Liverpool Face Sunderland: Key Predictions, Bold Lineups, and What to Expect

Liverpool and Sunderland begin their summer tours of the United States by squaring off in a pre-season friendly at Nashville's GEODIS Park.

The Andoni Iraola era unofficially begins in Tennessee, with the Spaniard having signed a two-year deal at Anfield following Arne Slot's sacking.

Liverpool endured a deeply frustrating Premier League title defence and are now entering a new chapter, not just due to the managerial change. Mohamed Salah's stint at the club also came to an end at the season's conclusion, and the Reds have yet to address the Egyptian's departure.

Iraola has openly spoken about Liverpool's need for reinforcements, despite their record-setting spending spree last summer.

Sunderland made a strong impression on Merseyside last season but fell 1–0 at home to Slot's Reds earlier this year. Nevertheless, Régis Le Bris's Black Cats finished the campaign impressively enough to secure a truly remarkable Europa League spot.

They have been considerably less active in the transfer market compared to a year ago, with stability being the priority for Sunderland this season.

Liverpool vs. Sunderland Score Prediction

These two sides played out a pair of closely contested matches in the Premier League last season, with only three goals shared across both fixtures.

Given how different both squads will look in Nashville on Saturday, it's difficult to draw too many conclusions from recent head-to-head encounters. Both clubs have several players yet to return from the World Cup, meaning younger talents should get the chance to impress their respective managers this weekend.

Furthermore, it will likely take some time for 'Iraola-ball' to fully take shape. The Spaniard needed time to stamp his authority on the south coast. He'll need to accelerate that process this time around, as Liverpool fans won't be as forgiving—as evidenced by Slot's exit.

This is their first outing of the pre-season, while Sunderland hammered York City 5–1 in a friendly on Saturday.

Prediction: Liverpool 1–1 Sunderland

Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Sunderland

Iraola has named a 31-man squad for Liverpool's summer tour, which includes new signing Jérémy Jacquet.

Players who featured at the World Cup, including Virgil van Dijk, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch, will link up with the squad at a later stage and will not be available for the Reds' opening pre-season friendly.

Spain international Victor Muñoz, another recent arrival, is expected to be given additional rest time, despite not making a single appearance for the world champions.

Hugo Ekitiké, Wataru Endo, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Stefan Bajčetić are all continuing their recovery programmes in North America.

Liverpool predicted lineup vs. Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Ramsay, Gomez, Jacquet, Kerkez; Nyoni, Jones; Szoboszlai, Elliott, Ngumoha; Wright.

Sunderland Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool

Sunderland had a notable World Cup, with skipper Granit Xhaka shining for quarterfinalists Switzerland and Brian Brobbey netting several times for the Netherlands before they were eliminated in the round of 32.

Both players are unavailable for their second friendly of the summer, while Chemsdine Talbi, Omar Alderete, Noah Sadiki, Nilson Angulo, Habib Diarra, Robin Roefs, Simon Adingra and Arthur Masuaku are all set to join the rest of Le Bris's touring party on July 26.

Summer signing Thomas Meunier will also be arriving at a later point.

The Black Cats have no injury concerns, though 21-year-old Ivorian winger Jocelin Ta Bi has been refused a VISA to enter the United States. Sunderland are working to resolve the issue ahead of Saturday's match.

Sunderland predicted lineup vs. Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Ellborg; Mukiele, O'Nien, Reinildo, Hume; Browne, Rigg; Scott, Le Fée, Tutierov; Ogunsuyi.

What Time Does Liverpool vs. Sunderland Kick Off?

How to Watch Liverpool vs. Sunderland on TV, Live Stream

Enable functional cookies to see this feature.