RB Leipzig and Christopher Nkunku host Liverpool and Mo Salah at the Red Bull Arena in their final pre-season friendly of 2022/23 on Thursday (kick-off: 7.15pm CEST).

CONFIRMED teams

Leipzig: Gulacsi (c) – Simakan, Orban, Halstenberg – Henrichs, Kampl, Olmo, Angelino – Szoboszlai – Nkunku, Sorloth
Subs: Blaswich, Nickisch, Schlieck, Haidara, Forsberg, Klostermann, Silva, Mukiele, Schlager, Ba, Laimer, Novoa
Out: Gvardiol (thigh), Poulsen (adductor)
Coach : Domenico Tedesco

Liverpool: Adrian – Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk (c), Robertson – Thiago, Fabinho, Keita – Salah, Firmino, Diaz
Subs: Hughes, Davies, Milner, Gomez, Henderson, Jones, Elliott, Tsimikas, Nunez, Carvalho, Matip, Bajcetic, Phillips, Mabaya, Van den Berg, Morton
Out: Alisson (muscular), Jota (hamstring), Kelleher (muscular), Oxlade-Chamberlain (hamstring), Ramsay (muscular)
Coach: Jürgen Klopp

As it happened

Latest

Leipzig have already played and beaten English opposition this pre-season, claiming a 3-1 victory over former coach Ralph Hasenhüttl’s Southampton on Saturday in Austria. The goals came from Angelino, Emil Forsberg and a sublime finish from 30 yards by Ilaix Moriba, but it was Nkunku who was doing that job last term. The French forward blew opposition away to be voted Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2021/22, as well as guiding Die Roten Bullen to maiden DFB Cup glory. Nkunku has since signed a contract extension as he and Leipzig target more silverware, starting in just over a week with the Supercup against Bayern Munich. That game will also be played here at the Red Bull Arena, so it’s the perfect stage for players such as summer signing Xaver Schlager, as well as strikers Andre Silva and Alexander Sorloth, to convince coach Domenico Tedesco that they are ready to start that match on 30 July.

Liverpool have been out in the Far East for their pre-season but are now back in Europe for the final leg. Salah, who is up for the African Player of the Year award alongside ex-teammate-turned-Bayern man Sadio Mane and Borussia Dortmund’s Sebastien Haller this Thursday, was powerless to prevent a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United in Bangkok but did guide the Merseyside club to a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in Singapore on Friday. Ex-Dortmund and Mainz boss Jürgen Klopp has a number of players missing, including first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker and forward Diogo Jota, while new recruit Darwin Nunez is still looking to get off the mark. Liverpool follow this game with a hop across the border to face Red Bull Salzburg before taking on Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Watch: Nkunku, Leipzig’s superstar

Want more Bundesliga Action?

GET THE UPDATES!

Match stats

• Nkunku ended last season with 35 goals and 18 assists across 52 competitive club appearances, including a hat-trick against English opposition in Man City.
• Ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi is second on Leipzig’s all-time appearance list with 272. Yussuf Poulsen leads the way with 328.
• Die Roten Bullen lifted the DFB Cup for the first time in their history last season and now come up against the holders of the English equivalent, the FA Cup.
• Leipzig boast a balanced record against English clubs with four wins and four losses. However, two of those defeats were to Liverpool.
• Liverpool duo Naby Keita and Ibrahima Konate are both ex-Leipzig players, having made 70 and 94 appearances for Die Roten Bullen respectively.
• Klopp oversaw 340 Bundesliga and 148 Bundesliga 2 matches as coach of Dortmund and Mainz, winning back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012.