Zambia’s Patson Daka scores twice for RB Salzburg in 2-2 draw against Liverpool
Zambian striker Patson Daka scored twice as Austrian champions RB Salzburg held Premier League champions Liverpool to a 2-2 draw in a preseason friendly at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, on Tuesday.
Salzburg, who came into the game off a 4-1 defeat to Ajax Amsterdam in their previous match, started brightly with Daka breaking the deadlock in just the third minute.
Liverpool midfielder Fabinho lost possession in a dangerous area and Daka raced towards goal, holding him off and coolly slotted the ball past Alisson.
10 minutes later, Salzburg broke down the left and Mergim berisha, again, picked out Daka in the penalty box and the Zambian’s sliding effort had just enough to get past Alisson for a 2-0 lead.
It was Daka’s third goal in four preseason games after a league campaign where he netted more than 20 goals.
Both sides continued pushing for a goal, Salzburg for one that could potentially kill off the game and, for Liverpool, one that could bring it back into the match.
Liverpool’s Senegalese forward Sadio Mane had the best chance of the bunch when he had his shot cleared off the line by Albert Vallci with three minutes of the half left to play.
Salzburg started the second half much as they did the first half but Daka failed to seal his hat-trick when he fired weakly and wide from an angle under pressure from Virgil van Dijk with an open goal at his mercy.
Three minutes later, Mane found Mohamed Salah with a splitting through ball but goalkeeper Alexander Walke kept out the Egyptian’s effort.
Mane was then taken off for Rhian Brewster in the 63rd minute in between Vallci and Daka missing good opportunities for the hosts.
Brewster was set up by James Milner, another substitute, to pull one back in the 72nd minute with an emphatic finish.
With time ticking, Walke had a clearance charged down by Curtis Jones and the ball fell kindly to Brewster who lobbed the ball into the net for the equalizer with 10 minutes of normal play left.
After the match, Daka said the match was a really good test for both sides and they gave it as much intensity as they could.
“It was a very great game. We played very well. We played according to the plan, according to the tactics. The result today, it was a fair result because, both sides, we have really shown we are putting in 100 percent work,” Daka said.
RB Salzburg will next play Bregenz in the Austrian Cup on Saturday Liverpool is next scheduled to play in the Community Shield against FA Cup winners Arsenal at Wembley the same day.