Nunez fires hat-trick as Chiesa and 16-year-old score in AXA demolition

Liverpool secured a commanding 5-0 win over Stoke City in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the AXA Training Centre, with Darwin Nunez netting a first-half hat-trick.

The Uruguayan’s future has been widely debated this summer, but this latest performance offered a timely reminder of his goalscoring ability – even if it came away from the spotlight.

As reported by David Lynch on X, the game was held privately but saw several standout contributions, including a goal from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha and a strike from Federico Chiesa.

Nunez the star in behind-closed-doors friendly

Ngumoha’s finish came in the first half, with the teenager continuing to impress since arriving from Chelsea’s academy setup.

Chiesa, who had endured a frustrating debut campaign last term due to injuries, added the fifth to round off a polished outing from the Premier League champions.

Germany international Florian Wirtz, our club-record signing from Bayer Leverkusen, also featured for the first time and is steadily integrating into Arne Slot’s pre-season plans.

Pre-season preparations continue for Liverpool

Arne Slot has been working with a mixed group of seniors and youngsters ahead of our next public friendly, with the AXA fixture providing a chance for fringe players to build rhythm and match sharpness.

Liverpool have already signed Florian Wirtz to transform our attacking blueprint – but this outing showed there’s still life in some of last season’s lesser-used options.

Federico Chiesa, who managed just 466 minutes last season, will be keen to prove he can play a more central role this term, particularly with Diogo Jota’s tragic passing and Luis Diaz being linked with a move away.

Slot will no doubt be encouraged by the sharpness shown across the squad in this 5-0 win.

You can view the friendly updates via @davidlynchlfc on X:

The game finished in a 5-0 win for Liverpool with Federico Chiesa netting the other goal.

— David Lynch (@davidlynchlfc) July 20, 2025

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