Pre-season is all about preparation and getting back into shape. Liverpool’s has had plenty of both, as the game against Torino today at Anfield Road (20:30 CET) will be the team’s ninth in the pre-season.
The Reds crashed Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli 5-0 in Dublin three days ago and the lineup featured most of Liverpool’s everyday starters. With the club’s Premier League season opener versus West Ham United coming this weekend, this will be a great opportunity to experiment. We might be in for a tactical surprise or two and a change in shape, although that may not happen from the start.
Liverpool projected lineup and squad news
None of the previous eight pre-season matches was at home, so the fans at Anfield will be expecting to see their hero Mohamed Salah in the starting lineup. They will also be eager to take a peek at The Reds’ new summer signings, in particular, Alisson, Naby Keita and Fabinho. All of them should be on the pitch from the first minute, although 45 minutes is the maximum amount of time they’ll spend there.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold is back in training after coming back from his extended leave courtesy of the 2018 World Cup. He should also receive some conditioning-related playing time. Daniel Sturridge, Xherdan Shaqiri, Adam Lallana, Georginio Wijnaldum, Alberto Moreno, Nathaniel Clyne, Ragnar Klavan and Joe Gomez are all players who should be heavily involved in the fixture as well.
Liverpool vs Torino prediction
All in all, expect to see a tale of two halves, in which the first one will be a demonstration of power for the yearning supporters, while the second one will be a late fitness test for the ones who need it and for the ones who joined later.
Liverpool’s sky-high season expectations
Liverpool’s spectacular pre-season has fans dreaming big. Manchester City, Manchester United and Napoli all felt the strength of Klopp’s well-oiled machinery. Expectations are sky-high now, which makes this season much more difficult than the last one. The German manager is aware of this situation.
“It is not about judging our situation and thinking, ‘really good’. We need to be ready each week, not only for a few games. That is our challenge,”
“If we keep the atmosphere within the club from last year we have a chance of a really big season. Then we will see what happens.”
Walter Mazzarri’s Torino packs a heavy punch
Torino might seem like a lesser challenge, but the Italians, led by one of the country’s best coaches Walter Mazzarri, have won all four pre-season games without conceding one single goal. The club spent €45.5 million in the off-season, acquiring players like AC Milan’s M’Baye Niang, Monaco’s Soualiho Meite, Juve’s Tomas Rincon, while also adding three centre-backs with Armando Izzo (Genoa), Bremer (Atletico Mineiro) and Nicolas N’Koulou (Lyon). Led by Andrea Belotti and Daniele Baselli, so the men from Turin must not be underestimated.
