With a mix of first-teamers, youth products and fringe players each being handed the opportunity to impress in two 60-minute friendlies against Bologna, Klopp has plenty to ponder for the new campaign following a pair of 2-0 and 1-0 victories in France.
The 3pm kickoff saw Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane put the Reds two goals to the good before the 15-minute mark in a comfortable 2-0 win,
and two hours later, a new-look Liverpool side also notched up a 14th-minute goal through Takumi Minamino before Divock Origi failed to convert from 12 yards.
Klopp only had positive things to say about his side’s performances as they quickly bounced back from an action-packed 4-3 loss to Hertha Berlin,
and the Reds boss soon turned his attention to the weekend, where he is expecting the “biggest atmosphere” at Anfield for the past 18 months.
All has been relatively quiet on the transfer front at Liverpool, but Klopp has a plethora of out-of-favour players seeking two final opportunities to impress, as the Reds will round off their pre-season against Osasuna the day after their battle with Athletic.
By the time they step out onto the Anfield turf, Athletic Bilbao would have either been buoyed by a confidence-boosting success over Southampton or trying to pick themselves up from a dampening result at St Mary’s.
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As is the case with Liverpool, Marcelino’s men are also rounding off their pre-season period with two friendlies in the space of two days, and it has been a mixed bag for the Copa del Rey runners-up so far in terms of results.
Sandwiched in between defeats to St Gallen and Union Berlin were hard-fought successes over Dynamo Kiev and Borussia Dortmund, and with Barcelona lying in wait for Athletic in gameweek two of the new La Liga season, a positive end to their pre-season campaign is a must.
Athletic can look forward to a friendlier fixture against Elche to kick off their La Liga campaign on August 16, however, and Marcelino’s side will endeavour to make their trip to England a memorable one to round off a topsy-turvy pre-season period
