Lars Stindl's Karlsruhe went down against Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool in a warm-up game at the Wildparkstadion.

Karlsruhe 2-4 Liverpool
Goals: 0-1 Nunez 3', 1-1 Stindl 39', 2-1 Jung 50', 2-2 Gakpo 69', 2-3 Jota 90'+1, 2-4 Jota 90'+3

After 13 years in the Bundesliga with Hannover and Borussia Mönchengladbach, Stindl was back where it all began at Karlsruhe. The 34-year-old attacker scored a stunning equaliser to cancel out Darwin Nunez's early opener at the BBBank Wildpark.

Fans inside the recently refurbished stadium had even more to celebrate after the restart when Sebastian Jung clattered home a near-post rocket to make it 2-1 to Christian Eichner's side. Yet a tidy Cody Gakpo leveller preceded a late Diogo Jota double as Liverpool left the impressive arena with the win their coach Jürgen Klopp will have enjoyed. 

Watch: Jürgen Klopp - Made in the Bundesliga

Teams

Karlsruhe: Drewes - Jung, Franke, Bormuth, Heise - Gondorf (c), Nebel, Wanitzek, Stindl - Rossmann, Schleusener
Subs: Eisele, Weiß, Beifus, Burnic, Brosinski, Zivzivadze, Harold, Thiede, Marino, Arase, Souchard, Ersungur
Out: O'Shaughnessy (hip), Sihlaroglu (cruciate ligament)
Coach: Christian Eichner

Liverpool: Kelleher - Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk (c), Robertson - Alexander-Arnold, Clark, Szoboszlai, Diaz - Salah, Nunez
Subs: Jaros, Mrozek, Gomez, Mac allister, Gakspo, Jota, Tsimikas, Matip, Scanlon, Dock, McConnell, Koumas, Quansah
Out: Thiago (hip)
Coach: Jürgen Klopp

As it happened ...

2 - 4

(0 - 0)

Karlsruhe

FINAL

Liverpool

Friendly
Pre-season Pre-season BBBank Wildpark

90'

+ 3

Game over

The referee brings an entertaining pre-season friendly to a close. Liverpool win it with a couple of late goals but there will be plenty of positives for Karlsruhe to take from this game, not least Lars Stindl's super strike to level proceedings at 1-1.

90'

+ 3

Reds' late flourish

Diogo Jota races onto Mac Allister's through pass and slots in his team's fourth of the game.

90'

+ 3

Jota

GOAL!

2:4

90'

+ 1

Liverpool in front

Klopp's men have probably won this friendly after Jota jinks his way through before applying a neat finish in injury time.

90'

+ 1

Jota

GOAL!

2:3

89'

Time added on

There will be three minutes added to the 90'.

85'

Almost Brosinski

McConnell makes a huge challenge to deny Daniel Brosinski, who was almost away on goal.

82'

Karlsruhe swap

Burnic is on for Gondorf for the hosts.

78'

Sting gone

We've entered true pre-season friendly mode now with both teams stroking the ball around and the fans doing the Mexican wave.

73'

Drewes frustrates Jota

Diogo Jota bursts through, plays a neat one-two and suddenly has a sight of goal. Drewes races off his line and expertly clears with his feet.

72'

Karlsruhe changes

Herold is in for Jung while Arase replaces Stindl for Karlsruhe. Beifus is also coming on, with Franke making way.

69'

Liverpool level

A lofted ball from the right is knocked down to Gakpo by Jota. The Dutch attacker spins his man and slams home Liverpool's equaliser.

69'

Gakpo

GOAL!

2:2

65'

Men in blue defending

Karlsruhe look content to sit back and soak up the Liverpool pressure. The home side are frustrating their English opponents.

61'

Gondorf booked

Gondorf tugs back Doak and the referee immediately whips out the yellow card to show the Karlsruher player.

61'

Yellow card

Jérôme Gondorf

56'

Reds respond

Chance for Liverpool. Mac Allister plays Scanlon in on the left. A low drive at the target is saved one-handed by Drewes.

52'

Confident hosts

The home fans are bouncing now as Karlsruhe enjoy some extended possession having recently edged ahead.

50'

Karlsruhe lead

A super ball over the top from Stindl catches Jung baring down on goal from the right full back position. Karlsruhe's No.2 batters the ball high in at the near post and the hosts are in front!

50'

Jung

GOAL!

