Liverpool close out their American preseason tour on Sunday with a glamour friendly against Leeds United at Soldier Field, Chicago
A Tour Without Defeat
It’s been a smooth start to life at Anfield for new boss Andoni Iraola. The Reds have breezed through their US trip unbeaten, thumping Sunderland 4-2 before edging past Wrexham thanks to a late Rio Ngumoha winner.
Leeds, by contrast, have had a bumpier ride stateside — going down 3-2 to Championship side Wrexham before steadying the ship with a 1-0 win over Sunderland, Lukas Nmecha getting the decisive touch.
Rebuild in Progress
This is a Liverpool side in transition. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson have both departed the club this summer, and the rebuild at the back has been eventful — £60m defender Jeremy Jacquet is still working his way to full fitness, and captain Virgil van Dijk remains sidelined.
That’s opened the door for teenagers Talla Ndiaye and Ife Ndukwe to get valuable minutes in central defence, with Luke Chambers also filling in.
The headline news, though, is up top. Alexander Isak is in line to make his first appearance of the summer after representing Sweden at the World Cup, giving Anfield faithful their first proper look at how he might fit alongside Florian Wirtz, who Iraola plans to use through the middle rather than out wide.
It’s not all good news on the fitness front — Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo are both considered doubts, while Hugo Ekitike, Jayden Danns and Conor Bradley remain out with longer-term issues.
Leeds Look to Finish Strong
Daniel Farke’s Leeds have had a mixed bag in all competitions recently, but they’ll want to end their US tour on a high after seeing off Sunderland.
Summer signing Harry Wilson arrives full of confidence following a strong season at Fulham, and Nmecha’s early scoring form will encourage the Yorkshire side that they can trouble a Liverpool defence still finding its shape.
History Favours the Reds
The numbers make grim reading for Leeds fans — they’ve beaten Liverpool just once since April 2001.
But recent Premier League meetings have been far tighter than that stat suggests, with last season producing a wild 3-3 draw followed by a goalless stalemate at Anfield. Preseason form and bragging rights aside, this fixture always seems to carry a bit of extra needle when the two sides meet.
The Verdict
Bookmakers make Liverpool clear favourites at odds of 1.48, and on paper the gulf in squad depth should tell — even with Iraola’s makeshift back four.
Expect a much-changed XI in the second half as both managers rotate ahead of the new season, so treat this one as a watch rather than a banker. The real story here isn’t the scoreline — it’s whether Isak looks sharp enough to hit the ground running when the Premier League kicks off for real.
Kick-off: Sunday, 2 August — 3pm local (9pm BST) — Soldier Field, Chicago Competition: Premier League Summer Series (Friendly)
