 2nd minute, Rio Ngumoha - a name that has been attracting attention since the beginning of the pre-season - made a solo breakthrough from the middle of the field and then finished beautifully to open the score.
Not stopping there, he continued to make his mark with an accurate header and pass for Darwin Núñez to finish close to the goal, raising the score to 2-0.
Ben Doak and Harvey Elliott added two more goals to make it 4-0 before Athletic equalised through a header from Gorka Guruzeta. With a 4-1 win, Liverpool's young squad showed considerable potential and depth.
Gakpo scores twice in win over Athletic Bilbao
Ekitike impressive debut, Gakpo scored twice
An hour later, in the second match, coach Slot fielded a squad that included many key players and new recruits such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike.
After just 14 minutes, Ekitike left his mark with a fast dribble and a cross for Mohamed Salah to accurately finish and open the score.
Athletic equalised from a set-piece when Oihan Sancet capitalised on a scramble in the box. However, Liverpool quickly regained the lead when Cody Gakpo was on hand to tap in a rebound after a long-range shot was parried by goalkeeper Unai Simón.
An own goal cost Gakpo a point, but he made amends with a low, tricky finish in the 70th minute, sealing a 3-2 victory for Liverpool. Salah then missed the chance to extend the lead when he missed a penalty at the end of the match.
Coach Arne Slot: Potential attack, defense needs improvement
Speaking after the match, coach Arne Slot was pleased: "We created a lot of chances and scored seven goals in two games - that's very positive. Especially in the first half of the second game, we could have scored more goals."
However, he also pointed out areas that need improvement, especially the ability to defend in set pieces – where Liverpool conceded twice in the second match.
“Crystal Palace – our opponents in the Community Shield – are a very strong team at set pieces. That’s definitely something we need to focus on this week.”
Looking forward to the new season: Opportunities for the next generation
The absence of a series of key players such as Van Dijk (sick), Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley (injured), or goalkeeper Alisson Becker (absent due to personal reasons), did not reduce Liverpool's attacking power. On the contrary, the brilliance of young players and rookies has helped coach Slot have more quality options for the new season.
In particular, the performance of Rio Ngumoha – a 16-year-old player with incredible speed, technique and confidence – is opening up a “new phenomenon” in Liverpool's attack.
Seven goals, two wins, a host of new faces to shine – Liverpool have sent a positive message from Anfield. With Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike and the young stars all on the pitch, fans have reason to be hopeful about a transitional but promising season.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/hien-tuong-tuoi-16-va-tran-giao-huu-kep-lam-thay-doi-anh-nhin-o-liverpool-158869.html
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