NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates with team-mate Federico Chiesa (R) after scoring the second and equalising goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates with team-mate Federico Chiesa (R) after scoring the second and equalising goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool began their pre-season with an encouraging 4-2 win over Sunderland that featured an incredible long-range strike from Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool 4-2 Sunderland
Friendly | GEODIS Park | July 25, 2026
Goals
Morrison 13′ (assist: Elliott)
Szoboszlai 56′
Chiesa 72′ (assist: Ramsay)
Koumas 85′ (assist: Szoboszlai)
Le Fee 28′
Tuterov 49′
Jeremy Jacquet missing as four teenagers start
The key piece of team news came in the form of Jeremy Jacquet‘s absence. He wasn’t in the squad due to a reported ‘minor issue’ but is expected to resume team training in the US.
Andoni Iraola‘s pick to start in Jacquet’s place was Mor Talla Ndiaye, who joined in January from Senegalese club Amitie FC.
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong (R) challenges Sunderland's Romaine Mundle during a friendly match between Liverpool FC ans AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong (R) challenges Sunderland's Romaine Mundle during a friendly match between Liverpool FC ans AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool’s remaining trio of starting teenagers formed the attack as Kieran Morrison, Will Wright and Rio Ngumoha played across the front three.
The rest of the first-half XI was made up of Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal, Jeremie Frimpong and Kostas Tsimikas at full-back, with Curtis Jones, James McConnell and Harvey Elliott in midfield.
Kevin Keegan was honoured with a minute of applause then silence in the Reds’ first game since the legendary forward’s passing this week.
Kicking off fashionably late, as we have come to expect from the American World Cup this summer, it was red vs. pink in the humid Tennessee conditions.
The 30,100-capacity stadium was far from full, possibly due to the extortionate tickets prices, with supporters asked to pay over $100 in the weeks before the match.
Joe Gomez off after nine minutes
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Joe Gomez receives treatment during a friendly match between Liverpool FC ans AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Joe Gomez receives treatment during a friendly match between Liverpool FC ans AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Just eight minutes in, Gomez went down with his first injury of the season. After sitting on the floor with an apparent muscle problem, he was able to walk off relatively comfortably.
Gomez’s exit didn’t disturb Liverpool too much as their new 18-year-old signing, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, came on in his place and looked assured alongside Ndiaye.
It was one of their academy teammates, Morrison, who got the first unofficial goal of Iraola’s reign, finishing precisely on his left foot from just inside the box.
Fifteen minutes later, Sunderland responded in style as Enzo Le Fee drove towards the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful shot into the Mamardashvili’s top right, giving the goalkeeper no chance.
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Kieran Morrison celebrates after scoring the first goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Kieran Morrison celebrates after scoring the first goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Iraola made five changes at the break, bringing on Trey Nyoni and Szoboszlai in midfield for Jones and Elliott, as well as Milos Kerkez for Tsimikas, Federico Chiesa for Wright and Lewis Koumas for Ngumoha.
It was the opposition, who had rotated all 10 outfielders at the break, who started brighter after the break; Timur Tutierov put them in front with an excellent strike just four minutes into the second period.
Szoboszlai didn’t take long to respond, though, picking up where he left off last season by stunningly striking a bouncing ball into the corner from 25 yards out.
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates with team-mate Trey Nyoni (L) after scoring the second and equalising goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates with team-mate Trey Nyoni (L) after scoring the second and equalising goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Left-sided player Calum Scanlon, who spent last season on loan at Cardiff, came on for McConnell, meaning Koumas moved more central next to Chiesa.
Scanlon then almost scored with his first touch as Morrison showed quick feet to find space and cross, but the substitute was just unable to reach the ball properly at the far post.
Midway through the second half, Iraola brought yet more youth onto the pitch as the much-talked-about Josh Abe replace Morrison on the right.
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Ndiaye came off to a round of applause after a solid debut, so left-back Luke Chambers came on in a slightly unnatural centre-back role.
The right-back was also changed, Calvin Ramsay replacing Frimpong, while Freddie Woodman took Mamardashvili’s post in goal.
Chiesa was the next scorer of the day, finishing calmly from a tight angle as the goalkeeper closed him down following Ramsay’s smart pass into the area.
Of the half-time substitutes, Koumas was arguably the most impressive, beating his man with ease several times and picking the right passes at the right times.
The Welsh international got his goal after Chiesa played a fantastic first-time pass round the corner to Szoboszlai, who timed his simple pass to Koumas.
He then dispatched calmly to cap a short-but-promising performance that will have impressed Iraola.
Early impressions
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Lewis Koumas celebrates with team-mate Dominik Szoboszlai (L) after scoring the fourth goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Lewis Koumas celebrates with team-mate Dominik Szoboszlai (L) after scoring the fourth goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
With so many changes and key players missing, it was difficult to garner much information from the Reds’ opening friendly.
However, the basics of Iraola’s system were on display. Liverpool pressed noticeably high in Sunderland‘s half and the wingers were key.
Ngumoha tracked back far more frequently than under Arne Slot, while the deepest midfielder often dropped between the split centre-halves to take the ball and move it forward.
There were also clear signs of work to be done, though, as the Reds sometimes took too many risks in playing the ball out from the back.
Pressing at the wrong time also caused problems, because when it wrong, Sunderland could get at Liverpool’s defence with one threaded pass.
Overall, this was a promising start to Iraola’s tenure, but we will have to wait a while longer for real signposts as to what we can expect this season.
TIA Man of the Match: Lewis Koumas
Liverpool 4-2 Sunderland: Match Facts
Liverpool first-half XI: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Gomez (Ndukwe 10′), Ndiaye, Tsimikas; McConnell, Jones; Morrison, Elliott, Ngumoha; Wright
Liverpool second-half XI: Mamardashvili (Woodman 67′); Frimpong (Ramsay 67′), Ndukwe, Ndiaye (Chambers 67′), Kerkez; Nyoni, McConnell (Scanlon 57′), Szoboszlai; Morrison (Abe 67′), Chiesa, Koumas
Unused subs: Davies, Sonni-Lambie
Sunderland first-half XI: Ellborg; Mukiele, Ballard, O’Nien, Reinildo; Browne, Le Fee, Rigg; Hume, Mundle, Isidor
Sunderland second-half XI: Ellborg; Jenson Jones, Seelt, Hjelde, Lightfoot; Jaydon Jones, Whittaker, Proctor; Geragusian, Tutierov, Ogunsuyi
2026-07-23-025-Liverpool_Pre-Season_Day_4
CHICAGO, USA - Thursday, July 23, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremy Jacquet departs the team hotel in Chicago on day four of the club's pre-season tour of America. The team play friendly games in Nashville, New York and Chicago as they prepare for the start of the new 2026/27 Premier League season. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)