Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool steal the headlines as they administer an improbable thrashing to Barcelona in front of a packed Wembley Stadium.
Elsewhere, Connor Wickham fires a brace amidst Crystal Palace’s striker hunt. Everton stutter as they suffer defeat to Espanyol. Bournemouth remain unbeaten with another handy win, while West Brom, Stoke and Middlesbrough all draw blanks in their final friendlies before the big kick-off.
Liverpool 4 Barcelona 0
Liverpool produced a master class of high tempo pressing and passing to humble Barcelona at a sold-out Wembley.
Coach Jurgen Klopp fielded a strong side, utilising Roberto Firmino up front in the absence of Daniel Sturridge, who had a hip injury described by the club as “not serious”.
The German also used James Milner at left back, only for the former England international to limp off and be replaced by Alberto Moreno as the Reds’ lack of cover in that position was cruelly exposed.
Klopp confirmed that the prognosis for Milner was not good.
“Milly, it doesn’t look too good. We have no real idea what it is but it’s something with the heel and we have to do a scan and then we’ll know more.”
The Milner injury and a later hamstring issue for Dejan Lovren aside, it was a glorious day for Liverpool.
Emre Can sat in front of the back four, freeing Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum to support Firmino while Philippe Cotuinho and Sadio Mane worked well from the flanks.
Sadio Mane opened the scoring from a Lallana pass before his cross forced Javier Mascherano put through his own net. Substitute Divock Origi made it three from a Jordan Stewart assist and Marko Grujic headed in a Lazar Markovic cross to round off the rout.
Klopp later agreed that more new faces should be expected at Anfield before the transfer window closes.
“We already have a few injuries in positions that are not too good for us. We have the possibility to react if we need to and that’s what we will do I’m pretty sure.”
He also indicated that he has far from settled on a starting XI for Sunday’s trip to Arsenal…
“I never in my life made a decision about the line-up one week before the game because experience teaches you that everything can happen. We will have 11 very good players on the pitch against Arsenal and we will have a very strong bench, I’m really sure. But at this moment I have no idea who is where.”
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Liverpool XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Klavan, Milner (Moreno 42), Can (Henderson 46), Wijnaldum (Grujic 72), Mane (Markovic 72), Lallana (Origi 46), Coutinho (Stewart 46), Firmino (Ings 72).
Bournemouth 1 Angers 0
Marc Pugh’s early strike from a Callum Wilson assist was enough to see off Ligue 1 Angers and retain Bournemouth’s unbeaten record over the summer friendlies.
Eddie Howe’s lineup for the opening clash with Manchester United is still very much in doubt. With Harry Arter returning in this one, Junior Stanislas remains their only real injury concern heading into that contest.
With a near fully fit squad to choose from and a cast of options across all positions, it seems that we will need to allow several matches before we can be certain on his first choice XI.
Bournemouth XI: Federici; O’Kane, Jordan, Ake (Harfield 79), Daniels, Fraser (Whitfield 70), Gosling, Arter (McCarthy 86), Pugh (MacDonald 60), Grabban, Wilson (Surridge 86).
Crystal Palace 3 Valencia 1
A Connor Wickham double and a Mile Jedinak penalty earned Palace a fine win over Valencia.
Wickham opened the scoring from a Pape Souare cross and doubled his tally from the penalty spot, albeit at the second attempt, after Wilfried Zaha had been fouled.
Jedinak – linked with a move to Aston Villa earlier this week – sealed the deal when Keshi Anderson was taken down in the penalty area before the Spaniards pulled a goal back late on.
Euro 2016 trio Yohan Cabaye, Steve Mandanda and Joe Ledley only returned to training earlier in the week and failed to make the matchday squad.
Manager Alan Pardew opted to use Andros Townsend, Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha behind lone striker Wickham, whose brace was timely reminder of his talents as the club reportedly continue to pursue Christian Benteke.
Wickham is likely to retain his start, with he Palace line-up unlikely markedly for the opening day meeting with West Brom given injuries and the extended rest given to the Eagle’s Euro 16 participants.
Crystal Palace XI: Hennessey (Speroni 71), Ward (Croll 78), Dann, Delaney (Wynter 78), Souare (Kelly 61), Jedinak (Boateng 89), Puncheon (Kaikai 71), Zaha (Williams 62), Bolasie (Lee 46), Townsend (Anderson 62), Wickham (Dreher 62).
Hull City 1 Torino 2
An Abel Hernandez goal wasn’t enough to stop Hull losing their final match of pre-season. That was the Uruguayan fourth goal of the summer, providing one bright spark and a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered Tigers.
Caretaker boss Mike Phelan made only one change from the side which beat Caykur Rizespor in midweek, goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic returning to the XI.
