Liverpool delivered an emphatic 5-0 victory over Stoke City in a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly at the AXA Training Centre on July 20, 2025. The highlight of the match was Darwin Nunez’s first-half hat-trick, with the Uruguayan striker scoring three clinical goals inside the opening 20 minutes, signaling his intent to spearhead Liverpool’s attack in the upcoming season.

The team fielded a mix of seasoned players and emerging talent, with Florian Wirtz making his highly anticipated first non-competitive start for Liverpool in a midfield role. Alongside Wirtz were Curtis Jones and young prospect Trey Nyoni, while the defense line featured the usual names including Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, though Domink Szoboszlai was deployed unusually at right-back.

Other contributors to the scoreline included 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who netted a deflected first-half goal, and Federico Chiesa, who scored in the second half. Mohamed Salah led the attack from the start, creating opportunities and showcasing his playmaking abilities.

Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili started between the posts, with Alisson, Luis Diaz, and Alexis Mac Allister notably absent from the lineup, indicating rotational resting by manager Jürgen Klopp.

The match served as a valuable confidence booster for Nunez, especially after a challenging previous season, and provided early insight into Liverpool’s tactical preparations and squad depth ahead of their pre-season tour to Asia.

First Half XI: Mamardashvili, Szoboszlai, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Nyoni, Jones, Wirtz, Salah, Nunez, Ngumoha.
Second Half XI: Mamardashvili (subbed off at 59’ for Pecsi), Bradley, Konate, Tsimikas, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Endo, Gakpo, Frimpong, Chiesa, Doak (replaced by Stephenson at 74’).


PP