Divock Origi, Sheyi Ojo Serve Reminder of Liverpool Forward Options in Milan Win

After a setback in their progress on Thursday, falling to a 1-0 defeat to Antonio Conte's Chelsea in the International Champions Cup, Liverpool got back to their winning ways as the club's summer preparations continued against two-time UEFA Champions League final opponents AC Milan.

Taking to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for their second ICC outing, Jurgen Klopp's side brushed past the Serie A outfit courtesy of goals from Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino.

With Klopp's squad nearing full strength on the inclusion of Origi, Daniel Sturridge, Nathaniel Clyne and summer signing Georginio Wijnaldum—who all sat out of the loss to Chelsea—the German is provided with a more accurate measure of where his side will be when they head into their Premier League opener in August.

The Reds will travel to Emirates Stadium on the first weekend of the season, taking on Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, and while speaking to reporters after the victory over Milan, Klopp insisted he was content with Liverpool's "status quo," as relayed by This is Anfield:

Klopp has placed an emphasis on improving his side on an overall level heading into his first full campaign as Reds manager, with a series of signings aiding their progress on the training field ahead of that crucial north London outing.

Off the field, former Bayern Munich fitness coach Andreas Kornmayer has been appointed to improve the output of Klopp's ranks—suiting his intensive tactical demands—while Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane, Loris Karius, Alex Manninger, Joel Matip, Marko Grujic and Ragnar Klavan have been added to the first-team squad.

This serves to bolster Klopp's options, and this is particularly the case in attack—as the substitute displays of Origi and Sheyi Ojo underlined in Santa Clara.

As Jordan Henderson led his team-mates out to a packed Levi's Stadium on a warm evening in California, Klopp's strong starting lineup revealed a potentially telling tactical development for the 2016/17 campaign: fielding his side in a 4-3-3 formation, the German signalled a departure from last season's structure.

In 2015/16, Klopp largely utilised a 4-2-3-1 system, with a two-man midfield pivot providing the balance between a fluid, four-pronged attacking line, with Firmino, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho swarming around one of Origi or Sturridge.

But the additions of Mane and Wijnaldum this summer, for a combined £55 million, has seen Klopp remould his setup.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Against Milan, Liverpool began in an attack-heavy 4-3-3, with a back four of Klavan, Dejan Lovren, Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner shielding Simon Mignolet in goal—aided by Henderson, who operated in a reserved, sitting duty in the midfield three.

Henderson's diligence in this new role allowed Lallana and Wijnaldum—starting as central midfielders—to drive forward and support the attack, which consisted of Coutinho and Mane on the flanks and Sturridge in the focal role up front.

This allowed Liverpool to dominate Milan, breaking down their steadfast defence and creating a number of openings, as Klopp told reporters after the final whistle:

"

If you want to talk, it’s the way we played and the style of play and the dominance we had and the passing situations we had.

In the first half we played brilliantly, we did the right thing—passed and passed and passed all the time until we were through.

We created chances and didn’t score, we didn’t finish. But it will come, 100 percent.

"

An improvement on their performance against Chelsea, Liverpool's positive attacking play—be it through Wijnaldum's intelligent third-man runs, Mane's pace and width, or Sturridge's predatory movement—saw them overwhelm Vincenzo Montella's Milan.

But, as Klopp conceded, the inability to convert chances—by Sturridge and Mane in particular—saw this good work undermined, and the 49-year-old's half-time changes were designed to inject further impetus.

Klopp brought on Clyne for Alexander-Arnold, Alberto Moreno for Wijnaldum, Kevin Stewart for Lallana, Firmino for Coutinho, Lazar Markovic for Mane and Origi for Sturridge, keeping his loose 4-3-3 formation as Milner moved into midfield to take up a box-to-box role along with Henderson.

While the attacking trio of Coutinho, Mane and Sturridge combined well in the first half at Levi's Stadium, Origi and Firmino in particular handed Liverpool the cutting edge they were so lacking before the interval.

It took Origi just 14 minutes to break the deadlock, latching onto an excellent long pass from Moreno before turning former Reds defender Gabriel Paletta and placing a right-footed shot into the bottom corner.

A moment of pure brilliance from the young Belgian, Origi served up a reminder of his vast attacking talents after a summer in obscurity, warming the substitutes' bench for Marc Wilmots' Red Devils at the UEFA European Championship in France.

Origi had the ball in the net again 12 minutes later, this time beating Milan goalkeeper Gabriel with his left foot, but it was wrongly ruled out for offside—denying Liverpool's No. 27 a more sensational comeback.

Firmino made it 2-0 on 73 minutes, however, and it was the introduction of Ojo that provided the Reds' clincher.

Ojo replaced Milner just after the hour mark, taking up his natural position on the right-hand side of the attack as Klopp shifted into a system closer to his regular 4-2-3-1, with Ojo, Markovic and Firmino supporting Origi.

Just as Mane's pace gave Liverpool a valuable outlet in the first half, Ojo's speed on the flanks saw Liverpool's openings increase, and with more of an emphasis on the 19-year-old's delivery from out wide, Firmino was able to slide home his deflected cross. 

Jon Super/Associated Press

The ability to change the game from the substitutes' bench, in adding different options to his forward line without compromising on quality, is a positive development for Klopp this summer, with his work in the transfer market boosting Liverpool's attacking ranks significantly.

With Wijnaldum able to operate in the centre of midfield, behind the striker or on either flank, and Mane comfortable on either wing or as a second striker, Klopp has been able to achieve the tactical flexibility he discussed in February.

"It is about a squad where you can play different systems and react to different situations," he told reporters when detailing his plans for the summer, with this win over Milan proof of this in action.

Speaking to the assembled media (via Goal.com's Melissa Reddy) during the Reds' tour of the United States, first-team development coach Pepijn Lijnders explained the importance of adding players who would have a "direct influence" on the improvement of the squad:

"

With signings you want a direct influence on the areas you’re already good in, and the ones you need strengthening in.

We analysed our game model, looking at how we want to start our attack, how we want to master our attack, inside creation, outside creation, this is how we want to defend, this is how we want to organise pressing situations.

So using that, we looked at where we needed development.

"

While Klavan and Matip will strengthen Liverpool's defence ranks in 2016/17, Klopp's focus is very much along the lines of attack being the best form of defence—with shades of the Reds' swashbuckling forward play of 2013/14, a season that saw them challenge for the Premier League title without, as with the upcoming campaign, the distractions of European football.

In Wijnaldum, Mane, Origi, Ojo, Sturridge, Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana, Markovic and Danny Ings, Klopp has a plethora of attacking options that offer a variety of different qualities, allowing him to "play different systems and react to different situations."

As the Liverpool manager and his backroom staff look to navigate a season that promises a host of different challenges, he is well-prepared to find solutions—either in his starting lineup or from the bench.

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