Liverpool down Hertha as Coutinho gets captain’s armband

BERLIN: Jurgen Klopp enjoyed a perfect return to Germany on Saturday, as Liverpool beat Hertha Berlin 3- 0 in a pre-season friendly with summer signings Dominic Solanke and Mohamed Salah both on the scoresheet.

The game also saw Philippe Coutinho, who has been heavily linked with a $ 93 million move to Barcelona, handed the captain’s armband, and the Liverpool fans gave the Brazilian playmaker a rousing reception.

“We are not quite where we want to be, but that is normal in pre-season,” said Klopp after the game.

“We were good today. In the second half, we had control of the game. We had to fight, but we weren’t so good tactically.”

Klopp also hailed Coutinho who played a key role in Liverpool’s third goal, scored by Salah, with a fine lofted pass.

“Coutinho and Salah are two top level players, and we are extremely happy to have them,” said Klopp.

Over 50,000 fans descended on Berlin’s Olympiastadion to welcome Klopp and Liverpool, many of them filtering in from a fan festival which had taken place in the stadium grounds during the afternoon.

The imposing arena brought mixed fortunes for Klopp during his time in the Bundesliga.

In 2012, it was the scene of his greatest triumph, as Borussia Dortmund won the German Cup final to complete a domestic double.

Three years later, he lost the same fixture to Wolfsburg in a painful final game in charge of Dortmund.

Klopp, though, was all smiles upon his return to Berlin this weekend, even sharing an embrace with Hertha’s mascot ahead of the game. — AFP