Liverpool vs Real Betis – LIVE!

Liverpool began life under Arne Slot in successful fashion as they beat Real Betis 1-0 in Pittsburgh. The Reds were beaten in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Preston but this was their first official pre-season match, kicking off the USA tour.

Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai were among those named in the starting lineup and the pair combined for what proved to be the winner before half-time. The Egyptian slid a pass through to Szoboszlai, who finished superbly into the bottom corner with ten minutes to go until the break.

Slot had already been forced into a change by that point, with Curtis Jones walking off and straight down the tunnel during a water break. It was 17-year-old Trey Nyoni called upon to replace him in midfield and the teenager was hugely impressive in his cameo of just over 40 minutes, showing real composure on the ball in a display offering plenty of signs that he is ready for further first-team involvement.

Liverpool vs Real Betis latest news

• FT: Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

• GOAL! Szoboszlai gives Liverpool lead

FT: Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:34 , Matt Verri

That’ll do it in Pittsburgh.

First match for Arne Slot as Liverpool boss and a first win, thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s first-half finish.

Next up... Arsenal and Manchester United!

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:30 , Matt Verri

90 mins: Will we have any added time?

Yes... three minutes.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:27 , Matt Verri

86 mins: It’s Doak making things happening for Liverpool.

Again skips past his man on the outside, low ball into the six-yard box is just about scrambled away by Betis.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:22 , Matt Verri

82 mins: Doak wriggles his way into the box, looks to have found a yard of space but he takes a heavy touch.

Gordon then thinks he’s been fouled on the edge of the area... referee couldn’t care less.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:18 , Matt Verri

78 mins: Back underway and Betis open Liverpool up.

Garcia is in, tight angle and Jaros makes a superb save to deny him.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:15 , Matt Verri

75 mins: Another water break.

Most of the players have only just come on...

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:13 , Matt Verri

73 mins: Koumas on for Nyoni, who was hugely impressive in his 50 minutes or so on the pitch.

Bellerin, he of Arsenal fame, on for Betis.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:11 , Matt Verri

71 mins: Gordon overhits his pass through to Blair.

The striker gives up on it, decides to try and get there again, gives up on it again, speeds up again... and then watches it roll out.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:07 , Matt Verri

67 mins: Blair seems to have been cleaned out by the goalkeeper, but play waved on.

Comes to Gordon, tight angle and an open goal... just wide.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:05 , Matt Verri

65 mins: Blair, Bajcetic, Doak, Chambers, Gordon, Phillips, Stephenson and Beck on.

Szoboszlai, Salah, Elliott, Tsimikas, Carvalho, van den Berg, Quansah and Bradley the eight to make way.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:02 , Matt Verri

62 mins: Tsimikas whips a cross in, Elliott looks set to head in but he gets a shove in the back.

Betis can be grateful that wasn’t given as a penalty.

Right, eight Liverpool changes...

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

02:00 , Matt Verri

60 mins: Liverpool about to pretty much change their entire lineup. A very full technical area.

Players doing a good job of keeping the ball in play to delay those changes...

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

01:57 , Matt Verri

56 mins: There’s not a lot of structure to this match at the moment.

Chances there for both sides on the break, all sorts of space on offer.

Only problem is they keep losing the ball!

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

01:53 , Matt Verri

53 mins: Good chance for Carvalho, plenty of space inside the area.

Cuts inside, gets the shot away but it’s a weak one and comfortably saved.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

01:48 , Matt Verri

48 mins: Just the two of them. Jaros and Morton are on, replacing Kelleher and Endo.

Jaros immediately forced into action after a poor back pass... he cleans out everything within sight.

And Quansah then does likewise, wild challenge. Yellow card.

Back underway!

01:46 , Matt Verri

Up and running again.

News of the changes very shortly...

Expect changes...

01:32 , Matt Verri

Nyoni, who has been really impressive, is already on for Liverpool, but here’s a reminder of the other players on the bench.

Subs: Jaros, Bajcetic, Chambers, Phillips, Gordon, Doak, Beck, Nallo, Koumas, Morton, Blair, Stephenson

HT: Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

01:28 , Matt Verri

That’s half-time in Pittsburgh.

Not a huge amount of quality, but Liverpool lead through one bit of real quality.

Salah with the pass, Szoboszlai with the finish. 1-0.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

01:25 , Matt Verri

45 mins: Three minutes added on.

