Liverpool came from behind to secure their third pre-season friendly win of the summer on Wednesday, beating Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos 3–1 as Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for the club.
Despite Tsunami warnings across Japan, Wednesday’s friendly was unaffected as Liverpool sought to recover from the weekend’s surprise 4–2 defeat to Milan in Hong Kong. The Reds made an encouraging start to the encounter and almost found themselves ahead in the eighth minute as Cody Gakpo bent an effort onto the post.
But the Premier League champions struggled to build any significant momentum in the final third despite their territorial dominance, while also looking vulnerable on the counter-attack—as they were against Milan. Marinos forced Giorgi Mamardashvili into his first save of the day just before the break through Jun Amano’s header as the Japanese side grew in confidence.
Liverpool struggled with the quality of the pitch at the Nissan Stadium but Marinos had no such issues on home soil. Asahi Uenaka should have fired his side ahead just moments after the break but inexplicably redirected his header wide of Mamardashvili’s goal, while Dean David had the ball in the net several minutes later only to be denied by a correct offside call.
The flag couldn’t save Liverpool in the 55th minute, however. Having witnessed Darwin Núñez slice a volley wide at the other end, the Reds then watched Uenaka open the scoring as he slid the ball beyond Mamardashvili from close range following a sumptuous pass from Ren Kato.
Frustration turned to ecstasy for those of a Liverpool persuasion just after the hour mark as Wirtz provided a much-needed equaliser. Curtis Jones was at the heart of a quick breakaway for the Reds and the Englishman got a touch on Salah’s pass to redirect the ball towards the German midfielder, who fired home effortlessly from 10 yards.
Liverpool turned the game on its head within six second-half minutes as 18-year-old Trey Nyoni completed the comeback. Another summer recruit was instrumental in the strike, with Jeremie Frimpong delivering an inch-perfect cross to the far post that the young midfielder poked into an empty net.
16-year-old Rio Ngumoha stole the show in the closing half-hour and eventually added a third for the Reds. Having already stung the goalkeeper’s palms, the teenager proceeded to collect the ball just inside the Marinos half, drive 30 yards up the pitch and fire into the far corner to cap a fine second-half display for Liverpool.
