Arne Slot era begins with victory in Pittsburgh as Liverpool beat Real Betis
Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Liverpool boss Arne Slot is anxiously awaiting news of midfielder Curtis Jones after he was forced out of the club’s pre-season friendly against Real Betis.
The 23-year-old limped off with a muscle problem 30 minutes into a 1-0 win at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Speaking after his first game in charge of the Reds, Slot told the club’s official website: “I think it’s too early to tell (how bad it is). He maybe could have played on, but I think maybe you could see he was not at 100 per cent.
“In a friendly game, with so many days coming up in our tour, it was best to take him off. Hopefully he can recover from (it) really fast, but we have to wait and see.
“We hope he recovers really fast so we can see him in the next few games.”
Jones was replaced by 17-year-old Trey Nyoni, who had a hand in Dominik Szoboszlai’s 34th-minute winner.
Slot added: “It’s always a pity if he (Jones) has to go out after 25 minutes, half an hour. And before that, you could see that he was not completely free.
“It was unfortunate because he had two really good weeks during the training sessions, so I looked forward to seeing him in the game, but unfortunately he had to go out.
“The good thing about that was that we brought someone (on) that impressed me in the 45 minutes to an hour he played afterwards.
“That was the positive thing of Curtis going out for Trey, but of course for Curtis it’s a pity that he couldn’t play on.”
Liverpool face Arsenal in Philadelphia on Thursday and Manchester United in Columbia, South Carolina next Sunday.
Liverpool vs Real Betis: As it happened . . .
03:07 AM BST
Good support for Liverpool in Pittsburgh
Thank you for your support in Pittsburgh 👏 pic.twitter.com/fiMMCOf0Oi
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 27, 2024
03:02 AM BST
Job done
02:59 AM BST
Match winner
02:55 AM BST
Impressive Nyoni
He played 40 minutes tonight and was very good. He played a role in Szoboszlai’s goal, fizzing in a clinical pass to the Hungarian before his one-two with Salah and then the finish. He was very composed on the ball and remember, he is just 17-years-old!
02:50 AM BST
Mac Allister watching
He is on his holidays after winning the Copa America with Argentina but Alexis Mac Allister made sure he was tuning in tonight.
Alexis Mac Allister watching the Reds on @LFCTV pic.twitter.com/5ehYg5b1Tw
— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) July 26, 2024
02:46 AM BST
Good start for Slot
Encouraging signs under the Arne Slot era. pic.twitter.com/pTTbFlkcMl
— Samuel (@SamueILFC) July 27, 2024
02:45 AM BST
First goal of the Slot era
Szoboszlai scores the first goal of the Arne Slot era 🇭🇺 pic.twitter.com/QZ1KV917V6
— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) July 27, 2024
02:39 AM BST
To come on the US tour
Liverpool have two remaining games on their tour of the USA. They play Arsenal in Philadelphia in the early hours of Thursday morning (BST) and then finish up against Manchester United in Columbia, South Carolina in the early hours of Sunday morning next weekend.
02:34 AM BST
FT
There is the final whistle and Liverpool win 1-0 in Pittsburgh thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s first-half goal. Arne Slot’s first official pre-season game in charge of Liverpool ends in victory.
Starting off our US tour with a win 💪🔴 pic.twitter.com/oJNYFqp7U0
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 27, 2024
02:32 AM BST
90+2 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Betis send in a cross from the right but Stephenson steps in with an important interception. Good defending from Stephenson there.
02:30 AM BST
90 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
We are into three added minutes.
02:27 AM BST
86 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Doak beats his man once again and drives into the box. His cross is parried away by Vieites at a crucial moment.
02:25 AM BST
85 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Avila takes it on but it goes sailing over the bar.
02:24 AM BST
84 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Blair is penalised for a foul not far outside the Liverpool box and this provides Betis with a free-kick in a good, central position...
02:23 AM BST
82 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Bajcetic finds Doak with a wonderful ball into the channel, which gives Doak a one-on-one. He gets past his marker into the Betis box but the ball is smashed off him and goes behind for a goal-kick.
02:19 AM BST
79 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Rodri is played in behind and has a one-on-one on an angle with Jaros but the Liverpool goalkeeper makes a good save to deny the Betis man. That is probably the first genuine chance Betis have had tonight and the first save either Liverpool keeper has had to make.
02:15 AM BST
74 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Arne Slot will be really happy with the impact the changes have made. There are a number of teenagers on the pitch and they have shown real energy, intensity and quality since coming on.
We are having a drinks break, like we did in the first half.
02:12 AM BST
72 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Having come on for Jones at the half-hour mark, Nyoni is coming off having played 40 minutes. That was an impressive 40 minutes from Nyoni. Lewis Koumas, son of Jason, is coming on. He is just 17-years-old! Lewis made his Wales debut over the summer.
