Liverpool and young guns Primavera held to a draw in Castellani

Reds held by resilient Italian youngsters in mid-season friendly

Liverpool were held to a goalless draw by the Primavera team of Serie A strugglers, Hellas Verona in a mid-season friendly. The Reds, currently preparing for the Premier League's resumption at the end of December, fielded a youthful side at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi as Jurgen Klopp seeks to keep his players sharp during the World Cup break.

Despite bossing possession and registering 17 attempts on goal, Liverpool failed to find a way past the inspired Lorenzo Monteverdi in the Hellas Verona net.

Liverpool's youngsters fail to make breakthrough

The evening began brightly for the Reds, with Bobby Clark and Stefan Bajcetic combining well in midfield before the latter fired wide from 25 yards. Fabio Carvalho was next to go close for the visitors, but his sweetly struck effort cannoned back off the upright.

Liverpool continued to press for an opener, with Ben Doak seeing his shot deflected behind after a mazy dribble. But it was Monteverdi who stole the show in the Hellas Verona goal, making smart stops from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben Davies, and Curtis Jones as the half wore on.

The second period followed a similar pattern, with Liverpool dominating the ball but struggling to break down a resolute Verona defence. James Milner and Harvey Elliott were both introduced from the bench and the pair added some much-needed creativity but still, the Reds could not find a way past the impressive Monteverdi.

In the end, both sides had to settle for a point in a match that gave Klopp plenty to ponder ahead of the return of the Premier League.

Klopp pleased with young guns' performance

Despite the goalless draw, Klopp was pleased with the performance of his young players and praised their application and desire to impress.

"I thought the boys did very well," said Klopp. "They showed a lot of fighting spirit and commitment. We created some good chances but just couldn't find the goal tonight.

"It was a good test for us and we will learn from this experience. We will keep working hard and prepare for the second half of the season."

Liverpool will now return to England and continue their preparations for the Premier League's resumption on December 26th.