Liverpool vs Bilbao form
As part of the general rehearsal for the new season, Liverpool will have a double match with Athletic Bilbao at Anfield.
Specifically, The Kop will face the opponent from the Basque country in 2 consecutive matches within just one day. The first match will start at 17:00 local time, before the two sides will play again at 20:00.
The two matches are only 3 hours apart and last 90 minutes each, which is a bit unreasonable. However, this is essentially just a dress rehearsal for both teams before the 2025/26 season.
Coach Arne Slot hopes that the series of matches with the representative from La Liga will help him have a comprehensive view of the force, including the first team and young players.
The starting lineups for both sides are expected to be completely different for each match. However, according to the Daily Mail, Liverpool and Bilbao may prioritize the first match to field many key players.
In the remaining match, coach Slot and his colleague Ernesto Valverde may give more opportunities to reserve players or young talents.
This is also the first time Liverpool have returned to Anfield since the sudden departure of Diogo Jota. The atmosphere promises to be special. Liverpudlians will of course expect their team to have an excellent performance, to give a gift to the unfortunate star.
The Kop began their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 win at Preston North End. The Reds then suffered a shock 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in their Asian tour, before regaining some dignity with a 3-1 win over Yokohama F Marinos.
New recruits Giorgi Mamardashvili, Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike all made their debuts.
There were positive performances, and there were also performances that did not meet expectations, but overall, the new faces still brought many optimistic signals to the port city giant on the journey to defend the Premier League title and reap success in the Champions League.
For their part, Bilbao had a very successful 2024/25 season. Finishing 4th in La Liga helped the Basque team win a ticket back to the most prestigious arena in the continent. However, the preparation of coach Valverde and his team is not really good.
After a narrow 1-0 win over lower league side SD Ponferradina, Bilbao have lost their last three outings, losing 1-0 to Deportivo Alaves, 2-1 to PSV Eindhoven and 2-1 to Racing de Santander.
Up to now, Bilbao has only spent 12 million euros to bring to San Mames a notable face, right-back Jesus Areso from Osasuna. The remaining new player, Robert Navarro, also only arrived on a free transfer.
The difference in strength and class between the two sides is very clear. But in the framework of a friendly match, the results are still very unpredictable. Especially when both sides only see this as an experiment in both tactics and personnel.
Liverpool vs Bilbao squad information
Liverpool: The possibility of goalkeeper Alisson Becker's participation is still unclear. Coach Arne Slot has almost the strongest squad in hand.
Bilbao: No notable absentees.
Expected lineup Liverpool vs Bilbao
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
Bilbao: Simon; Ares, Lekue, Vivian, Boiro; Jauregizar, Vesga; I Williams, Gomez, N Williams; Guruzeta
Prediction: 3-1
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/nhan-dinh-tran-dau-liverpool-vs-bilbao-23h00-ngay-48-man-tong-duyet-cua-the-kop-158605.html
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