02:08 AM BST
67 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Liverpool close to a second. Nyoni plays it through nicely into the Betis box. Blair touches it past Vieites and goes down, wanting a penalty. The referee waves play on and it comes through to Gordon, whose shot goes just wide of the far post.
02:05 AM BST
65 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Blair puts Vieites under pressure and forces him into a mistake. Liverpool win it high up the pitch but the referee for some reason decides that it was a foul by Blair. That was a very harsh call.
02:04 AM BST
64 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Liverpool are making eight changes:
ON Beck, Chambers, Phillips, Stephenson, Doak, Gordon, Bajcetic, Blair
OFF Tsimikas, Salah, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Carvalho, Bradley, Quansah, van den Berg.
It is a very, very young team on at the moment for Liverpool. Phillips will very much feel like the old man aged 27. Quite a number of teenagers on the pitch.
02:03 AM BST
62 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Tsimikas sends in a cross from the left but Elliott cannot keep his header down. He is pushed in the back just as he is heading the ball and Mendy is a lucky boy not to be penalised for that.
02:02 AM BST
61 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Liverpool burst forward through Tsimikas down the left and both Szoboszlai and Salah are waiting for the ball through but the intended pass towards them is intercepted.
02:00 AM BST
59 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Liverpool work it well down the right and Bradley sends in a cross but the Betis keeper Vieites cuts it out.
As we approach the hour mark, Arne Slot is going to make a whole host of changes in the next few moments.
01:53 AM BST
53 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Nyoni finds Carvalho on the left-hand side of the box. He cuts onto his right foot but he cannot get any power on his shot and it is an easy save. Nyoni has been impressive since coming on for Jones on the half-hour mark.
01:49 AM BST
50 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Fekir takes the free-kick and his effort hits the side-netting.
01:49 AM BST
49 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Elliott has his keeper to thank here. He plays an absolutely horrendous back pass from the halfway line and Jaros does well to get to the ball first. Not sure what on earth Elliott was thinking with that.
Quansah follows Endo into the referee’s book for a foul just outside his own box. Looking at the replays that looks a little harsh, especially for a friendly.
01:45 AM BST
Second half
Liverpool have made a couple of changes at the break. In goal Jaros has replaced Kelleher and in midfield Morton is coming on for Endo. Real Betis have also made a few changes of their own as former Liverpool keeper Adrian has come off.
We are back under way in Pittsburgh.
01:38 AM BST
Changes at the break?
Arne Slot intimated before the game that plenty of changes were likely to happen around half-time so we will see in the next few minutes how many there will be.
01:35 AM BST
Szoboszlai with Liverpool’s opening goal
Szobo 🤩 pic.twitter.com/HY7iZlAKl3
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 27, 2024
01:28 AM BST
HT
Elliott’s delivery is not the greatest and Betis head away. The half-time whistle comes not long after and Liverpool lead at the break thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s goal.
We lead at the break in Pittsburgh 👊 pic.twitter.com/O9Zg4b6sng
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 27, 2024
01:27 AM BST
45+2 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Liverpool will have a late free-kick in a good position on the right...
01:25 AM BST
45 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Three added minutes at the end of this first half.
01:23 AM BST
43 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Salah is found in behind and tries to find Carvalho at the far post but Adrian is out quickly to thwart his former teammates
Moments later Endo is the first player booked.
01:20 AM BST
40 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Real Betis send in a free-kick from the right and Juanmi has an effort but it misses the target.
01:17 AM BST
37 mins: Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Nearly a second for Liverpool. Salah finds Bradley inside the box and the Northern Irishman takes a great first touch to get past the defender. His former Liverpool teammate Adrian is quick off his line and smothers Bradley’s effort.
01:14 AM BST
GOAL! Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0
Szoboszlai (34’)
Liverpool are ahead. Szoboszlai finds a pocket of space and plays it out to Salah on the right. Salah dribbles into the box and finds Szoboszlai with a perfectly-timed pass in behind. The Hungary captain takes it first time and slots it into the far corner.
01:09 AM BST
30 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
We are having a drinks break as it is hot in Pittsburgh but it looks like Liverpool are going to have to make a change. Jones is going to come off and it seems he may have picked up a knock. He has headed down the tunnel. 17-year-old Trey Nyoni is coming on to replace Jones.
01:07 AM BST
27 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
Bradley is found making a great run down the right by Endo. He cuts it back to Elliott, who should do so much better with his effort but completely mis-hits it.
01:04 AM BST
24 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
Endo gives the ball away so poorly and Betis break. They have a five-on-three as they move into the Liverpool box. It is cut back to Fekir, who swivels and shoots, trying to find the far corner, but his effort misses the target comfortably.
