Liverpool started its preseason campaign with a comfortable victory by beating the True Thai Premier League All Stars 4-0 in Bangkok on Tuesday.
Challenging weather conditions aside, the contest was an encouraging run-out for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Lazar Markovic’s conversion from a narrow angle in the opening moments set the way for the Reds to assume control, and Mamadou Sakho nodded home a second before the break.
Shortly after entering the action as a substitute, Adam Lallana planted a memorable finish into the bottom corner from the left and Divock Origi completed the scoring late on.
Three new faces made their first appearances from kick-off, with Adam Bogdan, Joe Gomez and Danny Ings lining up following their summer moves to the club. The entire XI was changed at half-time, providing Nathaniel Clyne, James Milner and Origi the same opportunity to debut for Liverpool.
Markovic and Joao Carlos Teixeira were the brightest sparks at the start and the former saw a clever attempt saved when he back-heeled a cross from the right by Gomez after 90 seconds.
On three minutes, the Serb eliminated the goalkeeper entirely, gliding onto a defence-splitting Teixeira assist and rounding Warut Mekmusik to score into an empty net.
Mekmusik was helpless to prevent Sakho from doubling the lead, however, as Sakho leaped to redirect Teixeira’s corner with a strong, downward header off the post and in.
As well as 11 changes to Rodgers’ team, the interval heralded an enormous downpour and the torrential rain ensued for most of the remainder. It didn’t stop Lallana from registering a fine effort, though. Collecting a diagonal pass by new Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, the Englishman drove cleanly into the opposite corner.
It was in the closing moments that Origi deservedly found the target as he met Henderson’s corner with a precise header to clock up a fourth and send the Reds off to Brisbane in good spirits.
Thumbnail photo via LFCTour.com
