Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool played two 30 minute games against FC Wacker Innsbruck and VfB Stuttgart and both ended 1-1 on Tuesday.
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Liverpool started their pre-season fixture schedule in an unusual fashion, playing back-to-back 1-1 draws in two 30-minute matches against FC Wacker Innsbruck and VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday. Their manager, Jurgen Klopp, seemed satisfied with what he saw and was more pleased with his side’s “wild pressing” in their opening pre-season friendlies. The Reds are currently in Austria for a training camp and played with two different teams in both these matches on Tuesday. Divock Origi’s penalty gave Liverpool the lead in the first fixture against Innsbruck before Ronivaldo’s header secured a draw for the Austrians.
In the other match, Liverpool came from a goal down against Stuttgart as Sadio Mane’s strike cancelled out Philipp Forster’s goal. Defender Ibrahima Konate made his debut in this game. Later, Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com, “It was a workout and it was good. Physically it was all that we wanted to see, we had to do it and it was an important test for that. From a football point of view, obviously a lot of space for improvement; I saw a lot of wild pressing.”
Jurgen Klopp added, “We wanted a wild press, we had a little competition between the two teams to see who wins the ball back more and how many counter-presses we have. We’ll have to think about the prize that the team will win! First game was obviously a very young team, Innsbruck did well and were obviously in a better moment than we are because they start next week with the league and we started last week with pre-season, so it’s different.”
“But the kids did well in all the situations, they lost a little bit of organisation here and there, that’s how it is. The second game was a tough test, Stuttgart are a really good team. We started really well and then conceded a goal. Then we came more and more in the game again and scored a really nice goal. I’m really happy about it, it’s all good. I saw what I expected to see, actually – it would be strange if I was standing here and saying, ‘My god, I didn’t know we can play this kind of football’ but I am fine with it and now we keep working.”
Centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez were still not fit enough to feature for the Reds after returning from long-term injuries. When asked whether they could figure on Friday against Mainz, Jurgen Klopp added, “It would be a surprise, to me as well. They have looked really good in training and yesterday was the first day where they did very complex things, usually it is either offensive or defensive and stuff like this. We have to get there, step by step, but I don’t expect them for Friday.”
Jurgen Klopp also opened up on players operating in new positions in both these games. “I don’t think Harvey had ever played that position for us, but looked good. Ox you could see in the first few minutes immediately that it is an option, definitely. We will see how that goes on. Ibou did really well and that’s what we expected, he looks really good in training,” Klopp added.
“First game with all the young boys, they have really showed up in training but it is different then when you play a first team with all the kids together in the team. It is tough, but no problem – life is tough and we have to give them the opportunity to get tested in these kind of games. We do that and now we carry on.”
