Former Chelsea star Ruben Loftus-Cheek was on the scoresheet as AC Milan defeated Premier League champions Liverpool 4-2 in a pre-season friendly on Saturday at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium.
Despite dominating possession and handing a debut start to record signing Florian Wirtz, Liverpool’s defensive lapses cost them dearly, with Rafael Leao netting for Milan just 10 minutes in. Dominik Szoboszlai responded with a stunning strike to level things 16 minutes later, sending both teams into the break at 1-1.
Loftus-Cheek restored Milan’s lead six minutes into the second half, followed by a brace from substitute Noah Okafor. Cody Gakpo scored a late consolation header for Liverpool.
A passionate 49,704-strong crowd—mostly Liverpool fans—paid tribute to Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a recent car crash. Kenny Dalglish laid flowers on behalf of the club, while fans held up a mosaic reading “DJ20” in honour of Jota’s retired number. Leao also paid tribute after scoring by offering a silent prayer and forming “20” with his fingers.
New signing Wirtz, brought in from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported $150 million, impressed in his 45-minute debut. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong featured in the second half, while Hugo Ekitike, a $92 million addition from Frankfurt, was unavailable after just arriving in camp.
Liverpool, without Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz—both reportedly linked with transfers—lacked a natural striker and struggled to convert their dominance into goals. The club also confirmed that Joe Gomez had returned to the UK for treatment on a minor Achilles issue.
Next, Liverpool head to Japan to face Yokohama F-Marinos on Wednesday.