Liverpool began their pre-season tour of Asia with a disappointing 4-2 defeat to AC Milan.

Reds fans had high hopes this summer after the number of quality signings they had made and after the first half, things looked rather promising.

However, a complete collapse in the second half saw Liverpool concede another three goals and end their time in Hong Kong on a rather sour note.

Of course, this is what pre-season is for and results do not mean everything, but certain aspects of the performance can be picked out for further analysis.

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And, there is one thing in particular that would have concerned Arne Slot, with this something that will need addressing before the new season rolls around.

Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan via Getty Images

This summer has seen plenty of attacking options arrive and fans have been excited about what they could bring for the Reds in the final third.

However, this may have come at the expense of the defending as Liverpool really struggled against Milan in this department, with the Italians catching them three times on the counter-attack.

Usually, this is the other way around and Slot’s side capitalise when their opponents are on the attack, but Milan certainly caught them lacking on too many occasions.

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Rafael Leao opened the scoring and it took just three passes from defence to attack for him to find the back of the net, with the Portuguese forward impressing Liverpool fans with his finish.

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Their second and third goals were scored in a similar fashion, while the fourth was caused by a mix-up between Kostas Tsimikas and Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Overall, Liverpool may have dominated the large majority of the game but Milan capitalised in their few opportunities due to poor defending, something Slot will need to work on or else they simply will not retain their title.

Again, it is important to say that pre-season does not mean everything and the best time to hit form is right at the very end.

That being said, it is a chance to work out what areas still need reinforcements and Liverpool’s defence definitely needs some additions.

Ryan Gravenberch and Tsimikas had to fill in at centre-back at points as the Reds do not have many options to choose from.

Joe Gomez is the only recognised centre-half who did not play as he has been sent home due to an injury, while Wataru Endo, who sometimes helps out, was missing through illness.

That should be more than enough for Liverpool to realise that they need a new defender, maybe even two, suggesting their transfer window is far from over.