This referee not playing by pre-season rules.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

01:23 , Matt Verri

44 mins: Salah has space on the right, he’s onside.

Carvalho makes the run into the middle, ball is aimed at him but just too close to the goalkeeper.

And we have a booking! Endo with the drag back, good effort to get a yellow in a friendly.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

01:22 , Matt Verri

40 mins: Free-kick for Betis out wide, after a pull from Elliott.

Drops for Juanmi at the back post, gets the shot away but never troubling Kelleher.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis

01:17 , Matt Verri

37 mins: Liverpool firmly on top now.

Salah forced wide after a pass from Elliott, but he does well to pick out Bradley.

Right-back goes for the dink as he bursts into the six-yard box, Adrian smothers it.

GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis | Dominik Szoboszlai 34'

01:14 , Matt Verri

Lovely goal!

Szoboszlai finds space in midfield and slides the pass wide to Salah.

He keeps making his run into the box, gets it back from Salah and it’s a great finish into the far corner.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

01:10 , Matt Verri

31 mins: Nyoni on in midfield for Liverpool to replace Jones.

Fingers crossed that’s nothing serious for Jones.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

01:09 , Matt Verri

29 mins: Time for a water break in Pittsburgh.

And looks like there will be a change, Jones has walked down the tunnel and his night is over.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

01:07 , Matt Verri

27 mins: Liverpool’s best move of the match, Betis opened up on the right.

Bradley’s pull back picks out Elliott, but he makes a mess of it on his right foot.

Neither a shot or a pass to Carvalho.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

01:03 , Matt Verri

24 mins: Endo loses it in midfield, really poor pass. Betis can break and it’s five-on-three.

Fornals cuts it back to Fekir, who works it onto his left foot and curls an effort high and wide of the far corner.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

01:02 , Matt Verri

23 mins: Brilliant touch from Szoboszlai, but Bradley can’t make the most of it as the ball comes inside to him.

Pitch is not the best, it is bobbling around a bit. Looks fairly dry.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

01:00 , Matt Verri

20 mins: Sanchez with the shot from distance, whistles just wide of the post.

Not sure Kelleher was going to get there if it was on target.

Liverpool lose it, here come Betis again. Fornals tries to dance along the byline, runs out of space.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:56 , Matt Verri

17 mins: Tsimikas slides in out wide, as Fornals looks to take it past him.

Neither side has really got going yet - nothing in the way of clear-cut chances.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:54 , Matt Verri

14 mins: Bradley flying forward down the right, makes the run in behind.

Salah tries to pick him out, too much on the pass and it’s straight out of play.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:51 , Matt Verri

12 mins: Perraud with a nice turn, his progress swiftly halted by a foul from Quansah though.

This very much feels like an early pre-season match so far... that’s not a compliment.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:49 , Matt Verri

9 mins: Quansah with a great ball over the top, Salah briefly looks to be in but Mendy gets back to clear the danger.

Liverpool man looked offside, but flag didn’t go up.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:45 , Matt Verri

6 mins: Both sides pressing high up the pitch, and getting some encouragement with a few loose passes early on.

Elliott is playing as a false nine for Liverpool, with Salah and Carvalho either side.

Liverpool 0-0 Real Betis

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:42 , Matt Verri

3 mins: Liverpool on top early on, keeping the ball nicely... until Elliott fires it straight out of play.

Aggressive out of possession, when Betis do finally get a touch.

KICK-OFF!

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:39 , Matt Verri

We’re underway in Pittsburgh!

Here we go!

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:38 , Matt Verri

At last, the teams are finally out and we are ready to get up and running.

Salah the man captaining Liverpool tonight.

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:33 , Matt Verri

Not much attention being paid to the planned kick-off time.

Players are not out onto the pitch, as we thought they would be now.

Soon... hopefully.

Here we go!

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:25 , Matt Verri

Players are in the tunnel.

Will be out onto the pitch very shortly, as we get the Arne Slot era up and running!

Endo: Kubo can replace Salah

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:18 , Matt Verri

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has tipped international team-mate Takefusa Kubo to be the club’s long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah.

Salah, 32, has just one year left on his contract at Anfield and has been touted for a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia should he fail to agree new terms with the Reds.

One such player rumoured to be of interest is Kubo, the Real Sociedad winger who has impressed in two seasons with the Spanish team having been labelled a prodigy when emerging out of Japan and signing for Real Madrid as a teenager.

