Liverpool continued their good pre-season form with a 2-0 win over AC Milan in the International Champions Cup on Saturday in Charlotte.
Joe Allen opened the scoring after 17 minutes as he tucked home a rebound and Suso sealed the win late on.
Brendan Rodgers' men will now face fierce rivals Manchester United - 3-1 winners against Real Madrid - in the final of the tournament in Miami on Monday night as they prepare for their Barclays Premier League opener against Southampton on August 17.
Manchester City - who could have leapfrogged the Reds to set up a derby with United had results went their way - ended their stay in the States with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Olympiacos following a 2-2 draw.
Stevan Jovetic and Aleksandar Kolarov's penalty had put City in the lead on two different occasions but each time Dimitrios Diamantakos found the net to send the game to spot-kicks.
And English trio James Milner, Scott Sinclair and Micah Richards all missed from 12 yards to consign the Premier League champions to defeat.
Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela were among the goalscorers as Tottenham thrashed Celtic 6-1 in Helsinki.
Spurs raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to efforts from frontmen Harry Kane and Soldado in the fourth and 11th minutes respectively.
Jamie Lindsay pulled a goal back for Celtic in the 43rd, but a minute later Lewis Holtby restored the two-goal cushion and Tottenham kept the momentum going after the break.
Midfielder Lamela - who, like Soldado, is looking to bounce back after a disappointing first season with the London club - made it 4-1 just before the hour mark.
And a Christian Eriksen free-kick and Emmanuel Adebayor penalty wrapped up the rout in the last 10 minutes, while Celtic's misery was compounded by a red card for Efe Ambrose - his second this week, having been dismissed in Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against Legia Warsaw.
Newcastle, playing at Schalke's Veltins Arena, conceded three goals in 18 first-half minutes en route to a 3-1 loss to Spanish side Malaga.
Sergi Darder opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a long-range strike that went in off the woodwork.
Samu Castillejo volleyed in at the far post in the 32nd minute and the same man then netted a deflected effort towards the end of the half before Gabriel Obertan fired in a consolation on the hour.
Summer signing Bafetimbi Gomis was on the scoresheet for Swansea as they beat Reading 3-1 at the Madejski Stadium.
The France striker provided a cool finish to seal the victory in the second half. Wayne Routledge had earlier - after Wilfried Bony crashed a penalty against the crossbar - scored twice in three minutes to put the Swans in charge, with the hosts replying through a Nick Blackman wonderstrike.
Crystal Palace suffered a 3-2 defeat at Championship newcomers Brentford.
A flurry of goals early in the second half saw Jonathan Douglas and Andre Gray put the home team 2-0 up and Palace then draw level through Glenn Murray and Marouane Chamakh. Moses Odubajo subsequently notched the winner.
A Stoke XI drew 0-0 at Burton and West Brom went down 1-0 at Nottingham Forest courtesy of a Matty Fryatt goal.
Charlie Austin and Junior Hoilett scored a brace apiece in QPR's 4-0 win at Shamrock Rovers, while summer recruit Marvin Sordell's effort steered Burnley to a 1-0 triumph at Blackpool.
Leicester drew 1-1 at Preston, with Liam Moore's goal cancelled out by a Tom Clarke header.
Aston Villa slumped to a 4-1 defeat away against Dutch side Groningen after conceding two goals in the opening eight minutes.
Both of those were scored by Tjaronn Chery, and Jarchinio Antonia then made it 3-0 on the half-hour. Charles N'Zogbia responded with a free-kick with around 15 minutes to go, but Groningen were not done and Dino Islamovic added their fourth in the last few seconds.
Competing in the same Schalke Cup tournament as Newcastle, West Ham drew 0-0 with the host club at the Veltins Arena before triumphing 7-6 on penalties.
The Hammers had survived a few scares during the 90 minutes, with their German opponents hitting the woodwork twice.
Source: PA
