Mohamed Salah Scores as Liverpool Cruise to Friendly Win over Napoli

Liverpool continued their preparations for the upcoming season with a simple 5-0 win over Napoli on Saturday, with star forward Mohamed Salah finding the net in Dublin.

James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum gave the Reds a quick two-goal lead, as Napoli had no answers for Liverpool's high press and ball movement. The Premier League side are further along in their preparations for the new season, and it showed on Saturday.

Salah added to the advantage after the break, and Daniel Sturridge and Alberto Moreno also found the back of the net.

Here are the key takeaways from this pre-season friendly.

Keita-Milner-Fabinho Midfield has Devastating Potential

Manager Jurgen Klopp sent out a strong starting XI on Saturday, and, with the exception of Fabinho, there's a good chance this could be the side that opens the season against West Ham:

Milner and Naby Keita were among the top standouts in the first half, doing damage with their high press and clever movement. The Englishman stole the show with a goal and an assist, but more importantly he looked excellent playing with Keita, who is all but guaranteed a starting spot.

There are no such guarantees for Milner, as someone will have to make way for Fabinho eventually. It's hard to see Klopp benching the former Manchester City man after this showing, however, and a more likely scenario is a grouping of the three. The potential of such a midfield triangle is tantalising, to say the least.

All of that is dependent on Milner's health, however, and there are some concerns after he left the pitch with a head injury in the second half:

Wijnaldum would be another option, and he too impressed against the Italians, but his versatility off the bench makes him a valuable depth option Klopp should hold back against the Hammers.

Rusty Alisson Will Need Time to Settle

Alisson Becker made his Liverpool debut against Napoli and looked a little shaky, impressing with his distribution but not with his shot-stopping.

He misjudged several crosses and made a mess of the only tough save he had to make in the first half. The Liverpool Echo's Kristian Walsh assumed he'll need some time to settle in:

It was more of the same in the second half, but the Brazilian did keep a clean sheet on his debut, which should boost his confidence.

After a long season with AS Roma and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Alisson deserved a rest, and a little rust after his vacation was to be expected. The Reds must hope he'll shake it off before the match against West Ham, and there's no reason to doubt he will.

Napoli Have Work To Do After Sarri Departure

Former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri is known for his unique training methods and an intricate style of play that takes players some time to learn. As a consequence, it often takes his teams months to adapt after he moves on, and that appears to be the case with Napoli.

The Partenopei were disastrous in the opening stages of this match, and while they recovered toward the end of the half, Liverpool's healthy lead and a decrease in the pace of play contributed to that. The Reds' backups pushed on in the second half and made the final score more embarrassing.

Carlo Ancelotti is a fine manager, and there's little doubt he'll get this team on track, but it might take some time. Napoli have been contenders for the Serie A title in the last two seasons, but a slow start to the upcoming campaign would not be a surprise.

What's Next?

The Reds will play one more friendly, against Torino on Tuesday, before kicking off their Premier League campaign against West Ham United on August 12. Napoli have several more friendlies scheduled and won't be in action domestically until August 18, when they face Lazio.