2:1

46'

Liverpool XI

Jürgen Klopp will play with the following side for the second half: Jaros - Gomez, Matip, Quansah, Tsimikas - McConnell, Mac Allister, Scanlon - Gakpo, Doak, Jota

46'

Peeeeep!

Liverpool sub Mac Allister kicks-off the second half. The visitors have a completely different XI on the pitch this half, more on which to follow ...

45'

+ 3

Half time

The referee brings a highly-entertaining first half to a close. Applause all around as both sides head in for a deserved break.

45'

+ 2

Wanitzek no way through

Heise goes down under the challenge of Szoboszlai. Free kick in an interesting position for the hosts. Marvin Wanitzek fails to beat the wall with his subsequent set piece.

45'

Time added on

There'll be three minutes of injury time to play at the BBBank Wildpark.

43'

Drewes alert

Drewes denies Nunez, who probably should have done better from close range.

39'

What a goal!

Lars Stindl !!! Oh my, this is quite something. The Karlsruhe corner comes in from the left. Stindl is watching all the way and swings his leg, thwacking a venomous volley in off the underside of the crossbar! The home fans understandably go crazy.

39'

Lars Stindl

GOAL!

1:1

Klopp orchestrating

Liverpool's coach is back in his native Germany and he has been dishing out plenty of instructions during this game.

© Imago

35'

Drewes denies Salah

Karlsruhe captain Gondor loses possession out wide and it ends with Liverpool winning a corner. Robertson takes. The ball is nodded out to Salah, who strikes straight into the arms of goalkeeper Patrick Drewes.

30'

Franke defends

Back up the other end and there's a solid intervention from Franke, who denies Darwin Nunez at the last.

29'

On we go ...

Problem solved and with the waterworks out of action, Nebel gets down the right and wins a corner off Alexander Arnold. Franke heads over from the resulting set-piece.

27'

Sprinkler chaos!

We were all set to go again after the water break, however, the sprinklers have just turned on at the BBBank Wildpark.

23'

Water break

With both sets of players caked in sweat, now seems as good a time as any to take a break for some refreshments. Both coaches are taking advantage to offer some important instructions while the players wolf down the water.

19'

Almost Stindl

So close to an equaliser! The ball loops in to Stindl following a deflection. Karlsruhe's returnee pokes at goal from close range and Liverpool goalkeeper Kelleher makes a superb save after a bit of back-pedalling.

15'

Home pressure

Philip Heise wins a corner for the hosts and the home fans let out a huge cheer. Heise takes it and the ball pings about inside the Liverpool area before Konate whacks clear.

11'

Szoboszlai settling

Former Leipzig man Dominik Szoboszlai has had several touches thus far as he looks to ease his way into his new side. Karlsruhe are content to sit back and soak up the pressure.

8'

Goal chalked off

A Trent Alexander Arnold corner is nodded in by Van Dijk but the referee blows for a foul inside the area. Free kick Karlsruhe.

6'

Hosts up against it

Karlsruhe started relatively well in the opening couple of minutes before falling behind. Christian Eichner's side are being pegged back now, however. It's all Liverpool since the goal.

3'

Liverpool lead

First blood to Liverpool. Darwin Nunez skips into the area and looks to play in Salah to his left. Nunez might have taken a shot there but the ball rolls back into his path and he fires in for the game's first goal.

3'

Nunez

GOAL!

0:1

1'

Game on!

A super-fit looking Lars Stindl gets this friendly underway ....

Teams in tunnel

The music is blasting out around the ground as we await the appearance of both sides. It's the perfect evening for football with the sun beaming down on this impressive ground.

New stadium bounce

Lest we forget, Karlsruhe are hosting their first game at the fully redeveloped Wildparkstadion - or the BBBank Wildpark, as it is known. The ground is looking resplendent in blue and the atmosphere is going to be extra special when this friendly gets underway shortly.

Team news

Lars Stindl is raring to go here, the midfielder back at the side where he began his career before going on to become one of the Bundesliga's most recognisable names. The ex-Borussia Mönchengladbach man will remember Liverpool new boy and former Leipzig star Dominik Szoboszlai well, the pair having previously faced off in Germany's top flight. Ibrahima Konate is another ex Leipzig player who makes the visitors' first XI this evening.

