Liverpool and Sunderland meet at GEODIS Park in Nashville on Saturday with kick-off at 5pm local time (11pm BST), as both clubs continue their preseason tours of the United States.
Liverpool head into the new campaign under Andoni Iraola following the surprise departure of Arne Slot, who was dismissed just a year after guiding the Reds to the Premier League title. Iraola inherits a side that finished fifth last season on 60 points, with underlying numbers that remained among the strongest in the division. Liverpool averaged 1.59 xG and 1.29 xGA per home game, reflecting a team that continued to create chances consistently despite an ultimately disappointing league finish.
Sunderland, meanwhile, enjoyed an impressive return to the Premier League, finishing seventh on 54 points in their first season back. Their underlying numbers were rather less convincing, averaging 1.08 xG with 1.62 xGA at home, suggesting they often relied on resilience and clinical finishing rather than territorial dominance.
Both managers are still working with incomplete squads following the World Cup, making this another friendly where team selection is likely to have a major influence on the outcome.
Iraola has already described every training session and preseason fixture as “massive” given the limited time available to implement his ideas before the Premier League season begins. Liverpool also continue to manage several injury issues.
Conor Bradley remains sidelined following knee surgery, Hugo Ekitike is recovering from a ruptured Achilles and Giovanni Leoni continues his rehabilitation from an ACL injury. Stefan Bajcetic and Wataru Endo are expected to return to partial training during the US tour, while Ryan Gravenberch, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are due to join the squad later after their World Cup campaigns ended.
Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Cody Gakpo are preparing separately at the AXA Training Centre, while Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz have been granted extended breaks after reaching the World Cup final with Argentina and Spain respectively.
Sunderland opened preseason with an impressive 5-1 victory over York City. Enzo Le Fee scored twice, while Chris Rigg, Timur Tutierov and Tom Proctor also found the net as Regis Le Bris used 23 players and changed his entire team at half-time. Leo Hjelde's injury during the second half was the only real negative on an otherwise encouraging afternoon.
Le Bris has also stressed the importance of gradually building fitness rather than rushing players back after the World Cup. Sunderland are in the middle of a 12-day tour of the United States that also includes fixtures against Leeds United and Wrexham, making rotation and carefully managed minutes inevitable throughout the trip.
How the bookies view it
At the time of writing, there are no odds available for this fixture.
Head to head: Liverpool dominate record over Sunderland
Liverpool have historically dominated this fixture, winning nine of the previous 17 meetings compared to Sunderland's single victory, with seven matches ending level. Their two Premier League meetings last season produced a 1-1 draw at Anfield before Liverpool edged the return fixture 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.
Player to watch: Enzo Le Fee to show quality yet again
Enzo Le Fee made the perfect start to preseason with two goals against York City. He was one of Sunderland's most influential players last season, contributing five goals and six assists while starting 33 league matches. His quality from wide areas was equally important, delivering 98 crosses across the campaign, and he already looks among Sunderland's sharpest players heading into the US tour.
Predicted Line-ups
Sunderland (4-5-1): Ellborg; Reinildo, O'Nien, Mukiele, Hume; Rigg, Browne, Tutierov, Le Fee, Ta Bi; Ogunsuyi.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Gomez, Kerkez, Ramsay; Jones, Szoboszlai, Morrison; Nyoni, Chiesa, Ngumoha.
Anything else catch the eye?
This feels like one of the more difficult preseason fixtures to assess because both squads remain heavily affected by World Cup absences, injuries and the demands of touring the United States. Liverpool's priority will be giving Andoni Iraola more time to implement his pressing style, while Sunderland's focus remains on building fitness ahead of another demanding Premier League campaign. Neither manager is likely to place much importance on the final result.
The defensive situations also point towards an open contest. Liverpool remain without several recognised defenders, while Sunderland are carefully managing workloads and picked up another injury concern against York City.
At the other end, both sides have already shown encouraging signs in front of goal during preseason, with Sunderland scoring five against York and Liverpool finding the net five times against Swindon in Iraola's opening game.
If markets become available, over 2.5 goals would be my early lean, although confirmed team news remains essential before making any final judgement. With wholesale substitutions expected throughout the match, this is another fixture where the performances of fringe players are likely to prove more meaningful than the result itself.
Liverpool vs Sunderland Betting Tips & Predictions
Further Reading
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