Hello folks! We're half an hour away from
Liverpool's final game of their Far Eastern tour as they take on a
Malaysia XI.
LIVERPOOL XI: Bogdan, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno, Henderson, Lucas, Milner, Ibe, Lallana, Origi
Rodgers makes three changes to the side that started Liverpool's last friendly against Adelaide United on Monday.
Adam Bogdan replaces Simon Mignolet in goal, while further forward Alberto Moreno starts at left-back instead of Joe Gomez and Lucas Leiva is preferred to Joe Allen in midfield.
MALAYSIA XI: Azhan, Razman, Thiago, Bikana, Zubir, Rahan, Nasir, Kalang, Azammuddin, Wleh, Souza
Watch the video below to see what
Brendan Rodgers has had to say about tonight's opposition. Interestingly, he feels that the Malaysia XI could be more direct than their other pre-season opposition this summer.
OK, let's take a look at how the Reds' pre-season has gone so far. They started with a
4-0 win over a Thailand All-Stars outfit and have since dealt with Australian duo Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United
2-1 and
2-0.
The win over Adelaide saw Danny Ings grab his first goal since a summer move from Burnley and yesterday he also
bagged a hat-trick in a 60-minute friendly against a local Malaysian side. The Reds were supposed to just be doing an open training session, but it turned into a shortened match that ended in a 7-0 win.
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PREDICTION TIME! We're less than 10 minutes from kickoff now, so it's time to make our pre-game prediction. The crowd in Kuala Lumpur is reaching fever pitch and Liverpool should be able to put on a show and win 3-0.
One person not present tonight is Liverpool's latest signing - Christian Benteke. The Belgian will link up with his new teammates after this match ahead of their next friendly against HJK in Helsinki next Saturday.
The Reds final pre-season match is against League One outfit Swindon Town a day later before they begin their Premier League campaign away to Stoke City on Sunday, August 9.
Click here to see Liverpool's complete fixture list for the coming season.
Interestingly, Stoke were the team that Liverpool faced on the final day of last season and it was a match to forget as Steven Gerrard ended his time at the club with a
6-1 defeat at the Britannia - the Reds' biggest loss for 52 years.
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The two teams are out, but we're still waiting for kickoff as the supporters in Kuala Lumpur belt out a rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.
Yep...
KICKOFF! Liverpool, all in red, get us underway. The Malaysia XI are in bright yellow tops and black shorts.
Unsurprisingly, the Reds have seen a lot of the ball in the early stages, but they haven't created much yet.
Here's the impressive rendition of YNWA before kickoff:
A slightly worrying moment for the Reds as Origi stays down, but it's just a knock and he's up quickly and fine to continue.
SHOT! Ibe is looking lively for Liverpool, but it's the Malaysia XI who have a shot at goal through the huge presence of
Patrick Ronaldinho. His low shot is struck pretty well, but it's straight at Bogdan.
Clyne gets wiped out down the right-hand side and both players have to receive treatment from the physios. It was a hefty collision, but Clyne appears OK to carry on.
GOAL! MALAYSIA XI 1-0 LIVERPOOL (PATRICK RONALDINHO)
Well, well, well! Ronaldinho by name, Ronaldinho by nature as Patrick puts the Malaysia XI in front with a brilliantly-taken goal. He beat Lovren for pace and then caught out Bogdan with an outside-of-the-boot effort. Great goal!
Clyne and Ibe are seeing plenty of the ball down the right as Liverpool look for a quick response. The latter has already said this summer that he is hoping to fill the void left by Sterling and he's keen to impress in this game.
CHANCE! You could argue that Lovren was at fault for the goal, but he's almost made up for letting Ronaldinho past with a glancing header that flashes just wide.
This game hasn't been very 'friendly' so far! Another clattering as Bogdan and Ronaldinho collide. The latter comes off worse but there's no way he wants to go off after the start that he's had.
PENALTY SHOUT! Henderson looks up hopefully to the referee after falling down in the box. The skipper had already poked his shot goalwards though and it would have been harsh on the Malaysia keeper if the ref had pointed to the spot. Great ball by Lallana to get his fellow Englishman through on goal.
Another injury stoppage as Lucas bleeds from near his eye following a feisty challenge in the middle of the park. Rodgers might have to tell his players to just cool off a bit as there's a danger of injury the way the match is going.
Midway through the opening period then and you have to say that Liverpool haven't done enough to deserve a goal. The one moment of real quality came when Patrick Ronaldinho charged past Lovren and got off a snapshot that was past Bogdan before he could react.
Henderson gets to the byline and with not much on the only thing he can do is send a low cross along the six-yard line in the hope that it will get a touch goalwards. Origi was trying to get there, but he was behind the play and the ball goes all the way across goal.
GOAL! MALAYSIA XI 1-1 LIVERPOOL (IBE)
BOOM! I said that Ibe was keen to impress and he's just equalised with a rocket of a shot from 18 yards. He cut in from the right and then produced a wicked drive with his weaker left foot that the Malaysia keeper could only get the slightest of fingertips to and tip onto the bar.
I've already been considering
Jordon Ibe for my fantasy football team this year and goals like that are only going to increase his chances of making it in. What a hit!
More good skill from Ibe as he skips past a reckless challenge from the Malaysia left-back but then can't produce a decent centre as he overhits his cross.
Chaos in the Malaysia area as Lallana's floated cross somehow gets to the back post without getting a touch before the home side somehow hack it clear. Liverpool are well on top now.
I'm not the only one!
By the way, I call Malaysia XI the home side, but about 95% of this crowd have Liverpool red on. The Merseyside club are huge in many Far Eastern countries like Malaysia.
