Karlsruher vs Liverpool LIVE! Friendly result, match stream and latest updates today
Jurgen Klopp’s side played two entirely different XIs in the first and second halves, and got off to a superb start when Darwin Nunez slotted the opening goal into the net with less than three minutes gone.
Liverpool handed debuts to new signings Domink Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister but conceded when ex-Germany midfielder Lars Stindl crashed a stunning volley off the crossbar and in.
Karlsruher took the lead after the break when Stindl played a smart pass and found right-back Sebastian Jung, who hammered past Liverpool goalkeeper VítÄzslav Jaroš.
Liverpool equalised when Diogo Jota headed down for Cody Gakpo to swivel and slam home for 2-2.
In stoppage time, Jota received the ball from Gakpo and weaved his way through the Karlsruher defence before knocking the ball coolly into the net. Within a minute he had scored again — Mac Allister winning the ball and finding Jota to score again.
Karlsruher vs Liverpool latest news
Full match report
Liverpool agree deal to sell Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia
Good night
21:47 , Jonathan Gorrie
Thanks for joining Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Liverpool’s win over Karlsruher.
Find our report and reaction below.
Klopp responds as Liverpool agree £12m fee to sell Henderson to Al-Ettifaq
21:46 , Jonathan Gorrie
Jurgen Klopp would not be drawn on Jordan Henderson’s future following Liverpool’s pre-season friendly win over Karlsruher.
The Reds captain travelled to Germany as Klopp prepares for a new season after a disappointing campaign last time out but did not feature.
Liverpool have agreed a fee of around £12m with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq for the 33-year-old, who is believed to have reached a verbal agreement over a reported £700k-per-week wage.
Liverpool agree £12m fee with Al-Ettifaq for Jordan Henderson
21:04 , Jonathan Gorrie
Liverpool have agreed a deal worth £12million plus add-ons to sell Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq.
The 33-year-old is believed to have reached a verbal agreement with the club - who are now managed by former Anfield team-mate Steven Gerrard - over a reported wage of £700,000 a week.
The Reds captain has been in Germany with the team on their pre-season tour but was left out of Jurgen Klopp’s squad to face Karlsruher in their first friendly on Wednesday.
Match report: Jota at the double as Liverpool begin pre-season schedule
19:46 , Jonathan Gorrie
Liverpool got their pre-season campaign underway with a 4-2 win away to Bundesliga 2 side Karlsruher.
In a packed stadium at the BBBild Wildpark, Jurgen Klopp’s side played two entirely different XIs in the first and second halves, and the first got off to a superb start as Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez combined for the opening goal, with Nunez tucking past the goalkeeper less than three minutes into the match.
Liverpool tested, but they pass the test
19:39 , Dom Smith
Well that was a proper test for Liverpool. It’s hard to know whether Jurgen Klopp will have wanted or expected Karlsruher to push Liverpool as hard as they did, but the Reds got the job done in the end, courtesy of two stoppage-time goals within a minute from Diogo Jota.
There was a debut for Dominik Szoboszlai and an encouragin debut off the bench for Alexis Mac Allister, who assisted the final goal in this 4-2 win.
FULL-TIME
19:28 , Dom Smith
Dramatic end to that match. A 4-2 win for Liverpool as the referee blows the final whistle immediately after Jota grabs his second of the match.
90+3 GOAL LIVERPOOL
19:28 , Dom Smith
Karlsruhe 2-4 Liverpool
Liverpool win it by two as Jota scores his second in a minute. Mac Allister wins the ball well on debut, feeds Jota, and the Portugal forward slides the ball home.
92’ GOAL LIVERPOOL
19:26 , Dom Smith
Karlsruhe 2-3 Liverpool
LIVERPOOL HAVE STOLEN IT IN STOPPAGE TIME. Jota wriggles through the defence and stabs past the goalkeeper after a cute pass from Gakpo.
Excellent goal. Surely they’ve won it.
Three minutes of added time
19:24 , Dom Smith
Karlsruhe 2-2 Liverpool
Just three minutes of stoppage time for Liverpool to play with.
