Liverpool ended their pre-season schedule on a high as they came from behind to beat Lyon 3-1 in Geneva on Wednesday evening.
The Reds ended a four-game winless run to earn a timely confidence boost ahead of their Community Shield meeting with Manchester City this weekend.
Perhaps more importantly, Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker and Roberto Firmino picked up their first minutes since returning from extended breaks necessitated by summer tournaments.
Xherdan Shaqiri and Naby Keita also provided a boost for Jurgen Klopp in featuring having recently recovered from calf and adductor injuries respectively.
By the full-time whistle, Liverpool had produced one of their most assured performances of a summer that has been severely disrupted by absences.
But it didn’t start that way, with Alisson’s fumble and clumsy attempt to recover the ball leading to the Brazilian giving a penalty away with just four minutes gone.
Memphis Depay confidently despatched the subsequent spot-kick and helped his team dominate the opening 15 minutes from there, but Lyon’s spell in the ascendancy failed to last.
The turning point came when Firmino capitalised on Shaqiri and Keita’s good link-up, taking the ball in the box and spinning into a left-footed shot that found the far corner.
And the Reds were in front moments after their first as Joachim Andersen made a hash of clearing Ki-Jana Hoever’s cross, simply directing it into the top corner.
The remainder of the half saw Salah desperately looking to announce his return with a goal, but the Egyptian could only fire wide after being teed up by Hoever before failing to make the most a good counter opportunity from Rhian Brewster’s pass.
Liverpool would get their third through a left-footed forward, however, Harry Wilson smashing a fantastic effort into the top corner from 25 yards.
A string of changes on the hour mark somewhat disrupted the flow of the game, leaving both sides to settle for a scoreline that had been decided by that point.
But there was plenty of time for Harvey Elliott to stamp his mark on the game, the 16-year-old tormenting the Lyon defence time and time again during a brief cameo.
Relive the action as it happened.
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