Here's a Vine of Ibe's smashing equaliser:
CHANCE! Origi goes close twice but he can't beat the Malaysia keeper. First his low shot is beaten away before his looping header on the rebound is caught on the line.
MALAYSIA SUB: A change has to be made as Akil replaces Idlan.
Lallana with a speculative effort from 25 yards that Azhan in the Malaysia goal deals with comfortably. Three minutes added on.
HALF-TIME: MALAYSIA XI 1-1 LIVERPOOL
Liverpool call the Malaysia goalscorer Patrick Wleh, but he also goes by Patrick Ronaldinho and we much prefer that! The picture below is the moment that Henderson prodded wide and then went down wanting a penalty, which was rightly not given.
Since Malaysia opened the scoring, Liverpool have dominated and been especially impressive down the right with Clyne and Ibe linking up nicely. It was the latter who rifled home the equaliser that you can watch a few posts below.
So good down the right, but elsewhere it's largely been a below-par display from the Reds. Henderson is trying to make things happen in the middle, but the likes of Milner and Origi have been very quiet. Expect to see a load of changes at half time, with Ings one of the players surely coming on.
A reminder that the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Emre Can and Christian Benteke aren't available today but will join up with the squad after today's game.
Mark Lawrenson is one of the commentators on LFC TV and he's just said that he is worried that Liverpool aren't facing anyone that good before the start of the season. Would he rather Liverpool faced the likes of Real Madrid, who
tonked Man City 4-1 in the International Champions Cup earlier today.
KICKOFF! We're back underway in Kuala Lumpur and it doesn't look like Rodgers has made any changes yet. They will happen soon, though.
Lovely turn from Lallana to open up a shooting opportunity, but he tries to beat one more man and is tackled in the area.
The two players I said were quiet in the first half, Milner and Origi, almost link up as the former's pass is just cut out in time by Bikana.
Werhay! Terrible effort from the Malaysia man as the ball sits up invitingly 25 yards out and he leans back and slice-scoops his effort hilariously high and wide.
SHOT! He likes his turns, does Lallana. Other pieces of trickery presents him with a shooting opportunity and this time he does go for goal, hitting a low effort straight at the keeper.
CHANCE! Another good opening for Origi as Henderson slips him in with a perfectly-weighted pass. The Belgian's first touch is OK, but Azhan is out quickly and denies him a good shooting angle. Origi, by the way, was named in a worst Ligue 1 XI for his performances on loan at Lille last season :/
Liverpool are knocking on the door here as Lovren misses his second good headed chance of the game. He got up well in the middle but wasn't able to keep the ball under the crossbar.
OFF THE BAR! Lallana again finds space 20 yards out and this time his shot takes a deflection off Bikana before looping over the goalkeeper and clipping the crossbar.
Ronaldinho has caused Liverpool plenty of problems so far and he almost goes through on goal before just about being stopped by a combination of Skrtel and Lovren.
He was lively in the first half, but Ibe has seen far less of the ball int he second half. Lallana has been the Reds' biggest threat as they search for the goal to send them in front.
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MALAYSIA SUB: Ronaldinho's night is over as he goes down with cramp before being stretchered off. He's a big lad and might not be able to last a full 90 minutes.
SHOT! Moreno surges forward down the left and looks for Milner with the cutback, but it's just too strong for the Englishman. Moments later, Origi spins in the box and unleashes a shot that whistles past the near post.
SAVE! Milner is found just inside the box and whacks the ball goalwards with his left foot. Either side of Azhan and it's in, but he blasts it straight at the keeper.
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Changes at last from Rodgers - Jordan Rossiter and Sheyi Ojo replace Lucas and Origi.
MALAYSIA SUB: The hosts also make a change, with Bakhtiar taking Nasir's place.
This is the kind of support that Liverpool get in Malaysia:
CHANCE! A header back across goal finds Lovren, who again shows why he's a defender with a duffed finish into the turf that loops wide.
CHANCE! At the other end, the Malaysia XI go close to the third goal as Souza's shot is blocked just as he left fly.
SUBS: Changes from both sides - Hashim and Afif replace Asmi and Rahan for Malaysia, while Cleary and Maguire replace Clyne and Moreno at full-back for Liverpool.
Yet another opportunity for Lovren from a set piece. The Malaysia XI have it worked out - leave him unmarked because he can't get anything on target.
CHANCE! Excellent chance for the Malaysia no. 9 to put the hosts in front, but he can't make contact with a bouncing ball six yards out and Bogdan is able to gather.
MALAYSIA SUB: A change for the men in yellow as Souza is taken off and Kumaahran comes on.
Just five minutes remain in Kuala Lumpur and as things stand Liverpool are going to end their pre-season tour with a draw after three straight victories.
Rodgers has made surprisingly few changes and that must be to do with the 60-minute friendly that Liverpool played yesterday. He must not want to risk those who featured 24 hours ago.
LIVERPOOL SUB: A late swap from the Reds as Pedro Chirivella, who wears no. 68, takes Milner's place.
Four minutes have been added on by the officials. Can Liverpool find a winner? They don't really deserve one.
SAVE! Malaysia XI almost snatch victory as Bogdan makes an instinctive stop to deny the no. 9 after the hosts broke quickly.
Ibe beats his man one last time, but his cross is too low and straight at Bikana, who heads clear. That'll be that.
FULL-TIME: MALAYSIA XI 1-1 LIVERPOOL
Thanks for joining us this afternoon. Liverpool's pre-season tour ends with a draw against a Malaysia XI after three straight victories to start the summer. Rodgers's men next face HJK in Helsinki a week on Saturday and they will have the likes of Coutinho, Firmino and Benteke available for that one. We'll be covering that game and many other pre-season encounters, so make sure you visit Sports Mole again soon.