Arne Slot to Know Who is Ready to Face Ipswich as Liverpool Play Two Pre-seasons Friendlies This Weekend
Liverpool will play two pre-season friendlies this weekend against Spanish teams Sevilla and Las Palmas, with both matches taking place on Merseyside. This will be the final opportunity for Arne Slot’s squad to prepare before the Premier League season kicks off.
Earlier in pre-season, Liverpool embarked on a tour of the US where they faced Real Betis, Arsenal, and Manchester United. Despite a squad missing several key players due to international duties, they emerged victorious in all three games.
The team returned home earlier this week, alongside the return of key players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, and Virgil van Dijk, in anticipation of their Premier League opener against Ipswich Town. This match is scheduled for Saturday, August 17, at Portman Road.
Before that, Liverpool will have a final pre-season test this weekend against Sevilla and Las Palmas. They will first play Sevilla at Anfield, followed by a closed-doors match against Las Palmas.
Newcastle United will also be participating in two friendlies this weekend, facing Girona on Friday evening and Stade Brestois from Ligue 1 the next day.
For Liverpool, the games against Sevilla and Las Palmas will be vital for Slot to assess his squad’s readiness for the upcoming season, particularly for those who have had a longer break this summer.
Slot will also be keen to avoid any negative patterns from Liverpool’s past encounters with Sevilla, as they have faced each other three times previously.
Liverpool have yet to secure a victory over the Spanish side. During the 2017/2018 Champions League group stages, they faced off twice, with both matches ending in draws. The first encounter at Anfield ended 2-2.
Sevilla took an early lead through striker Wissam Ben Yedder, but Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah scored before halftime, giving the Reds a 2-1 advantage. However, a goal from Joaquin Correa in the 72nd minute leveled the score.
A few weeks later, the teams met again at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, where they played to an exhilarating 3-3 draw. Firmino scored twice in the first half, and Sadio Mane added another to give Liverpool a 3-0 lead by halftime.
However, Sevilla mounted a comeback in the second half, with Ben Yedder scoring twice and Guido Pizzaro adding a late goal to level the match.
The most notable encounter was the 2015/16 Europa League final in Basel. In Jurgen Klopp’s first season with Liverpool, the Reds took the lead with a goal from Daniel Sturridge in the 35th minute.
However, Sevilla, the reigning Europa League champions, responded strongly. Kevin Gameiro scored shortly after halftime, and Koke added two more goals to secure a 3-1 victory for Sevilla, who retained the Europa League title for the third consecutive season. Since then, Sevilla have won two additional Europa League titles, defeating Inter Milan in 2020 and Roma in 2023.
Fortunately, from a competitive perspective, the friendly match against Sevilla holds limited significance.
Although Slot will want his team to perform well against a strong opponent, the game against the seven-time Europa League champions will primarily help him identify areas for improvement before the upcoming clash with Ipswich. It will also provide insights into which player is ready to take on the Tractor Boys next weekend.
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