Bayern Munich edge Liverpool 4-3 in Singapore
Bayern Munich edge Liverpool 4-3 in Singapore

Bayern Munich edge Liverpool 4-3 in Singapore

Frans Kratzig sealed victory for Bayern Munich in stoppage-time. AFP
Frans Kratzig sealed victory for Bayern Munich in stoppage-time.

A stunning stoppage-time strike by Frans Kratzig sealed victory for Bayern Munich in a pre-season friendly against Liverpool in Singapore on Wednesday as the German league champions came from behind twice to win 4-3.

The 20-year-old fired past Alisson as the game entered stoppage time to settle a thrilling encounter in front of a crowd of nearly 50,000 fans at the National Stadium. A goal inside two minutes by Cody Gakpo and a header by Virgil van Dijk had put the English side two goals up in the opening half-hour but Bayern hit back through Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane to level the score before half-time.

Luis Diaz regained the lead for Liverpool midway through the second half before Josip Stanisic drew level at 3-3 in the 80th minute and Kratzig secured the win for Bayern at the death. Liverpool had trounced Leicester City 4-0 at the same venue last Sunday and they caught the German champions napping with their opening goal after 112 seconds.

Gakpo played a neat one-two with Diogo Jota on the halfway line and surged past the Bayern defence before firing past Yann Sommer into the roof of the net. Bayern should have equalised in the 10th minute but Benjamin Pavard headed against the woodwork from five metres out before nodding the rebound over the crossbar.

They would rue that miss when Liverpool extended their lead in the 28th minute through newly appointed captain Van Dijk who rose unchallenged in the Bayern box to head in Andy Robertson’s corner from the right. Bayern reduced the deficit five minutes later as Kim Min-jae’s ball over the top of the Liverpool defence found Gnabry who cut inside Joel Matip before slotting past goalkeeper Alisson with his right foot.

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