Arne Slot secured his inaugural win as Liverpool manager with a 1-0 triumph over Real Betis, thanks to an outstanding finish by Dominik Szoboszlai in Pittsburgh.
Earlier this month, the Reds suffered a 1-0 defeat to Preston in a behind-closed-doors friendly at their training ground. However, the post-Jurgen Klopp era is now underway with their first victory on their US tour.
Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai broke the deadlock after 34 minutes by slotting in Mohamed Salah’s through ball, while Betis striker Juanmi squandered two opportunities in front of 42,679 spectators.
Liverpool lost midfielder Curtis Jones at the half-hour mark, with Slot stating it was too soon to determine the severity of the injury.
On Thursday of the week, the Red Devils will have a match against the Arsenal team, and on August 4 there will be a match against the Manchester team.
How did Liverpool perform?
Slot has succeeded Klopp, who led the team for nine years, and the German’s famously intense ‘heavy metal football’ seemed more like soft rock under the new Dutch manager.
The stylistic changes were evident in a fluid 4-2-4 formation, with the Reds playing without a traditional striker.
Again, the shift was partly due to the limited personnel, but Klopp’s gegenpressing style evolved into a slower, possession-based approach, typically favored by Dutch coaches influenced by Johan Cruyff.
Slot delivered his instructions at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Acrisure Stadium, constantly standing in the technical area, moving players into position with hand gestures and measured shouts.
Harvey Elliot and Szoboszlai alternated in the attacking midfielder number 10 role, leaving Liverpool effectively without a striker for most of the game.
“I think during the season you will see us playing with a true striker, but at this moment we have no one available with Darwin [Nunez] out,” Slot said.
“According to the coach: “We will arrange 2 players to play at position 10, then determine which position they will play during the season.”. This was perhaps out of necessity.
“We will aim to promote defensive positions, to protect the team’s goal. It’s our approach to control the game and avoid conceding constant counterattacks.”
“Hopefully, that will be our style throughout the season. There are many areas for improvement, but that’s expected after just two weeks.”
This approach resembled the successful yet unorthodox tactics used by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag in the FA Cup final, with Bruno Fernandes playing up front in the win against Manchester City.
For Liverpool, the approach worked well given their limited number of senior players. They dominated early on with shots from Fabio Carvalho, Salah, and Wataru Endo, though these attempts came from challenging positions. Our player missed the opportunity to score in a dangerous ball situation
The second half was less eventful for the spectators as a host of youngsters disrupted the rhythm. Nabil Fekir hit the side netting from a promising free-kick position, and Carvalho had a shot saved by former Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian before being substituted.
However, it was a valuable exercise in building fitness and introducing Slot’s style to his players, supporters, and the football world before the new Premier League season starts.
Who made an impact?
Defender Bradley was the standout among the starters, connecting effectively with Salah on the right flank and creating most of the best chances.
Meanwhile, Carvalho, back from a loan spell at Hull City, was eager to make an impression, generating several dangerous moments trang cá cược bóng đá.
In the second half, there was a complete overhaul of the lineup as youthful substitutes Trey Nyoni, Vítezslav Jaros, Tyler Morton, Harvey Blair, Ben Doak, Luke Chambers, Nat Phillips, Luca Stephenson, Owen Beck, Stefan Bajetic, Kaide Gordon, and Lewis Koumas all came on.
Nyoni, 17, impressed as the first of the youngsters to replace the injured Curtis Jones. He controlled the play in midfield and created a significant chance for Blair.
The presence of so many young players reflects Liverpool’s policy of honoring the full three-week holiday recommended by FIFPro for players returning from Euro 2024 and Copa America, a break that many rivals have shortened.
Ibrahim Konate and Diogo Jota will return early, however, due to their minimal involvement with their national teams.
Is Jones injured?
The midfielder had expressed his enthusiasm for Slot’s approach before kick-off, but he was substituted in the 28th minute due to injury and went straight down the tunnel.
After the match, Slot downplayed concerns about Jones’ fitness, saying: “I think it’s too early to determine the severity. He might have been able to continue, but it was clear he wasn’t at 100%.”