Phelan then stuck with the same side throughout the match, suggesting his preferred (or forced) line-up for the season opener against Leicester will include either Jake Livermore or Tom Huddlestone as a stand-in centre-half, with Elmohamady filling in at right-back.
Certainly it’s looking increasingly likely that Phelan will remain in charge and his options look woefully thin on the ground.
Leicester will surely go into Saturday’s early kick-off heavily backed to begin their bid to retain the title with three points.
Hull City XI: Jakupovic; Elmohamady, Livermore, Davies, Robertson; Huddlestone, Meyler, Clucas; Snodgrass, Diomande, Hernandez.
Swansea 1 Stade Rennais 0
Substitute Jay Fulton headed the only goal of the match to hand Swansea a final pre-season win.
Fulton’s goal came from a Modou Barrow corner – his fifth assist of the summer – as new signing Fernando Llorente started and somehow contrived to hit the post from point blank range.
Euro 2016 trio Ashley Williams, heavily linked with a move to Everton, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Neil Taylor all missed out having just returned to training.
Coach Franceso Gudiolin continued to play down any talk of skipper Williams leaving the club.
“I don’t know the future but I can say that right now Ashley Williams is our player, he is training with us. He is a little bit later than others but it is normal for him. I don’t know about playing next week, it is difficult because he has only just begun to work in the last days.”
But he did confirm that a deal for striker Borja Baston is as good as done.
“I think it (Borja signing) is close, I think it is imminent. I was happy with the squad before but I am more happy now because with Fernando Llorente and Borja Baston I think we have signed two good players, two very important players.”
Federico Fernandez missed out with a groin problem, casting serious doubt on the Swans’ likely back four for the visit to Burnley on the opening day.
Swansea XI: Fabianski; Naughton, van der Hoorn, Amat, Kingsley (Rangel 69); Britton (Fulton 69), Cork; Fer, Dyer (Barrow 58), Routledge (Montero 58); Llorente (McBurnie 58).
Middlesbrough 0 Real Sociedad 0
Boro’s preparations for the season ahead ended with a second consecutive goalless draw and unresolved questions about the starting XI to face Stoke next week.
Antonio Barragan looks to have done enough to nail down a centre-back berth in the absence of the injured Daniel Ayala, ensuring that Emilio Nsue starts at right-back.
Ayala was due to resume training on Monday following an ankle injury, but the latest noises from Aitor Karanka suggest that he will miss the season opener.
New signing Bernardo Espinosa who joined from La Liga side Sporting Gijon, is also set to miss out with a knee problem but could return to training on Monday.
In attacking areas, winger Albert Adomah impressed against Sociedad as he battles with Viktor Fischer and Stewart Downing for one of the two spots out wide.
Gaston Ramirez was another who caught the eye, but Karanka would have hoped for more attacking potency as he ponders who out of Alvaro Negredo and Jordan Rhodes to play up front.
The Spaniard put in a busy 72-minute shift and still looks the most likely to lead the line on day one as things stand.
Victor Valdes re-claimed the goalkeepers jersey and would appear to top the pecking order ahead of Brad Guzan and Dimitrios Konstantopoulos.
Middlesbrough XI: Valdes (Konstantopoulos 72); Nsue, Barragan, Gibson, Friend; De Roon, Clayton (Forshaw 46); Downing (Stuani 79), Fischer (Adomah 46), Ramirez (Rhodes 79); Negredo (Nugent 72).
Everton 0 Espanyol 1
Idrissa Gueye’s debut was the highlight of an otherwise disappointing Everton showing at Goodison Park.
The Aston Villa signing excelled in a holding midfield role as Ronald Koeman reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation after previously trying out a 3-5-2 that could well be employed in key away matches this season.
Gueye did concede the penalty that decided the match, but Everton missed a spot kick of their own, Ross Barkley’s effort saved after Gerard Deulofeu was fouled.
Romelu Lukaku started up front but came off with a cut heel, an injury Koeman downplayed after the final whistle.
“There was a lot of blood on his ankle and he had three stitches. No, normally he is not a doubt (for next weekend).”
Phil Jagielka got his first 45 minutes of the summer when he came on for Ramiro Funes Mori at half time, and Koeman didn’t rule out the centre-half starting the season opener against Spurs.
“It is always difficult if you lose two or three weeks in the pre-season. But with more experienced players they really know the game, they have that kind of mentality and it is different in his situation than it is normally for a young player.”
Maarten Stekelenburg again got the nod in goal and looks like being Koeman’s number one for the season, and another 64 minutes’ pitch-time for Gareth Barry suggests the veteran will line up next to Gueye in central midfield when the season gets underway.