88’ Great challenge
19:21 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 2-2 Liverpool
EXCELLENT sliding challenge from McConnell who snuffed out the danger as Karlsruher threatened to break away in a two-on-none counter!
80’ Koumas on for Liverpool
19:13 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 2-2 Liverpool
Just over ten minutes left for Liverpool to try and muster a winner, as Scanlon makes way for 17-year-old Lewis Koumas, son of Jason Koumas.
76’ Quality from Jota
19:10 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 2-2 Liverpool
Lovely darting run from Jota, who dribbles through the entire Karlsruher midfield and defence before the ball runs slightly away from him and he’s unable to get a shot off. Confident play from the Portuguese.
70’ GOAL LIVERPOOL
19:05 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 2-2 Liverpool
And there is the much sought-after equaliser for Liverpool. Joe Gomez crosses into the box, where Diogo Jota is there to head down into the path of the unmarked Cody Gakpo.
The Dutchman lets the ball come across his body, taking Franke out of the game, and then spins on it, firing into the corner to make it 2-2.
68’ Equaliser coming?
19:01 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 2-1 Liverpool
Liverpool are pressing pretty high and intently now — desperate to level the score in their first pre-season. Karlsruher hanging on a little bit now and just trying to get it clear. Will Klopp’s side manage to breach their defence?
61’ Liverpool dominating possession
18:55 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 2-1 Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp’s side are seeing a lot of the ball, but they’re struggling to do anything with it. They’ve got to find something soon because it would be pretty humiliating if they lost this match, even with all the youngsters and changes.
54’ Half-chance for Liverpool
18:47 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 2-1 Liverpool
Lovely chance as Gakpo puts Jota in, but the goalkeeper was out well to thwart.
50’ GOAL KARLSRUHER AHEAD
18:45 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 2-1 Liverpool
Well well well... Liverpool are behind as Sebastian Jung powers the ball home.
Stindl found him with an excellent pass, but you have to question the Liverpool defending due to quite how much space Jung had to run into and then rifle past Jaros. The Reds trail!
46’ Lots of changes
18:43 , Dom Smith
LOTS of subs.
Entirely new lineup for Liverpool in this second half.
Jaros; McConnell, Gomez, Matip, Tsimikas; Quansah, Scanlon, Mac Allister; Jota, Gakpo, Doak
An intriguing first half
18:27 , Dom Smith
Well, Liverpool were off to a flyer in their first match of the new season when Salah and Nunez combined with the latter slotting home for the opener inside three minutes.
But Karlsruher got themselves back into the tie, and they levelled in stirring fashion just before the break when club icon Lars Stindl battered in via the crossbar.
Big push needed after the break from Liverpool, who have played OK but need to kick on now, really.
HALF-TIME
18:23 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 1-1 Liverpool
Honours even at the break at the BBBank Wildpark. Nunez and Stindl with goals for either side.
48’ Free-kick wasted by Karlsruher
18:22 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 1-1 Liverpool
Free-kick in a good position for the hosts, after Heise is taken down by the Liverpool debutant Szoboszlai. But it’s a desperately disappointing effort from Wanitzek.
That was a fabulous goal
18:19 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 1-1 Liverpool
34-year-old Lars Stindl joined the Karlsruher academy at the age of 12 and came through their youth system. He won the Silver Boot as second-top scorer at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup as Germany were crowned champions, and in total he played 11 times for his country.
This summer he has returned to his boyhood club and that was a sign of the immense quality he still possesses. It was a BELTING finish, and Liverpool must now rediscover their lead.
39’ GOAL KARLSRUHER
18:14 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 1-1 Liverpool
GOODNESS ME THAT WAS A STUNNER.
Lars Stindl absolutely wallops a side-footed volley straight from a corner, which pings off the crossbar a couple of times and crosses the line. An equaliser of ridiculous quality. Wow.
36’ Corner Liverpool
18:10 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 0-1 Liverpool
Mo Salah earns a corner after his shot is blocked wide by Marcel Franke. Nothing comes of the set piece.
30’ Karlsruher settling into the match
18:04 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 0-1 Liverpool
Back underway here and the hosts are really starting to improve in this match, seeing more of the ball and managing to keep Liverpool at bay of late.
Ah...
18:00 , Dom Smith
Humorous break in play here as the sprinklers are out.
Proper pre-season stuff...
21’ Good goalkeeping
17:55 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 0-1 Liverpool
Good play from Caoimhin Kelleher who tips Lars Stindl’s deflected effort over the bar and then collects the resulting corner.
20’ Good spell of play from the German side
17:53 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 0-1 Liverpool
Karlsruher do well to work the ball away from danger in their own box, before earning a corner up the other end. Ibrahima Konato reads the situation well and heads clear.
16’ Good start from Bradley
17:50 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 0-1 Liverpool
Liverpool’s No 84 Conor Bradley is seeing a lot of the ball here. He is playing nominally as a right-back, but is tucking into midfield to receive the ball from defence too.
10’ Could and maybe should be 2-0!
17:44 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 0-1 Liverpool
Liverpool could have been 2-0 up and cruising there as Virgil van Dijk converts a header from a corner, but he is penalised for a push. Looked a little harsh.
7’ Liverpool in control
17:41 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 0-1 Liverpool
It’s just settled the nerves, that opening goal. Liverpool looking well in control in the opening stages
3’ GOAL LIVERPOOL
17:39 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher 0-1 Liverpool
WHAT A START! Liverpool ahead inside three minutes. Mo Salah starts the attack off which a lovely touch to go goal-side, before slipping in Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguayan could shoot himself, but instead plays back to Salah. The ball is behind Salah, so he passes back to Nunez, who tucks into the corner smartly. Really well-worked goal.
KICK OFF
17:35 , Dom Smith
Here we are then. Underway in Liverpool’s first match of the new season!
The players are out!
17:30 , Dom Smith
Here come the players, out of the tunnel at BBBank Wildpark.
Getting close now
17:23 , Dom Smith
Just over five minutes to go now until kick-off between Liverpool and Karlsruher in the Reds’ first pre-season friendly...
Klopp previews the match
17:15 , Dom Smith
Jurgen Klopp has been speaking ahead of the match.
“I didn’t see a boy who didn’t show up, didn’t give 100 percent,” he said about pre-season training so far.
“We worked on pretty much everything — possession, out of possession, set pieces. I would like to see a good football game — that would be nice. I hope the boys will enjoy it.
“Curtis [Jones] and Harvey [Elliott] will join us tomorrow. A couple of players will play new positions [tonight] but it’s all about how we defend together and how we attack together.”
Karlsruher hoping to cash in on summer action so far
17:06 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher finished 20 points off the play-off places in the Bundesliga 2 last season, but they could cause Liverpool problems tonight due to their fitness levels.
They have already played sixth pre-season friendlies, while this is Liverpool’s first. Will the German side be quicker across the ground, or will Liverpool fly out the blocks as they seek to make a strong start to their pre-season campaign?
Pre-season fixtures for Liverpool
16:58 , Dom Smith
Tonight’s match against Karlsruher is Liverpool’s first match in pre-season. Here are their remaining fixtures before the season starts...
July 24: Furth vs Liverpool — 12pm BST at Furth, Bavaria
July 30: Liverpool vs Leicester City — 10am BST at The National Stadium, Singapore
Aug. 2: Liverpool vs Bayern Munich — 12:30pm BST at The National Stadium, Singapore
Aug. 7: Liverpool vs Darmstadt 98 — 7pm BST at Deepdale Stadium, Preston
Luis Diaz will be desperate to get back among the goals
16:45 , Dom Smith
Luis Diaz was firing in the early part of last season, but he then missed 31 games of the season after suffering a serious injury in early October.
He will be desperate to get among the goals tonight, as he looks to rediscover his goalscoring form ahead of the coming season.
Karlsruher lineup is out
16:36 , Dom Smith
Karlsruher have named 34-year-old former Germany international Lars Stindl in their starting XI to face Liverpool. The Bundesliga 2 side finished seventh in the league last season.
Karlsruher XI: Drewes; Jung, Franke, Bormuth, Heise; Rossman, Gondorf, Wanitzek; Stindl, Schleusener, Nebel
Subs: Eisele, Weiss, Beifus, Burnic, Brosinski, Zivzivadze, Herold, Thiede, Marino, Arase, Souchard, Ersungur
Szoboszlai starts for his Liverpool debut
16:12 , Dom Smith
Jurgen Klopp has named an intriguing lineup for tonight’s friendly. Szoboszlai does indeed make his debut, while Alexis Mac Allister has been named on the bench and could come on for a debut of his own.
There are also starts for youngsters Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark.
Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Alexander-Arnold, Clark; Salah, Diaz, Szoboszlai; Nunez.
Subs: Jaros, Mrozek, Gomez, Mac Allister, Gakpo, Jota, Tsimikas, Matip, Scanlon, Doak, McConnell, Koumas, Quansah.
Liverpool joined in midfield hunt
16:05 , Dom Smith
Liverpool have the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Romeo Lavia on their shortlist as they prepare for the possibility of losing Henderson and Fabinho to the Saudi Pro League.
Another player Liverpool are very interested in is the Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure, and now they have been joined in the race to sign him by French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The full details of the story are here.
A new No8 in town...
15:43 , Dom Smith
This could be the day that Liverpool fans get to see their new £60million man Dominik Szoboszlai.
He has been given the No8 shirt, worn previously by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, and may give it its first run-out tonight...
Full details of Szoboszlai’s new shirt number has be found here!
No Henderson tonight?
15:22 , Dom Smith
Jordan Henderson remains very much in the news at the moment as Al Ettifaq — currently managed by his former teammate Steven Gerrard — seek to swoop in and land the England midfielder.
He has reportedly agreed personal terms with the Saudi club but the clubs are not aligned yet on a potential transfer fee. With this in mind, Fabrizio Romano reports that Henderson will not be in the squad for this evening’s match against Karlsruher.
He reports that despite being with the squad, Henderson has not travelled to the game.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
Liverpool legend hits back at ‘outrage’ over Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia
15:07 , Jonathan Gorrie
The “outrage” over Jordan Henderson potentially earning £700,000-a-week in Saudi Arabia is misguided, according to Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler.
The former striker manages Saudi second-tier side Al Qadsiah and would welcome Henderson linking up with manager Steven Gerrard after much-publicised talks with Al-Ettifaq.
Prediction: Liverpool to win 3-1
15:01 , Jonathan Gorrie
Predicting anything from pre-season friendlies, much less ones taking place so early in the summer, is a fool’s errand, but you have to think that Liverpool should win this game quite comfortably.
The likes of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai will be eager to make a fast impression and Klopp demands 100 per cent from his players at all times, competitive game or not.
It’s a strong squad Liverpool have taken to Germany and they should kick things off with a handsome victory here.
Liverpool to win, 3-1.
Liverpool team news: Szoboszlai and Mac Allister in for debuts
15:00 , Jonathan Gorrie
Liverpool travelled to Germany without Fabinho, who looks set to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad in a £40million transfer.
However, captain Jordan Henderson did make the journey despite also being heavily linked with a switch to the Gulf state with Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq.
New signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai will hope to make their respective debuts against Karlsruher, though Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott will not return to training until Thursday after their European Under-21 Championship success with England.
It remains to be seen if Thiago Alcantara will be fit enough to feature as he works his way back to full fitness after injury.
Ben Doak, Calum Scanlon, James McConnell, Marcelo Pitaluga, Conor Bradley, Bobby Clark, Melkamu Frauendorf, Vitezslav Jaros, Fabian Mrozek, Lewis Koumas and Jarell Quansah are the youngsters looking to play a part, having all been included in Klopp’s travelling squad.
Where to watch Karlsruher vs Liverpool
15:00 , Jonathan Gorrie
TV channel and live stream: In the UK, Karlsruher vs Liverpool is available to watch live on LFCTV and LFCTV GO.
Live blog: You can also follow the game live via Standard Sport’s match blog.
Welcome
14:32 , Jonathan Gorrie
Good afternoon and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Liverpool’s pre-season friendly against Karlsruher.
Kick-off from Germany is at 5.30pm BST.