HONG KONG: New signing Dominic Solanke came off the bench to score as Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in a preseason game in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old suggested he could prove a summer bargain at $4 million as he linked up well with fellow striker Divock Origi, who also got on the scoresheet in the Premier League Asia Trophy win.
Origi set up the first for Liverpool on the hour mark with a clever back-heel that found Solanke unmarked and the teenager made no mistake, finishing coolly in the stifling Hong Kong heat. Origi then rifled home Liverpool’s second in the 79th minute, to the delight of a crowd of 40,000.
Jurgen Klopp’s new-look front line proved a welcome distraction for the German coach following reports that Leipzig had rejected a huge bid of $86 million for midfielder Naby Keita.
Liverpool will face Leicester City in the Asia Trophy final on Saturday after the Foxes won the earlier match 7-6 on penalties over West Bromwich Albion following a 1-1 stalemate in normal time.
New signing Jay Rodriguez gave West Brom the lead with a stunning strike after nine minutes, only for Riyad Mahrez to squeeze the ball past Ben Foster to level things up midway through the first half. — AFP
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