Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs AC Milan as Florian Wirtz and 3 more stand out

KAI TAK SPORTS PARK, HONG KONG // Liverpool fell to a pre-season defeat to AC Milan just under three weeks before the Premier League resumes. But there was plenty for Arne Slot to be pleased about.

Rafael Leao, set away down the left flank for the Italian side, opened the scoring by smashing the ball past Alisson Becker early on. But before half-time, a Dominik Szoboszlai screamer had leveled things up.

A few minutes into the second half, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the former Chelsea midfielder, put AC Milan in front again, before Noah Okafor, the ex-Red Bull Salzburg forward, swept home a superb goal. Cody Gakpo made it 3-2 late on, before Okafor netted again.

Winners

Florian Wirtz was very exciting every time he touched the ball, while Rio Ngumoha really showed a glimpse of what he can offer. Between them and Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool fans would have been left with a smile in the first half.

When the changes came, the game's intensity slowed a little. Cody Gakpo and Jeremie Frimpong looked decent enough again, but there wasn't quite as much to learn from the second 45 minutes compared to the first.

Losers

With Joe Gomez having flown back to the UK because of an Achilles injury, Liverpool suddenly looks very light at the back. That situation is not good for anyone with Jarell Quansah now playing for Bayer Leverkusen.

Ryan Gravenberch filled in here, but Liverpool won't want to lose him from midfield too often when the proper stuff starts. Kostas Tsimikas, a left-back, also did his bit, but signing another defender surely has to be high on the priority list.

First half player ratings

Alisson Becker (6). Some of his distribution was a little awkward, but he could do nothing with the Leao goal. The Brazilian will be sharp when it matters, starting with the first game of the campaign against Bournemouth.

Luca Stephenson (6). He filled in at center-back last time out against Preston and did well. Here, he was at right-back and did a decent enough job again. He's ready for more senior soccer next season, but that will probably come in the form of a loan.

Ryan Gravenberch (6). Slotting in centrally, Leao fouled him a number of times. He looked comfortable enough in defense, but is obviously a lot better higher upfield.

Virgil van Dijk (6). An easy game for the Dutchman. He did what he could to close the angle on Leao's goal, but it was an odd game to just a center-back in.

Andy Robertson (6). He wasn't hugely involved and felt that he could have won a penalty. The referee, rightly, didn't agree.

Dominik Szoboszlai (8). The goal that he scored was absolutely sensational. He has that kind of long-ranger in his locker but could do with showing it a bit more. It was a strike that deserved a greater celebration than the nonchalant nod. As ever, he didn't stop pressing and showed why he will get plenty of game time next season even after Florian Wirtz's arrival.

Tyler Morton (6). Pretty tidy in possession (aside from giving the ball straight to Christian Pulisic early on). Lasted 30 minutes before coming on in what may have been a pre-planned change; Morton hasn't been back in training for as long as some because of representing England U21s this summer.

Mohamed Salah (6). He had a couple of shots but wasn't completely involved in the game. Like Alisson, you know that he will come alive when the proper stuff starts. There were a few glimmers of a relationship with Wirtz forming, too.

Harvey Elliott (6). There remains a major question mark over his Liverpool future, but he looked sharp enough here. In humid conditions, he didn't stop running.

Florian Wirtz (8). With no strikers available, he was deployed as the most advanced player in the Liverpool team. His silky skills and his clever footwork were already on show. The most exciting thing is that there is more to come, but this was a good start.

Rio Ngumoha (8). He really does not lack confidence! Given the opponent, you could argue this was the biggest stage that he has played on so far in his young career, but he just played his normal game. He set up Szoboszlai to score and threw in plenty of stepovers. Hugely exciting.

Trey Nyoni (on for Morton, 30') (6). Lost possession a couple of times and will need to bulk up a little before he is ready to play every week, but showed with some of his composed passes just what he can offer. A big talent.

Second half player ratings

Giorgi Mamardashvili (6). He could do nothing about the goals that beat him, aside from, perhaps, the last one, and he did well enough with his feet in the main. It will be interesting to see which games he gets in the upcoming campaign, with Alisson a clear number one.

Conor Bradley (6). Not that involved going forward and couldn't catch Leao for the second AC Milan goal. Not bad, and not the easiest game to drop into.

Ibrahima Konate (6). Like Van Dijk, he took on the responsibility of being the senior center-back in a patchwork defense. There is only so much judgment you can make on him in a game like this, however.

Kostas Tsimikas (5). Sliding in at left center-back, which is obviously not his preferred role, he did a decent enough job positionally. As it stands, that might be his best route to minutes, though a late lapse in concentration saw Okafor net a second of the game.

Milos Kerkez (6). Not that involved from full-back and perhaps would have benefited from being in the first-half team to show his full skillset. There will be plenty of time for that when the season starts.

Ryan Gravenberch (7). The only Liverpool player to start both halves of the game, the Dutchman's first-half assessment carried into the second. Tidy in midfield, rather than at center-back, after the interval, and hit the bar with a long-range effort.

Curtis Jones (6). Held onto the ball dangerously long at times and needed to quicken things up. Not too bad an outing.

Trey Nyoni (6). Staying out for the second half and playing an hour, the young midfielder took a while to get into the game but ended up impressing. He's very comfortable in possession.

Jeremie Frimpong (7). Playing on the right wing again, rather than at full-back, he showed his speed and got into some good positions. Drew a good save from Pietro Terracciano and beat his marker with ease on a few occasions.

Ben Doak (6). Operating through the middle, which he has done many times in the past, the Scotland forward was lively to begin with, but then faded a little.

Cody Gakpo (8). The best of the second-half attackers. He could easily start on the left when Liverpool plays Bournemouth and showed a few glimpses here, including one great pass into the path of Frimpong on the opposite side. His late goal was a superb header.

Tyler Morton (on for Gravenberch, 62') (6). He came off early and then returned to the field. Hard to assess; hard to see him still being at Liverpool when the transfer window closes, but should get a good move.