By Bilal Ahmed
Liverpool secures win in Iraola’s debut
Liverpool defeated Sunderland 4-2 in a pre-season friendly at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee. This match marked the first game in charge for new Reds boss Andoni Iraola. The fixture, an all-Premier League clash, saw a youthful Liverpool side open the scoring early in the game.
The first goal for Liverpool came in the 13th minute from Kieran Morrison, who finished a team move. However, moments before the goal, Liverpool captain for the evening, Joe Gomez, sustained an injury and had to leave the field. Sunderland then equalised in the 28th minute with a strike from Enzo Le Fee.
The Black Cats took the lead in the 49th minute through Timur Tutierov. Seven minutes later, second-half captain Dominik Szoboszlai restored parity for Liverpool with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. Federico Chiesa put Liverpool ahead in the 72nd minute, and Lewis Koumas sealed the victory with another team goal five minutes before the end of normal time.
Injury concerns and player performances
The injury to Joe Gomez was a significant event early in the match. Gomez‘s evening ended in less than eight minutes, and he was replaced by Ifeanyi Ndukwe. Liverpool‘s new manager, Andoni Iraola, commented on the injury, stating that it was “probably the worst news” and that the team had been hoping to avoid losing any players during training.
Other players also featured prominently. Kieran Morrison, who scored the opening goal, was noted for his excellent performance. Jeremie Frimpong, however, had a challenging start, losing the ball in his own area, which led to chances for Sunderland. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made a save to keep the score at 1-1, though he could not prevent Le Fee‘s equalizer.
In the second half, Liverpool made several changes, with Dominik Szoboszlai taking on the captain’s armband. Szoboszlai‘s powerful goal was a highlight. Federico Chiesa also contributed with a goal, and Lewis Koumas rounded off the scoring for Liverpool.
Pre-season context and viewing information
This friendly match provided the first opportunity for fans to see Liverpool under Andoni Iraola, who previously managed Bournemouth. Iraola‘s intense attacking style has drawn comparisons to former Anfield boss Jürgen Klopp. Several key players, including new summer signing Víctor Muñoz, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, Alisson Becker, and Cody Gakpo, were absent from the game due to their involvement in the recent World Cup. Mo Salah also did not participate, having departed Liverpool at the end of last season.
Sunderland, managed by Régis Le Bris, entered the match looking to build on their previous season’s performance, which saw them finish seventh in the EPL after an eight-year absence. The match was held on Saturday, July 25, with kickoff at 5 p.m. CDT in Tennessee.
For fans in the US, live coverage of the friendly was available online via ESPN Unlimited, a streaming platform priced at $30 a month. In the UK, the game was not televised on mainstream channels but could be watched live on Liverpool’s dedicated streaming service, All Red Video, which costs £5.49 per month. Sunderland fans had the option to watch via their team’s official website for an £8 pay-per-view fee. Australian football fans had two options for streaming the match: beIN Sports, available for AU$15 per month or AU$130 for an annual subscription, and Stan Sport, which costs AU$20 a month in addition to a Stan subscription starting at AU$12.
The match concluded with Andoni Iraola securing a victory in his first game as Liverpool manager.
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk
