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Liverpool v Man United pre-season match in Bangkok confirmed for 12 July

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino (left) tussles for the ball with Manchester United's Edinson Cavani.
Liverpool's Roberto Firmino (left) tussles for the ball with Manchester United's Edinson Cavani. (PHOTO: Reuters/Phil Noble)

SINGAPORE — English Premier League (EPL) giants Liverpool said on Thursday (31 March) that their 2022/23 pre-season will kick off with a friendly match against Manchester United in Bangkok on 12 July.

The 2019/20 champions will visit the Rajamangala Stadium to face their fierce rivals for the Bangkok Century Cup. It will be the first stop of the Reds' summer tour, and it will mark their return to the Thai capital for the first time since the 2015/16 pre-season.

“Pre-season tour is a vitally important time of year for our players to prepare for the upcoming season, and it provides a fantastic opportunity to meet with fans around the world," said Ben Latty, Liverpool's commercial director.

“Since the start of the pandemic we’ve been unable to travel for pre-season and so we’re extremely excited to be able to visit our supporters globally once again. This trip to Bangkok will be very special and we’re really looking forward to having many of our supporters with us along the way.”

Man United have also confirmed the Bangkok tie – their first visit to the Thai capital since 2013 – adding that the Red Devils will then fly to Australia for United’s first trip to Melbourne since 1999.

United fans will be able to see them play at Melbourne Cricket Ground against A-League team Melbourne Victory on 15 July, and against EPL rivals Crystal Palace on 19 July.

“Pre-season tours are such an important part of the squad’s preparation for the season ahead, so it’s crucial to have excellent training facilities and high-quality opposition," said Man United’s football director John Murtough.

"We’re delighted that we’ll have both these things during our visits to Bangkok and Melbourne this summer, and we’re looking forward to playing in front of our fans in both cities for the first time in a number of years.”

Discussions are also reportedly at an advanced stage for Liverpool to play Crystal Palace in Singapore days after their Bangkok match.

Liverpool have a huge following in Asia, but have not visited the continent since 2017, when they played Palace and Leicester City in Hong Kong as part of the Premier League Asia Trophy pre-season tournament.

This will be the first time both Liverpool and Man United will begin their pre-season with overseas tours, after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 had prevented EPL clubs to embark on tours to other continents.

General ticket sales for the Liverpool vs Man United match in Bangkok will go on sale on Saturday (2 April) at thaiticketmajor.com.

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