01:00 AM BST
20 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
Juanmi fires a shot from just outside the Liverpool box but it goes wide of Kelleher’s right-hand post.
12:58 AM BST
18 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
Sabaly sends in a cross from the right which takes a deflection off Tsimikas and Kelleher is on hand to cut it out. There are some tentative appeals for handball against Tsimikas but the referee was having none of it.
12:55 AM BST
15 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
Liverpool win it high up the pitch again and Salah takes on an effort from the edge of the box but his shot misses the target.
12:54 AM BST
13 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
A familiar face in the Real Betis goal:
12:50 AM BST
11 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
Tsimikas wins it high up and Carvalho finds Endo just outside the box. The Japanese midfielder’s effort misses the target.
12:49 AM BST
9 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
So far Szoboszlai and Elliott are having fairly free roles to roam and find pockets of space.
Quansah lifts a ball over the top into the path of Salah. The Egyptian’s first touch lets him down and Betis clear their lines.
12:44 AM BST
4 mins: Liverpool 0 Real Betis 0
In these early stages, Elliott and Szoboslzai are playing high up through the middle with Salah in his customary right forward position and Carvalho on the left. Jones and Endo are playing in a double pivot in midfield. Arne Slot’s favoured formation at Feyenoord was 4-2-3-1, which is how Liverpool have begun this game.
From the left-hand side of the box, Carvalho cuts inside but his effort misses the target as he attempted to find the far corner.
12:39 AM BST
Kick-off
We are under way in Pittsburgh. Arne Slot’s first official pre-season friendly in charge of Liverpool begins.
12:36 AM BST
Kick-off fast approaching
Both sides emerge from the tunnel and we are just moments away from kick-off in Pittsburgh.
12:30 AM BST
YNWA
With just a few minutes to go until kick-off, You’ll Never Walk Alone is ringing around the stadium. The sun is shining in the early evening in Pittsburgh at the Accrisure Stadium.
12:29 AM BST
Reminder of the team news
Liverpool: Kelleher, Bradley, Quansah, van den Berg, Tsimikas, Endo, Jones, Szoboszlai, Salah, Carvalho, Elliott.
Substitutes: Jaros, Bajcetic, Chambers, Phillips, Gordon, Doak, Beck, Nallo, Koumas, Morton, Blair, Stephenson, Nyoni.
Real Betis: Adrian, Sabaly, Diego Llorente, Mendy, Perraud, Altimira, William, Fornals, Fekir, Juanmi, Marcos F.
Substitutes: Silva, Bellerin, Avila, Rodri, Iker, Ruibal, Vieites, Alcazar, Ismael, Mateo, Garcia.
12:23 AM BST
Betis warming up
There are some notable faces in the Real Betis squad tonight. Adrian left Liverpool just a matter of weeks ago to return to Spain and starts in goal for Real Betis tonight. Nabil Fekir, who was on the verge of a move to Liverpool in the summer of 2019 only for it to collapse at the last minute, starts alongside former West Ham player Pablo Fornals. Former Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin is on the bench.
💪💪💪💪💪#UnitedStatesOfBetis pic.twitter.com/jcW8SGVVvX
— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis_en) July 26, 2024
12:19 AM BST
Salah in the starting XI tonight
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 26, 2024
12:13 AM BST
More from Slot at his press conference
On how pleased he is with how the players are adapting to his style:
Like you said, many things will stay the same when it comes to playing style. But of course there will be a few adjustments because every manager has his own ideas. But general playing style will probably look quite familiar for you guys. I think every player, especially if they had a few weeks off, they need to adapt to playing with the ball again. Taking that into account, I think we have made some steps compared to where we started. But that has maybe not so much to do with implementing new ideas but also to do with players getting used to playing with the ball again. But I’m very happy with the energy the team is giving every single day, which is normal in pre-season because everywhere around the world you hear the same thing: the players work really hard. But that’s also with us. Until now, I’ve been happy with the way they did and we’re looking forward to the game tomorrow to see if we can bring some positives to the game as well.
On whether he prepares for Real Betis or the campaign ahead:
I think it’s a bit of both, but it’s mostly preparing our team. But I think part of preparing your own team is also preparing them for what they can expect today – so what kind of press the opponent gives and how we then want to play out from the back, how they want to do build-up and how we have to press them. It’s a bit of both. Until now, we’ve worked mainly on our own ideas and today we will have a meeting where I’m going to share with them what they can expect from Betis.
On handling the travel of a pre-season tour:
We have a lot of professionals to make sure that this goes in the best possible way. I think it was two days ago where we travelled in a plane where not everybody will travel in a plane like this! We could rest really well. We have to adjust towards the time zone, of course, but in terms of travelling I think we couldn’t be in a better place than we were.
