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Borussia Dortmund continued its winning start to this year's International Champions Cup following a 3-1 victory over Liverpool in North Carolina.
Virgil van Dijk put the Reds ahead early in the first half, but the Yellow Submarine's late rally in the second stanza saw Christian Pulisic bag a brace before Jacob Larsen added gloss to the win.
With several first-team stars absent, both sides unsurprisingly played a very weakened line-up, before introducing fresh legs after the break. Liverpool were in control for large extents, but some poor defending coupled with yet more nervy showings by Karius turned the tide towards the end.
Here are 3 takeaways from the friendly:
#1 Karius vindicates Liverpool's £67 million outlay for Alisson
Alisson Becker's arrival couldn't have come sooner for Liverpool. The Merseysiders have been blighted by the continued howlers by Loris Karius as he once again appeared nervous in goal and almost made another blunder. He came charging out of his area to make a clearance but shot straight at Marius Wolf, who then struck it agonizingly wide off the post.
On another day in another competition, that was bound to end in the back of the net. It was a reflection of how error-prone the German custodian is, as he then parried an effort into the path of Larsen in the dying embers, and he rounded off the evening by hoicking it into the roof of the net for a third.
That debacle in the Champions League final seems to have opened up the Pandora's box as Karius has not been the same ever since. He made a mistake in Liverpool's first pre-season game to Tranmere that once again led to a goal as his confidence appears to have taken a massive hit. His nervousness in today's game further accentuates the theory. He's simply a disaster waiting to happen every time Liverpool have played him in this pre-season and on this evidence, won't find many opportunities when the season kicks off. In any of the four fronts that Liverpool compete in.
These error-strewn performances only serve to justify Liverpool's massive outlay in bringing in a new personnel in goal.
#2 Pulisic reminds everyone about his precocious talent
Borussia Dortmund has definitely unearthed a gem in Christian Pulisic. The Bundesliga outfit signed the American teen in 2015 when he was only 16 and after a few months of practice with the youth side, flourished with the senior team. He's been a revelation since, and proved to be the game changer today too after coming on in the second-half.
The 19-year old injected vim and vigor into an otherwise listless Dortmund attack with his energetic runs down the wings as he also tried to get everyone in the game by stringing together short, slick passes. He won a penalty shortly after the hour mark after being fouled inside the area and clinically dispatched it himself, sending Karius the wrong way. Pulisic then latched on to Marcel Schmelzer's cross and delicately tucked it through the Liverpool defense for his second.
USA's absence from the World Cup means he got enough to repose and now resultantly appears lively and at the peak of his powers. Dortmund can go great guns in the new season should Pulisic build on this fine form.
#3 Origi has no future with Liverpool
Divock Origi has returned from his loan spell at Wolfsburg for the pre-season with Liverpool, but didn't do enough here to suggest he deserves a place in the ranks. The Belgian was left out of Roberto Martinez's World Cup squad and soon, would find his way out of the Merseyside too. This time, permanently.
Origi spearheaded Klopp's 4-3-3 set-up for this game but offered little going forward. His shots lacked conviction whilst he was dispossessed quiet easily too. He failed to impose himself in the attack and was unsurprisingly taken off at half-time.
Origi appeared to be a promising prospect during Klopp's initial days at the helm of Liverpool as his treble against Southampton in the 6-1 FA Cup demolition would suggest. But that now seems a distant memory. His chances were cut short following newer arrivals at the Kop before being loaned out to the Wolves, where he didn't impress much either with a return of just 4 goals in 31 appearances.
He's still only 23 and can resurrect himself with proper gametime. But that's not happening at Liverpool for sure.
