Liverpool face the unusual challenge of playing two matches in one day as they welcome Sevilla and Las Palmas to Anfield for friendlies.
This day of football is something Liverpool planned for and will provide Arne Slot with a good opportunity to get acquainted with his new surroundings.
Most importantly, though, the games will give key players an opportunity for their first minutes on the pitch before the Premier League starts less than a week later.
Liverpool XIs vs. Sevilla & Las Palmas
While it is difficult enough to predict the team for one game, let alone two friendly matches with a new head coach, we can assume a couple of things.
With the Sevilla match kicking off at 12.30pm (BST) and ending two and a half hours before the Las Palmas game even begins, it is safe to predict that players won’t be involved in both matches.
One man you won’t find in these predicted lineups is Andy Robertson. The Scotsman has only recently returned to full training and while he may start, we think he is more likely to be used as a substitute.
Among others who are unlikely to start are the eight players who dropped away from first-team training this week due to the return of Liverpool’s best-performing internationals.
Therefore, from the squad that went to the USA, we would expect Amara Nallo, Owen Beck, James McConnell, Luca Stephenson, Trey Nyoni and Kaide Gordon to be used as substitutes.
Meanwhile, Fabio Carvalho is highly unlikely to be involved having just agreed a deal to join Brentford.
Here is how Liverpool could line up against Sevilla:
- Slot sticks with the defence that performed well in the USA
- Harvey Elliott starts as the most attacking midfielder
- Though he favours the right, Ben Doak plays on the left to maintain fitness amid an impending loan move
Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van den Berg, Tsimikas; Jones, Szobozslai, Elliott; Salah, Jota, Doak
If you consider that side against Sevilla to be the ‘pre-season XI’, then this next team is mainly made up of players who haven’t had as much time to learn from Slot.
There is a conundrum as to who would play on the left wing between Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, given the latter’s excellent showings in that position at Euro 2024.
However, there should be room for rotation during the game, allowing them both time in their most natural position.
Here’s how the team would vs. Las Palmas would look:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Endo, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Gakpo, Nunez, Diaz
Alternative XI vs. Sevilla & Las Palmas
Of course, Slot may decide to mix things up and immediately integrate the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister.
In this scenario, Caoimhin Kelleher makes way for Alisson and Sepp van den Berg takes his place on the bench.
This is how Liverpool could alternatively line up vs. Sevilla:
- Gakpo plays on the left, as he did for the Netherlands at Euro 2024
- Kostas Tsimikas starts with Andy Robertson coming off the bench
- Van Dijk and Jarell Quansah form what could be Liverpool’s strongest centre-back pairing
Alisson; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Jones, Elliott; Salah, Jota, Gakpo
It looks likely that Wataru Endo isn’t going to be one of the Slot’s favoured midfielders this season, so we would expect him to play against Las Palmas rather than Sevilla.
With the Reds having such a strong squad, though, he would still be surrounded by quality players and given a chance to prove he can adapt to the more technical needs of Slot’s holding midfielder.
Here’s how the alternative team would vs. Las Palmas would look:
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van den Berg, Gomez; Endo, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Diaz, Nunez, Doak
It is important to remember that these friendlies are usually played largely for fitness reasons.
However, for Liverpool this pre-season, there is the added intrigue of watching how the team is evolving.
Whether we see a mismatched starting XI this weekend or a familiar one, it is specific elements of the performance that matter most, not the overall result.
