Liverpool 0-1 Preston: Strong Reds side defeated in training ground friendly

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot got off to a losing start in the Reds hotseat as Preston North End edged out the Merseyside giants 1-0 in a training ground friendly on Friday.

Slot’s side welcomed their Championship counterparts to the AXA Training Centre for the behind-closed-doors clash, where Robbie Brady struck the only goal of the game for the visitors.

While the Reds were still without several of their Euro 2024 and Copa America stars, including Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, no fewer than 25 players earned minutes under Slot in the narrow defeat.

Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai were both named in the first XI, as were Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott, Kostas Tsimikas, Curtis Jones and Ben Doak, back from his serious knee injury.

Doak and Salah joined Fabio Carvalho in the front three for the first 45 in Kirkby, but the Reds fell behind just before the 30-minute mark, as Brady fired in a terrific long-range strike after Liverpool were caught out when trying to play out from the back.

Szoboszlai then made way for Wataru Endo with 33 minutes on the clock, and the Japan international was the only player to complete for the first half who also emerged for the second period.