Malaysia XI vs. Liverpool: Score and Reaction from 2015 Pre-Season Friendly

Liverpool continued their unbeaten start to pre-season on Friday with a 1-1 draw against a Malaysia XI, coming back from a goal down to claim their draw.

The Reds were stunned early in Kuala Lumpur as Patrick Ronaldinho opened for the hosts, but a sensational strike from emerging star Jordon Ibe pulled them back. Liverpool's official Twitter account confirmed the result:

Brendan Rodgers' side came to Bukit Jalil National Stadium having conceded just a single goal in pre-season, and just as Brisbane Roar managed a week ago, the Malaysia XI hit first in their nation's capital.

Not to be confused with his Brazilian namesake, Liberia international Patrick Wleh—referred to as Ronaldinho—nudged the home outfit into a lead.

And that wasn't the only early test Adam Bogdan faced, with Ronaldinho in particular causing some trouble among the Liverpool defenders, while Jordan Henderson started to cause problems at the other end.

One thing Rodgers may not have appreciated was the amount of heavy tackles being traded in the capital city, as the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce confirmed Nathaniel Clyne as taking a knock early on:

Lucas Leiva also found himself in a scrape or two, but Liverpool managed to avoid any substantial injuries in their bid to open up the Malaysia XI and find a foothold in the tie.

After 28 minutes, Ibe rose to do just that as he dampened the blow of Raheem Sterling's recent exit with a show of finishing skill even the departed England winger would be proud of.

Ibe's wonder strike worked a treat to inspire Liverpool as the visitors came upon a dominant patch, but Divock Origi was struggling in his deployment as the team's main striking hub.

Ibe and Adam Lallana enjoyed their spells in possession and regularly advanced into enemy territory, but it seemed confidence in Origi was flagging as the wide pair opted for individual efforts coming to the break.

The two teams went in level at half-time, and the second period did nothing to dissipate the intensity of the clash, with Nasir Basharuddin fortunate to not be shown red for a late slide tackle on Ibe.

Vincent Thian/Associated Press

The second half produced a similar narrative to the first as Liverpool peppered the Malaysia XI goal with their attempts to go in front, but all ended up wide of the mark.

There was some concern for the Merseysiders, though, that the Malaysia XI were permitted to create their own portion of chances, with centre-backs Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel found wanting at times.

This will be Origi's first season at Liverpool, having spent last term on loan with Lille, but his outing against the Malaysia XI simply didn't yield the opportunities he wanted, nor the finishing fortune he desired:

He and Lucas were withdrawn later in the half to give youngsters Jordan Rossiter and Sheyi Ojo some much-needed minutes, but a winner wouldn't come for the Premier League side.

Liverpool return to Europe next week following their tour of Australia and Asia, playing HJK Helsinki on August 1 before taking on Swindon Town a day later in their final pre-season matchup.

With barely a fortnight left until the start of the Premier League campaign, a draw against Friday's Malaysia XI tells the Reds chief there's still work to be done this summer.