* Goals: Nunez 6', 12', 20', Ngumoha 23', Chiesa 88'

In the sixth minute, new signing Florian Wirtz passed the ball into the penalty area to Szoboszlai. After a Stoke City defender intervened, Nunez followed up with a shot from seven meters to open the scoring. In the 12th minute, Szoboszlai chipped the ball to Nunez, who tapped it in to double the lead.

Nunez (in black) opened the scoring in Liverpool's 5-0 friendly victory over Stoke City on the evening of 20/7. Photo: LFC

The third goal mirrored the second. Curtis Jones delivered a low cross, allowing the Uruguayan striker to complete his hat-trick within 14 minutes.

Following Nunez's hat-trick, Liverpool continued to pressure Stoke City, who finished 18th out of 24 teams in last season's Championship. In the 23rd minute, 16-year-old striker Rio Ngumoha's shot deflected off a defender and into the net, making it 4-0.

After halftime, manager Arne Slot substituted all 11 players. New signings Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong both entered the game. In the 88th minute, Cody Gakpo crossed the ball to Federico Chiesa, who tapped in to seal the 5-0 victory.

Nunez has scored 4 goals in just two preseason matches. In the first match, he scored a goal to help Liverpool defeat Preston 3-1.

Nunez joined Liverpool from Benfica in 2022 for 83 million USD. He scored 33 goals in his first two seasons but only managed seven goals last season. This summer, the 26-year-old was rumored to be on his way out. However, after the passing of Diogo Jota, the club put plans to sell Nunez on hold.

Liverpool has also faced difficulties in finding a suitable center-forward. According to The Sun, the Premier League champions recently failed in a 160 million USD bid for Alexander Isak. Newcastle's chairman declared that the Swedish striker is not for sale at any price.

Liverpool is now working to finalize a deal for Hugo Ekitike, who scored 22 goals for Frankfurt last season. However, the German club is demanding 93 million USD.

After the first two matches of their preseason tour, Liverpool will travel to Hong Kong to face AC Milan on 26/7, and then to Japan to play Yokohama Marinos on 30/7. They will then return to England to conclude their preseason preparations with a match against Bilbao on 4/8.

On 10/8, the Premier League champions will compete for the FA Community Shield against Crystal Palace, the FA Cup winners last season. Five days later, Slot's team will begin their new Premier League campaign with a home match against Bournemouth.

Thanh Quy