A battle of the behemoths takes place at the Singapore National Stadium on Wednesday lunchtime, as Liverpool lock horns with Bayern Munich in a tantalising friendly.
Jurgen Klopp's side most recently thumped Leicester City 4-0 in Kallang, while the German champions ended their Japanese stopover with a 1-0 win over Kawasaki Frontale.
Match preview
© Reuters
Two months on from putting three unanswered goals past Leicester at the King Power, Liverpool's dominance over their Championship counterparts showed no signs of waning in Singapore, where a first-half flurry set the Reds on their way to a resounding triumph.
Darwin Nunez, Bobby Clark and Diogo Jota all made the net ripple before the break, while up-and-coming Scottish winger Ben Doak also got his name on the scoresheet in the second 45, as Liverpool kept up their remarkable streak of scoring four goals in every pre-season game so far this summer.
The Reds also amassed a quartet of strikes during their pair of German exhibition games with Karlsruher SC and Greuther Furth - although they were forced to settle for a 4-4 draw against the latter - but few will be anticipating another four-goal haul against the perennial German champions.
Nevertheless, Klopp is witnessing new arrivals Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister immediately adapt to life in the Liverpool engine room, while talks over a move for Romeo Lavia are believed to be rumbling on in the background as Fabinho prepares to join Jordan Henderson in Saudi Arabia.
Wednesday's blockbuster tie will represent Liverpool's final friendly away from English soil before they cap off their summer exhibition period against Darmstadt 98 at Deepdale on August 7, and Klopp's men will then endeavour to give Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino a harsh welcome back to life in England during their Premier League opener on August 13.
© Reuters
While Liverpool's goalscoring feats in pre-season are admirable, the Reds' 12 strikes are dwarfed by Bayern's opening 27-0 obliteration of ninth-tier FC Rottach-Egern, but Thomas Tuchel's side have since struggled to assert their dominance in a pair of Japan-based contests.
Indeed, the Bavarians came up short in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on July 26, three days before a Tokyo tie with J1 League powerhouses Kawasaki Frontale, where only a second-half Josip Stanisic goal got Bayern over the line.
Tuchel lamented his side's pre-season fatigue as an explanation for their underwhelming display, but the German champions have not been afforded ample time to recover from their exertions as they board the flight to Singapore for their fourth exhibition game of the summer.
Monaco and Weinbeisser Kaltern will represent Bayern's final two friendly opponents ahead of their latest Bundesliga title defence, which the holders may or may not commence with Harry Kane leading the line, as club executives continue their efforts to appease cut-throat Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy.
Familiar foes at the top level of European football down the years, Liverpool and Bayern have actually played out five draws in their nine competitive meetings, but the most recent affair saw Liverpool succeed 3-1 in the second leg of a 2018-19 Champions League last-16 clash.
- W
- L
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Liverpool's recent thrashing of Leicester saw Szoboszlai make his return after a brief spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury, but Stefan Bajcetic, ex-Bayern lynchpin Thiago Alcantara and Conor Bradley were all left at home to continue their recoveries.
With no fresh concerns arising from the weekend, Klopp ought to put out a strong starting lineup given the calibre of opposition, thereby forcing Clark to accept a spot on the bench in spite of his memorable strike against the Foxes.
Caoimhin Kelleher could also return to the dugout as Alisson Becker regains possession of the gloves, while an attacking alteration could see Luis Diaz return to support Mohamed Salah and Nunez, the latter of whom has four goals from three friendlies so far.
Meanwhile, Bayern will head into Wednesday's game without former Liverpool man Sadio Mane, who similarly to Thiago will miss out on a reunion with his old employers as he closes in on a lucrative move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr.
Mane's imminent exit will further deplete an attack already missing the injured Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (knee) and Thomas Muller (hip), while Manuel Neuer and new arrival Raphael Guerreiro are both dealing with leg problems and will miss out too.
Despite intense speculation over a possible move to Inter Milan, Yann Sommer remains in the Bayern goal for the time being and will continue to be protected by Kim Min-jae, who made his debut for the German champions in their win over Kawasaki.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Jones, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, Kim, De Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Coman; Tel
We say: Liverpool 3-1 Bayern Munich
Facing an injury-hit and weary Bayern crop, who also have a lengthy plane journey from Japan threatening to harm their preparations, Liverpool arguably come into Wednesday's match as the favourites.
While another four-goal showing might be out of the question, Klopp's side should capitalise on Bayern's recent shortcomings to cap off their Singapore sojourn with an impressive triumph.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