© Getty

Karlsruher starting XI

Drewes - Jung, Franke, Bormuth, Heise - Gondorf (c), Nebel, Wanitzek, Stindl - Rossmann, Schleusener

Karlsruher subs:

Eisele, Weiß, Beifus, Burnic, Brosinski, Zivzivadze, Harold, Thiede, Marino, Arase, Souchard, Ersungur

Liverpool starting XI

Kelleher - Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson - Alexander-Arnold, Clark, Szoboszlai, Diaz - Salah, Nunez

Liverpool subs:

Subs: Jaros, Mrozek, Gomez, Mac allister, Gakspo, Jota, Tsimikas, Matip, Scanlon, Dock, McConnell, Koumas, Quansah

Liverpool Karlsruhe-bound

Local media are covering the tie in great detail, and posted footage of the Premier League side's team bus headed to Karlsruhe on a sunny Autobahn in the early afternoon.

Great excitement in Karlsruhe

Liverpool are visiting for the official opening of the club's new BBBank Wildpark stadium. The work since 2018 has marked a major rebuild of the existing Wildparkstadion, boosting its capacity from 15,000 to 34,000.

Watch: Latest KSC friendly win

Karslruhe ran out as 4-0 winners over TSV Balingen on Saturday. Marvin Wanitzek scored twice.

Last season - Karlsruhe SC

KSC finished in the top half of Bundesliga 2 last season in seventh - making for a promising campaign for a side that have been out of the top flight since 2009. Highlights included a 4-2 win at home to third-placed Hamburg in March and a high-scoring 4-4 draw against St. Pauli in November.

One to watch: Paul Nebel

The Germany U20 captain is a product of the Mainz youth ranks and made 14 Bundesliga appearances for the 05ers before moving to Karlsruhe in the summer of 2022. The attacking midfielder showed his talent right away at his new side, scoring four goals and providing six assists in Bundesliga 2 last term. Nebel has an Irish grandmother, but has represented Germany at five separate junior age groups.

© IMAGO/Sportfoto Zink / Daniel Marr/IMAGO/Zink

2:03

Lars the Legend

After 13 years in the Bundesliga with Hannover and Borussia Mönchengladbach, Lars Stindl has returned to his boyhood club Karlsruhe, where he made his professional debut over 15 years ago. The 34-year-old former German international showed last season that he's still got it, scoring eight goals for Gladbach in the Bundesliga - with his final strike for the club rescuing a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in May.

Hosts hit friendly form

While Liverpool will be getting their first match action of the summer, Karlsruhe have four wins in five pre-season friendly matches behind them already. That included an eye-catching 18-0 win over Ketsch, but it would be expected that Liverpool provide somewhat of a stiffer test. KSC's Bundesliga 2 season starts with a trip to Osnabrück on 29 July, while Liverpool's first competitive tie of 2023/24 comes at Chelsea on 13 August. One curious thing about their summer schedules - both sides are to still play Darmstadt in friendly matches.

5:05

Dom ready for debut?

Plenty of eyes will be on Liverpool's line-up for their first pre-season friendly of the summer. Dominik Szoboszlai could see his first taste of action in a Liverpool shirt - and in the meantime there are plenty of spectacular moments from his final season at RB Leipzig to feast your eyes on...

Klopp v Karlsruhe

The two sides have never previously faced one another, but Jürgen Klopp has faced KSC ten times in the dugout for Mainz and Dortmund - losing only once.

Reds in the Black Forest

Liverpool began a ten-day training camp in the town of Donaueschingen in Germany's Black Forest on Saturday - not too far from where a young Jürgen Klopp grew up. They will make the trip up the road to Karslruhe for a friendly match on Wednesday evening against the Bundesliga 2 outfit.

Welcome along

Thank you for joining us for build-up and live match coverage of this pre-season friendly between Karlsruhe and Liverpool.

About the players

13

Lars Edi

Stindl

Karlsruher SC

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Match stats

• Stindl scored a brace against Klopp's Dortmund in the 2014/15 Bundesliga season.
• Fabian Schleusener was Karlsruhe's top scorer in Bundesliga 2 last season, with 13 goals.
• Klopp oversaw Bundesliga 340 matches as Mainz and Dortmund coach, winning the 2011 and 2012 title with the latter.
• Klopp's record as a coach in meetings with Karlsruhe reads: W5, D4, L1.
• Szoboszlai registered 12 goals and 16 assists across 62 Bundesliga appearances for Leipzig, while Thiago Alcantara won seven Bundesliga titles with Bayern.
• Liverpool defender Joel Matip is a product of Schalke's acclaimed youth academy.

About the clubs

Karlsruher SC

BBBank Wildpark