5 talking points from Liverpool's 4-3 pre-season defeat to Bayern Munich

Liverpool suffered their first defeat of pre-season in Singapore on Wednesday, being edged out by Bayern Munich in a clash that wasn't short of drama.

The Reds flew out of the blocks, putting immense pressure on the Bayern back line, and inside half an hour had developed a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Dutch duo Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk.

However, the rest of the game was a story of back-and-forth action. Bayern managed to claw themselves level before the break, and while a superb strike from Luis Diaz re-established Liverpool's advantage in the second half, the Colombian's effort would be cancelled out by Josip Stanisic ten minutes from time, setting up a gripping finale.

And with penalties on the horizon, the German champions would snatch the game at the death, with 20-year-old Frans Kratzig lashing a stunning half-volley into the top corner, giving Alisson little chance in the Liverpool goal.

An admittedly disappointing end to an action-packed tour in Singapore, let's go through the five main talking points from this afternoon's match.

READ MORE: Liverpool player ratings from the 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich

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Stacked attack

Let's start with a positive, shall we?

Liverpool's attacking firepower was once again on show today, with the Reds bagging three goals, adding to the four scored against Leicester City on Sunday.

Every forward put in an encouraging performance. Whether that be Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz, who danced through Bayern's defence like it wasn't there, or Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo, whose superb link-up play helped hand the Reds an early lead.

On top of this, young prospects Ben Doak and Bobby Clark had an immediate impact after entering the fray. With his first touches of the ball, Doak broke down the right wing before fizzing the ball into Clark, who's effort came so close to beating Sven Ulreich in the Bayern net.

There is a scary amount of attacking threat in Liverpool's ranks.

Fresh defensive woes?

Now, we turn to the flip side.

Despite leading twice, the Reds were unable to hold on to any advantage they had earned throughout the game, being pegged back on both occasions by the Bavarians.

And to be honest, four goals wasn't a particularly flattering tally for Thomas Tuchel's side. Liverpool's defence looked shaky, with all of Bayern's goals culminating from a lack of sharpness at the back.

Klopp even suggested after the game that his team 'felt the intensity' and got tired in the second half.

This is a concern for Reds fans, who have now seen their side ship ten in four pre-season outings and are still waiting for much-needed defensive reinforcements.

Whether a new signing at the back comes to fruition, however, is anyone's guess.

Of course, it's still pre-season and these games are necessary to iron out the creases. Nevertheless, with Liverpool's opening weekend trip to Chelsea fast approaching, Klopp needs to make sure his back line is in a fit and working state, whatever the preferred formation.

READ MORE: Why Liverpool simply must sign a new defender this summer

Jones in the 'six'

Curtis Jones once again occupied the 'number six' role against Bayern, and on the whole, his performance was largely encouraging.

There were some jitters here and there (something you'd expect when taking on an unfamiliar position), but for the 75 minutes he was on the field, he mostly operated with aplomb, appearing assured and confident in the role.

He particularly impressed at one point during the first half, where he was getting heavily pressed by a couple of Bayern players near his own box. Instead of panicking, Jones calmly manoeuvred his way out of trouble and found a pass.

Liverpool still appear to be looking for a recognised holding midfielder in the transfer market, but if no deal is completed before the trip to Stamford Bridge, Liverpool's homegrown star could very well be the man to fill that void.

Luis Diaz's shooting boots

We've already touched on Liverpool's front line, but after today's cameo, Luis Diaz deserves some props of his own.

Ever since his arrival in the winter of 2022, Diaz has been an electrifying, creative player, adding another dimension to Liverpool's attack. However, one thing that was arguably lacking from his game was a consistent final product.

If his pre-season performances are anything to go by, though, that issue is a thing of the past.

Drilling in another brilliant goal against Bayern, adding to his superb solo effort against Greuther Furth nine days prior, Diaz has looked more clinical in front of goal than he ever has for the Reds.

It's time to get excited for the prospect of a full, uninterrupted season of Lucho.

Mac Allister injury scare

The one real fright of the day occurred on the stroke of half time when Alexis Mac Allister was spotted on the deck, receiving treatment following a clash of knees.

Taken out of the game as a precaution, fans waited patiently for an update on the club's new Argentinian maestro.

Luckily, Klopp has allayed fears that the injury is anything more than just a painful knock, saying: "When I spoke afterwards, he said, 'No, no, I would have been fine.' But we didn't want to go [with] any risks. It's just knee on knee, bruise, that's it. It was fine."

And breathe...