Liverpool to face Sunderland in friendly as Reds begin new era
Liverpool are set to commence a new phase under head coach Andoni Iraola with a friendly match against Sunderland. The fixture will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, marking the start of their pre-season schedule.
Iraola, formerly with Bournemouth, assumed the head coach position earlier this summer. This follows the departure of Arne Slot, whose tenure concluded after a Premier League title defence that was deemed below expectations.
Squad Status and Key Players
The Liverpool squad currently available to Iraola is not at full strength. Several key players are either injured or in the process of recovering from the World Cup. Notable absentees include Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, and Alexander Isak, none of whom have yet joined the squad. Cody Gakpo is also unavailable.
Additionally, Hugo Ekitike is continuing his recovery from an Achilles rupture. Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are in similar recovery situations. Despite these absences, some players are expected to feature in the upcoming friendly.
Those anticipated to play include Dominik Szoboszlai, who recently signed a new five-year contract, and Rio Ngumoha. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are also expected to be part of the squad for the match. The primary objective for this friendly is to provide players with valuable match minutes.
Match Details and Broadcast Information
The friendly between Liverpool and Sunderland is scheduled to kick off at 11pm BST. For fans in the UK, the match will not be broadcast on traditional television channels.
However, supporters have several options for live streaming the game. The match can be streamed via LFCTV, All Red Video, and SAFC Live. All Red Video offers free access upon registration. An LFCTV membership is available starting at £4.99 per month. Alternatively, an SAFC Live video pass can be purchased for £8 per match, or as part of a four-match bundle priced at £30.
Following the match against Sunderland, Liverpool will continue their pre-season preparations with further fixtures against Wrexham, Leeds, Monaco, and Como.
Other Club Friendlies on July 25th
Several other club friendlies took place or were scheduled for Saturday, July 25th. Some matches concluded with full-time results, while others had confirmed kick-off times or were cancelled.
Confirmed full-time results include:
- RAAL La Louvière 0, Samsunspor 0
- Consadole Sapporo 1, Nagoya Grampus 0
- Matsumoto Yamaga 3, Ventforet Kofu 0
- Espanyol 1, Sabadell 1
- Girona 0, Alavés 1
- Concarneau 2, Laval 1
- Gil Vicente 2, Moreirense 2
- Hørsholm-Usserød 3, Roskilde 3
- Kortrijk 4, Knokke 1
- Luton Town 2, Al Kholood 0
- Næsby 0, Middelfart 1
- Odra Opole 1, Wisła Kraków II 2
- Südtirol 0, Kaiserslautern 0
- Wycombe Wanderers 3, Yeovil Town 2
- Benfica II 1, Casa Pia 0
- Mafra 1, Alverca 0
- Porto II 1, Académica 3
- Albirex Niigata 3, Montedio Yamagata 4
- Brabrand 1, Thisted 1
- Freiburg II 3, Hoffenheim II 0
- Frem 1, Fremad Amager 0
- Lens 2, Sporting Charleroi 2
- Mechtersheim 2, Astoria Walldorf 5
- Skive 0, VSK Aarhus 1
- Sonnenhof Großaspach 2, Darmstadt 98 7
- Radomiak Radom 2, Anorthosis 3
- Brønshøj 2, HIK 2
- Dynamo Dresden 1, Energie Cottbus 2
- FA 2000 2, Rosengård 0
- Harrogate Town 2, Doncaster Rovers 2
- Heerenveen 4, OH Leuven 4
- Kolos Kovalivka 2, Chornomorets 1
- Næstved 1, B 93 1
- Paderborn 0, Magdeburg 2
- Rot-Weiss Essen 1, Borussia M’gladbach 2
- Sparta Rotterdam II 2, AZ II 3
- ZFC Meuselwitz 3, Barockstadt Fulda-Lehn. 3
- Dunkerque 1, Westerlo 3
- Hamburger SV 3, Heidenheim 1
- Hanwell Town 0, Aldershot Town 2
- Kaiserslautern II 1, Bonner SC 0
- Metz 3, Fortuna Sittard 1
- Rödinghausen 2, Hessen Kassel 1
- Scarborough Athletic 0, Barnsley 2
- Stuttgarter Kickers 1, Jahn Regensburg 2
- TSV Steinbach 2, Sportfreunde Siegen 8
- Willem II 1, Mechelen 0
- Wormatia Worms 3, Sandhausen 6
- Zulte Waregem 3, Sparta Rotterdam 2
Several matches were cancelled, including Antwerp versus Lierse SK, Santa Clara versus Arouca, Annecy versus Brighton & Hove Albion, Fremad Amager versus Nykøbing, Genk II versus Eindhoven, Atlas Delmenhorst versus Arminia Bielefeld II, Drochtersen / Assel versus Havelse, Eintracht Frankfurt versus Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, Gütersloh versus Havelse, and RB Leipzig versus Ingolstadt.
Other matches, such as Konyaspor versus Hull City, Osijek versus Rizespor, and Chaves versus Vitória Guimarães II, had confirmed kick-off times on July 25th.
Source: bbc.co.uk