AC Milan stun Liverpool 4-2 in Far East friendly thriller
In a high-octane exhibition clash in Hong Kong, two European heavyweights — Liverpool and AC Milan — treated fans to a six-goal spectacle as part of their preseason tour of the Far East.
It was a showcase of attacking flair and defensive lapses, with both sides carving out chances regularly. In truth, the scoreline could’ve easily reached double digits.
Rafael Leão opened the scoring for Milan just ten minutes in, bursting down the left flank and coolly slotting past Alisson Becker. But Dominik Szoboszlai responded with class, curling in a sublime effort from the edge of the box in the 26th minute to level for Liverpool.
The second half belonged to the Italians. Ruben Loftus-Cheek smashed home after a precise assist from Leão in the 52nd minute. Soon after, Alexis Saelemaekers and Noah Okafor combined to mirror the earlier goal, making it 3-1 and leaving Liverpool chasing shadows.
In stoppage time, Cody Gakpo gave the Reds a glimmer of hope with a well-placed header following a cross from Ibrahima Konaté. But a costly error from Kostas Tsimikas allowed Okafor to tap into an empty net just seconds later, sealing a memorable 4-2 win for the Rossoneri.
Preseason Friendly – Hong Kong
Liverpool 2–4 AC Milan (HT: 1–1)
Goals:
Rafael Leão 10’ (0–1), Dominik Szoboszlai 26’ (1–1), Ruben Loftus-Cheek 52’ (1–2), Noah Okafor 60’ (1–3), Cody Gakpo 90+3’ (2–3), Noah Okafor 90+4’ (2–4)
