Liverpool Fall Thanks To Stoppage-Time Goal

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - AUGUST 02: Virgil van Dik (4) of Liverpool scores the second goal for his team during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool and Bayern Muenchen at the National Stadium on August 02, 2023 in Singapore. (Photo by Lionel Ng/Getty Images)

Bayern Munich got a stoppage-time goal from Frans Kratzig to stun Liverpool 4-3 on Wednesday at Singapore’s National Stadium. Liverpool had a 2-0 lead in the first half but could not hold it suffering their first loss of the preseason.

First Half

Liverpool got off to a great start as Cody Gakpo converted the Reds’ first chance. He ran on to a pass from Diogo Jota, outrunning defenders and scoring inside two minutes as the Reds grabbed an early 1-0 lead.

Bayern Munich nearly equalized in the 11th minute, but they missed a header from inside the box. Virgil van Dijk was alert to attack, knocking away a dangerous attack in the 17th minute. Munich earned their 4th corner of the match a few moments later, but the chance was cleared

Alisson was called into action in the 26th minute, making a save. He started a counterattack that led to a Liverpool corner and the Reds capitalized. Andy Robertson’s cross found the head of van Dijk and he nodded the chance in the back of the net for a 2-0 lead in the 28th minute.

Bayern Munich pulled a goal back quickly. Serge Gnabry scored from close range and the goal was allowed to stand, despite Liverpool's appeals for offsides. They equalized in the 42nd minute as Gnabry squared a ball in the box for Leroy Sané who tucked away a tidy finish to make the score 2-2 at the half.

Second Half

Bayern Munich continued their strong play to start the second half, earning a pair of corners in the early going. But it was Liverpool who nearly scored off of a free kick, but Darwin Núñez put a header wide in the 50th minute. Dominik Szoboszlai forced a save in the 56th minute before the game turned physical. Gakpo was shown a yellow card and several other fouls were called.

Núñez’s tough night continued as he hit the side netting on a golden opportunity to score in the 63rd minute. The Reds got their go-ahead goal, however as Luis Diaz received the ball in the box, made a nice stepover to lose a defender and used the extra space to unleash a shot and score in the 66th minute.

Alisson came away with a big save in the 74th minute to keep his team in front. Two youngsters nearly linked up for another goal as Ben Doak skipped away from a defender and crossed the ball in the box for Bobby Clark, but the goalkeeper went low to make a save. Bayern Munich found another equalizer in the 80th minute as Josip Stanisic sent hove a rebound after Alisson had made a save. Nunez missed another opportunity for a winner in the 86th minute all leading up to Bayern Munich’s stoppage time strike.

Núñez Struggles

After scoring in the previous 3 matches, Núñez struggled in this one after coming on as a second-half substitute. He missed several golden opportunities in front of the goal as he seemed to do on occasions last season as well. The club also lost a game in which they were leading which was a much more common occurrence last year than anyone would have liked. Hopefully, this was just an aberration and not the start of a trend.

A Proper Game

In spite of the outcome, this was a quality football match. You had two evenly matched superpowers of European football going toe-to-toe for 90 minutes. You could see the quality of the players on the pitch and the match will provide Klopp with plenty of reasons to be happy and plenty of things to work on, which is exactly what you want out of a friendly like this.

Mac Allister Injured

Alexis Mac Allister suffered an injury in the final stages of the first half. Even if it is minor, he will most likely miss Liverpool’s final preseason match on August 7th to be fully ready for the Premier League opener on August 13th vs Chelsea.

LFC Globe Verdict

Jürgen Klopp wanted a test and he got one. Liverpool grabbed an early lead vs. the defending Bundesliga champions, they just couldn’t hold it. The result is disappointing, but there are plenty of positives to take away as well. From what I see today, Liverpool will have a lot of success in the Premier League.

Man Of The Match & What’s Next

What a week it’s been for Virgil van Dijk. Not only was he named the Reds’ captain, but he came up from the back to send home a header off of a corner kick. I believe if van Dijk plays a full 90 minutes today, Liverpool wins the match, but why risk injury on a pre-season club friendly?

What’s Next

Liverpool will finally play a fixture in England as they take on Darmstadt at Preston North End’s home ground due to ongoing construction at Anfield. Kickoff is set for 19:00 BST on Monday, August 7th.