11:58 PM BST
Liverpool’s new head coach
Arne 😁🔴 pic.twitter.com/o848qI1vES
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 26, 2024
11:52 PM BST
Full team news
Liverpool: Kelleher, Bradley, Quansah, van den Berg, Tsimikas, Endo, Jones, Szoboszlai, Salah, Carvalho, Elliott.
Substitutes: Jaros, Bajcetic, Chambers, Phillips, Gordon, Doak, Beck, Nallo, Koumas, Morton, Blair, Stephenson, Nyoni.
Real Betis: Adrian, Sabaly, Diego Llorente, Mendy, Perraud, Altimira, William, Fornals, Fekir, Juanmi, Marcos F.
Substitutes: Silva, Bellerin, Avila, Rodri, Iker, Ruibal, Vieites, Alcazar, Ismael, Mateo, Garcia.
11:42 PM BST
Quotes from Arne Slot’s press conference yesterday
On how it feels to be in the USA and to have time on the training pitch with the players:
Both have felt really good. The time at the AXA was already really pleasant because we have such great facilities over there, but I can say the same about the facilities over here. The temperature is a bit different, though, but it’s nice as well. Although yesterday it started raining in the afternoon, so it felt a bit familiar! But the facilities have been good and working with the team as well.
On the importance of Mohamed Salah being able to get a full pre-season:
I think it’s important for every player to have a full pre-season but unfortunately that’s almost impossible for most of the players in these current times where we play so many Euros and other kinds of tournaments. But I think in an ideal situation, every player wants to have a proper pre-season. Fortunately, Mo has one. Unfortunately, many others don’t have it. But it’s the way it is these days.
On ‘how busy’ he expects Liverpool to be in the transfer market this summer:
I think I said before that the first aim is to work with these players. Of course it’s a disadvantage that many of them are not here yet, I mean the players that are already under contract. The positive about that is that it’s an important lifeline of the club that youngsters come into the team as well, so it’s an ideal way of seeing them in these weeks, where they get a lot of playing time as well. The standards are really high when it comes to bringing in new players because we have such a good team and such a good squad. Of course Richard [Hughes] and me and other people as well are trying to improve the squad where possible, but that’s not that easy because we have so many good players.
11:35 PM BST
Real Betis team news
💚💚💚
Our starting eleven for #LiverpoolFCRealBetis!#BetisDay pic.twitter.com/ASKKmmvYil— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis_en) July 26, 2024
11:31 PM BST
Liverpool team news
How the Reds line up to take on Real Betis 👥🔴
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 26, 2024
11:25 PM BST
Pittsburgh the scene
The stage is set for our first match on tour 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/QjqThMPglt
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 26, 2024
11:15 PM BST
A new era at Liverpool
Good evening and welcome to coverage of Liverpool’s pre-season friendly against Real Betis from Pittsburgh. Although they played a behind-closed-doors (unofficial) pre-season friendly against Preston last week, tonight marks the beginning of a new era at Liverpool as Arne Slot takes charge of his first official pre-season game. Slot has replaced Jurgen Klopp this summer and he was asked in his press conference yesterday about the challenge of succeeding an iconic figure like Klopp.
“I think if you go to one of the biggest clubs in the world, there is always pressure. I’ve already explained in Liverpool that you can look at it two ways. You can be afraid [of] his legacy. But you can also look at the fact that he left behind a team that can win things. I’ve won a few trophies as well at Feyenoord and I’m hoping that I can do the same over here as well. That’s the aim we’ve got and that’s my aim as well.”
Slot also confirmed yesterday that Andrew Robertson is unlikely to play during this US tour, despite travelling with the squad.
“He is not fully fit yet. But we are expecting him in the end of the tour – maybe just after the tour – to be fully fit again. He took a small injury into the Euros and afterwards he had to recover from that after playing those games. But we will expect him back after our tour – but he joined us over here.”
Liverpool are boosted by the return of Diogo Jota, who arrived in Pittsburgh yesterday but will not play tonight. Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konate are set to join up with the squad in the coming days. Liverpool remain without Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, who are all still on holiday after their commitments at Euro 2024 and the Copa America over the summer.
Liverpool have two more games on their US tour against Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United before heading home to take on Sevilla at Anfield in their final pre-season game before they begin their Premier League campaign away at newly-promoted Ipswich on August 17th.
Liverpool’s opponents tonight Real Betis finished seventh in La Liga last season and beat Austria Salzburg 5-1 in a friendly last weekend. They boast in their ranks the former Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian, who left Anfield this summer to return to Spain. They begin their La Liga campaign against Girona on 15th August.
The Jurgen Klopp era has ended. The Arne Slot era has begun.
Team news to follow shortly.