Barkley’s miss from the spot certainly provides an interesting discussion point. He was the designated taker, despite both Leighton Baines and Romelu Lukaku being on the pitch at the time. However, the fact that his effort means that there is still uncertainty on Koeman’s elected first choice for penalties.
Nevertheless, with doubt now surrounding Lukaku’s spot-kick duties, his stock suffers a further dent.
Everton XI: Stekelenburg, Coleman, Stones (Holgate 64), Funes Mori (Jagielka 46), Baines; Gueye (Davies 71), Barry (McCarthy 64); Deulofeu (Lennon 64), Barkley, Mirallas; Lukaku(Kone 64).
Hamburg 1 Stoke City 0
Stoke lost their final pre-season match, with a strong side struggling to impose themselves on their Bundesliga opponents.
Boss Mark Hughes reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation after experimenting with three at the back throughout much of the summer, and new signing Ramadam Sobhi looked sharp from his station on the right wing.
Glenn Whelan and Giannelli Imbula took the central midfield roles but face competition from Joe Allen, who was given just under 30 minutes with his new teammates.
Geoff Cameron started at right-back, despite suffering through illness. He filled in with both Phil Bardsley and Glenn Johnson unavailable – presumably with knocks.
Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri failed to come out for the second half, but having returned to training late after Euro 2016, the suggestion was this was nothing more than a precautionary measure.
Marko Arnautovic also missed out with a combination of back and hamstring injuries but, again, Mark Hughes has indicated that this was just as a precaution.
“Marko not travelling to Hamburg was a precaution to be perfectly honest. The plan was that he would travel but he had slight tightness in his hamstring on Friday so there was no point risking him.”
Another Euro returnee, Jonathan Walters, scored a hat-trick for Stoke’s U23 side against Rhyl.
He was joined in the team by Marc Wilson, who reportedly criticised Hughes’ training methods this week, and in particular the lack of defensive work. Whether his trip to Rhyl was punishment from Hughes remains to be seen.
Stoke City XI: Butland, Cameron (Muniesa 69), Pieters, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Whelan, Imbula (Adam 63), Shaqiri (Joselu 46), Bojan (Crouch 79), Sobhi (Allen 63), Diouf (Ngoy 87).
Watford 2 Lorient 2
A new manager, new players and a new season ahead, but it was last year’s proven strike force who came to the fore against Lorient.
Skipper Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo got the goals for the Hornets. Deeney scored from the spot following a foul on José Holebas before Ighalo doubled the advantage with a fine finish from an Etienne Capoue pass.
Coach Walter Mazzarri stuck with his preferred 3-5-2 formation, giving Euro 2016 returner Sebastian Prödl a start alongside Craig Cathcart and Miguel Britos at centre-half.
But a minor knock to Cathcart’s back led to a major reshuffle as the Hornets went 4-3-3 with a back four of Ikechi Anya, Prödl, Britos and Holebas. Record signing Isaac Success took up a position on the left wing and Ighalo on the opposite flank.
The changes didn’t hinder Watford, but a raft of substitutions as the match wore on did, allowing their French opponents to nick a draw.
Watford XI: Gomes, Cathcart (Success 25 (Sinclair 74)), Prödl, Britos, Anya (Zúñiga 82), Watson (Behrami 58), Guedioura (Doucouré 66), Capoue (Suárez 86), Holebas, Deeney (Vydra 78), Ighalo.
Mallorca 1 West Brom 0
One goal in their last three matches and two straight defeats – West Brom’s pre-season ended with a whimper and a lot of work ahead for the club’s new Chinese owner, Guochuan Lai.
Lai has promised fans a free drink and scarf each, but they and manager Tony Pulis would rather see money spent on a squad in real need of new faces.
The Baggies managed a late rally against Mallorca from which they were unlucky not to equalise – symptomatic of a pre-season to forget – with substitute Saido Berahino missing a good chance as he still awaits a deal to finally leave the club.
With Chris Brunt not expected to return from injury until September at the earliest, centre-back Jonny Evans again deputised at left-back.
First team coach Ben Garner confirmed that Evans is likely to start the campaign out of position.
“Jonny’s comfortable playing anywhere so it depends on the personnel we have going into that first game of the season. Ideally we might have one or two more in by then but if not then we’ll have to decide which way to go come that first game.”
Change off the pitch has now happened at Albion. Change on it cannot come soon enough.
West Brom XI: Foster; Dawson, McAuley (Chester 71), Wilson (Olsson 65), Evans; Yacob (Lambert 65), Fletcher; Phillips (Leko 65), Field (Morrison 55), McClean (Gardner 55); Rondon (Berahino 55).
