Divock Origi was on the score sheet again as Liverpool claimed a 6-0 win over Tranmere Rovers in their first outing since victory in the Champions League final.
Jurgen Klopp watched his team make the perfect start to pre-season at Prenton Park in a game that also saw Rhian Brewster underline why he is being tipped to play a big role next term.
Playing their opening friendly of a busy summer schedule, the Reds wasted little time in signalling their intent to pick up where they left off.
Nathaniel Clyne got the ball rolling with a fine drive into the top corner from just inside the box with just five minutes on the clock.
That teed the visitors up to dominate their newly promoted League One opposition, though it took until close to half-time for the difference in class to tell through Brewster.
The striker’s first saw him do well to head in a Harry Wilson pull-back from the right-hand byline, and he added a second soon after by following up a spilled James Milner shot.
The half-time break saw Klopp make 11 changes to his team, but that didn’t seem to stint their fluency going forward.
The Reds made it four when Ben Woodburn’s back-post cross picked out promising midfielder Curtis Jones for a close-range finish 10 minutes after the restart.
And then Origi showed he hasn’t lost any of his finishing instincts since Madrid, latching onto a Joel Matip ball over the top before rounding the ‘keeper and smashing into an empty net.
When Bobby Duncan capitalised on good work from Ki-Jana Hoever to poke home with over 20 minutes remaining, Liverpool looked ready to rack up a cricket score.
But their cutting edge was somewhat blunted by an injury to Duncan’s U18s strike partner Paul Glatzel, who was amusingly replaced by youth goalkeeper Dan Atherton.