Japanese channel ABEMA Sports Time asked Endo if there’s an international teammate he’d like to join him at Liverpool, to which he replied: “Maybe Kubo.

“They’re looking for a replacement for Mo Salah, so that’s probably going to be a real area for Liverpool to strengthen in the future.

“And if they think about who can replace him, I think it’ll be Kubo.”

Slot confirms Robertson absence

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:09 , Matt Verri

Liverpool are without Andy Robertson for their US pre-season tour matches against Real Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United.

New Reds boss Arne Slot addressed the media in Pittsburgh on Thursday ahead of Friday, and confirmed that the team will not have Robertson available for the next three matche.

The experienced left-back still working his way back from an ankle issue sustained during Scotland’s short-lived campaign at Euro 2024 in Germany earlier this summer.

"He is not fully fit yet,” Slot said of Robertson, who did make the trip to America. “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."

In the building!

Saturday 27 July 2024 00:00 , Matt Verri

The Reds have arrived at the Acrisure Stadium.

Salah starts for Liverpool!

Friday 26 July 2024 23:51 , Matt Verri

Mohamed Salah in the lineup for Liverpool tonight.

It’s pretty strong in midfield and attack, but a fairly inexperienced defence.

Sepp van den Berg and Jarell Quansah the centre-back partnership, and it’s a very youthful bench.

Real Betis team news

Friday 26 July 2024 23:41

Starting XI: Adrian, Sabaly, Llorente, Mendy, Perraud, Altimira, William, Fornals, Fekir, Juanmi, Marcos

Liverpool team news

Friday 26 July 2024 23:34 , Matt Verri

Starting XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van den Berg, Tsimikas; Endo, Jones, Szoboszlai; Salah, Carvalho, Elliott

Subs: Jaros, Bajcetic, Chambers, Phillips, Gordon, Doak, Beck, Nallo, Koumas, Morton, Blair, Stephenson, Nyoni

Stand by...

Friday 26 July 2024 23:31 , Matt Verri

Liverpool team new should be out... now.

We’ll have that with you in the next couple of minutes, hopefully.

Slot offers transfer update

Friday 26 July 2024 23:15 , Matt Verri

Arne Slot has admitted that he would be “surprised” if the club did not make new signings this summer.

The Reds have yet to conclude any incoming transfer business to kick off a new era under Jurgen Klopp’s successor.

Asked during a press conference in Pittsburgh on Thursday how busy he expects Liverpool to be in his first window at the helm, Slot replied: “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.

“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.”

He added: “It would be a surprise for all of us I think if we don't bring any player in, so that will probably happen in the end.”

Stage is set!

Friday 26 July 2024 23:00 , Matt Verri

Might want to find some binoculars if you’re sat back there...

Standard Sport prediction

Friday 26 July 2024 22:51 , Matt Verri

Both teams will want to gently ramp up their preparations as their tours begin.

A swell of absent players can be expected to impact Liverpool’s performances - it would be unfair to expect Arne Slot’s side to hit top form this early in the summer.

A 1-1 draw.

Liverpool team news

Friday 26 July 2024 22:43 , Matt Verri

The Reds’ 28-man pre-season tour squad has been confirmed, with 11 senior stars missing and a number of young players set for a chance to impress.

Most of those involved in the Copa America and Euro 2024 tournaments this summer haven’t travelled, including captain Virgil van Dijk, Darwin Nunez, Ryan Gravenberch, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo, Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Alisson Becker, Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister.

Luke Chambers, Marcelo Pitaluga, Kaide Gordon, Owen Beck, Amara Nallo, Lewis Koumas, Tyler Morton, Harvey Blair, Luca Stephenson, Harvey Davies and Trey Nyoni are among the young hopefuls called up, but Jayden Danns and Bobby Clark are both injured.

Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai do make the trip, along with returning loanees Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg.

How to watch Liverpool vs Real Betis

Friday 26 July 2024 22:16

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on LFCTV.

Live stream: Fans can catch the contest live online via the official club app and website.

Live blog: You can follow all the action right here with us!

Welcome

Friday 26 July 2024 13:59 , Jonathan Gorrie

Good evening and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Liverpool’s clash with Real Betis.

Kick-off for Arne Slot’s first official game in Pittsburgh is at 12.30am BST at the Acrisure Stadium.