Liverpool continue their preparations ahead of their 2022/23 Premier League campaign when they’ll face RB Leipzig in a club friendly at Germany on Thursday. This will be the Reds’ third pre-season game this summer, while this is the second for the Red Bulls.
Although encounters between the visitors and the hosts have come few and far between, these clubs are familiar with each other since several players (and a coach) have been with both squads in their professional careers.
While it will be a homecoming for some, it’s going to be business as usual for Liverpool and RB Leipzig since this match helps them gear up for the Community Shield and DFB Supercup Final respectively.
Liverpool to miss several players
Jurgen Klopp’s side will be undermanned for this game since six of their players are in the recovery room. It isn’t that serious, but Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Calvin Ramsay, Caoimhin Kelleher and Kaide Gordon are all going to be held out as a precaution.
Ramsay, who is one of their latest additions from Aberdeen this summer, has yet to train or suit up for the Reds this pre-season so Liverpool fans would have to wait longer for his debut.
Fellow youngsters Kelleher and Gordon are also absent in their pre-season tour as both stayed in Kirkby to continue their rehab, but Klopp is optimistic that they’ll be fit enough to rejoin the squad soon.
Becker and Oxlade-Chamberlain have both played in their tour so far. But Becker is nursing an abdominal knock, while Oxlade-Chamberlain is dealing with a muscular issue and Jota hasn’t played yet since he’s recovering from a hamstring injury that he picked up while on international duty last month.
Meanwhile, centre-back Joe Gomez was seen back in training with the rest of the squad so he’s poised to return on the pitch.
Naby Keita and Ibrahima Konate to relish Leipzig reunion
Naby Keita and Ibrahima Konate are looking forward to returning to familiar ground on Thursday as both players had their first big breaks at RB Leipzig.
Keita was a product of the Red Bull program, first playing for RB Salzburg from 2014 to 2016 before spending three more years with RB Leipzig where he helped put them on the map in the Bundesliga.
In 2018, Keita was brought in at Anfield as Liverpool paid his £48-M release clause, which was a club record deal at the time. The Guinea international has made 70 appearances for the Red Bulls.
Konate, on the other hand, came to RB Leipzig in 2017 from Sochaux where he established himself as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe. He had 94 appearances for Die Roten Bullen before moving on to Anfield in 2021.
Like Keita, Liverpool also triggered Konate’s release clause worth £36-M to secure his services. In his first season with the Reds, Konate helped them to a domestic cup double.
He is only 23 years old and he is learning a lot alongside the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, and Joe Gomez. This pre-season is crucial for Konate as he aims for more minutes at the starting XI next season.
On the other hand, Peter Gulacsi was a former Liverpool goalkeeper from 2008 to 2013 but he didn’t play much for the Reds since he was always loaned out. It is in Leipzig where the Hungarian established himself as a regular starter.
Jurgen Klopp also has shared history with both clubs since he coached Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund before heading to Anfield. He oversaw 340 Bundesliga games total and guided BVB to back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012.
Mohamed Salah and Christopher Nkunku set to entertain
Probably the main reason why this friendly between Liverpool and RB Leipzig is going to be fun to watch is because of the head-to-head matchup between two of Europe’s top goalscorers in Mohamed Salah and Christopher Nkunku.
Salah was the Premier League’s top scorer during the 2021/2022 campaign alongside Heung-Min Son (23 goals) and the SBOTOP Premier League 2022 odds are high on his chances for a repeat since he’s very much capable of creating new Premier League 2022 highlights next term.
Nkunku, meanwhile, finished fourth in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race last season with 20 goals. But he blew the opposition away to be voted Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2021/22.
Another player to look out for is Darwin Nunez, who was the Reds marquee acquisition this transfer window. The former Benfica stalwart is still settling in with his new club since he has yet to find his stride.
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