Liverpool Face Leeds United: Key Battles, Bold Predictions, and Expected Lineups Revealed

Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Leeds United clash in a preseason friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago this Sunday.

Both clubs have already been stateside, each taking on Championship side Wrexham and fellow Premier League outfit Sunderland, though their respective preparations have followed very different trajectories.

Liverpool have made an impressive start to their preseason campaign, beating Sunderland 4–2 before narrowly defeating Wrexham 1–0. New boss Andoni Iraola has therefore remained unbeaten since taking the reins at Anfield.

Leeds, on the other hand, opened their tour with a 3–2 loss to Wrexham, with Sam Smith netting a late winner for the Welsh club. They bounced back in their following game, edging past Sunderland 1–0 courtesy of a Lukas Nmecha strike.

In the broader context, preseason results seldom carry significant weight beyond developing fitness, confidence and team cohesion; however, whenever Liverpool and Leeds lock horns, there tends to be an extra edge. The two clubs share a deep and storied rivalry stretching back to the 1960s, meaning fans in Chicago could be in for more than a routine friendly—they may well witness a fiercely competitive battle between two iconic English clubs.

Liverpool vs. Leeds Score Prediction

Liverpool to Edge Close Encounter

Preseason forecasts are always tricky to make with any real confidence. Squads tend to rotate heavily, managers experiment with different formations and younger players are handed opportunities, making outcomes unpredictable and not necessarily indicative of the season ahead.

That said, Liverpool head into this game as clear favorites. Their stronger preseason form against the same opponents, greater squad depth and overall quality, along with their recent dominance in this fixture, all suggest another positive outcome for the Reds.

Leeds have beaten Liverpool just once since April 2001, with most encounters going in the Reds' favor. However, their two Premier League meetings last season—a lively 3–3 draw followed by a goalless draw—demonstrate that this rivalry can still produce tightly contested affairs.

Even so, Liverpool's class should ultimately prove decisive, and Andoni Iraola's men are tipped to take the win.

Prediction: Liverpool 2–1 Leeds

Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Leeds

As he did in the games against Sunderland and Wrexham, Iraola is expected to continue leaning on Liverpool's younger players, at least from the outset against Leeds.

That could see Ngumoha and Morrison deployed in the attacking third alongside Harvey Elliott, whose preseason involvement hints that he may be a genuine part of the Spaniard's long-term thinking.

At the back, Joe Gomez's absence through injury means Chambers and Ifeanyi Ndukwe are set to continue as the central defensive partnership, with the more experienced Kostas Tsimikas and Jermaine Frimpong offering support from the wide positions.

Between the posts, Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to be handed the starting berth.

Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Leeds (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Ndukwe, Chambers, Tsimikas; Nyoni, Szoboszlai; Morrison, Elliott, Ngumoha; Chiesa.

Leeds Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool

In contrast to Liverpool, Leeds have leaned more heavily on their established senior players and new summer recruits throughout preseason, with only a small number of academy prospects featuring on a regular basis.

That approach is unlikely to shift against Liverpool, who represent their sternest challenge to date.

Defensively, injuries to Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw could open the door for Tarik Muharemović and youngster Alfie Cresswell to slot into a back three, with Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson providing width as wing-backs.

In the middle of the park, Sean Longstaff and Ao Tanaka are anticipated to start, while the attacking trio could consist of Callum Mills, Harry Wilson and Joël Piroe, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin a doubt due to injury.

Leeds Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool (3-4-2-1): Cairns; Rodon, Muharemović, Cresswell; Bogle, Longstaff, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Wilson, Mills; Piroe.

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