Liverpool vs Leeds United
Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool are set to take on top flight rivals Leeds United in a fascinating club friendly in Chicago on Sunday evening local time.
New Reds boss Andoni Iraola has won both his first two games in charge and he is hoping to help the Reds make an assault on the league title after they fell short last season. Meanwhile Daniel Farke will be fighting to keep Leeds in the top flight again this term.
These are two of England’s most famous old clubs, but right now they have very different aspirations as the pre-season preparations reach a crucial stage.
Talking Points
So far so good for Iraola
In my SBOTOP review of the clubs which can challenge champions Arsenal for the 2026/27 title, I picked out Liverpool as a potential big player. Iraola led his former club Bournemouth to its best ever Premier League finish last term as the Cherries ended up sixth place to win European football.
The Reds face Newcastle United in their season opener and the Premier League 2026 betting odds back them as third favourites to win the title, behind last season’s top two of Arsenal and Manchester City. And with new recruits Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz starting to bed in, the Reds look in pretty good shape, with two wins from their two opening pre-season games. Liverpool beat Sunderland 4-2 in Iraola’s first match in charge with goals from young star Kieran Morrison, last season’s best player Dominik Szoboszlai, and Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas. The only disappointment for Liverpool was that centre back Joe Gomez limped off and looks unlikely to be available for the Reds’ league opener. Szoboszlai’s goal was a trademark pile driver and the midfield ace will be a key player again this season.
Liverpool won their second pre-season match 1-0 against moneybags Championship side Wrexham as teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha scored the winner, and Iraola hopes to have Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Jeremy Jacquet ready to start against Leeds on Sunday. These are very early days, but the new manager must be happy with what he has seen so far.
Farke has food for thought
Eight points from four games before a final day defeat pulled Leeds to safety last season, finishing 14th in the final Premier League Table but the Whites are one of the favourites to go down this term, alongside Sunderland, and the three promoted teams.
Farke was under pressure for much of the last campaign and the expectant Leeds fans lost patience when it looked like their team was destined for the drop. But the coach kept his nerve and earned the right to go again this season. However, Leeds lost 3-2 to Wrexham in their opening friendly fixture in Florida, though there were encouraging signs as striker Joel Piroe scored a clever goal.
Leeds bounced back to beat Sunderland 1-0 in New Jersey and record their first win, as Lukas Nmecha scored the goal, catching Black Cats goalkeeper Melker Ellborg off guard with a low, skidding effort. Meanwhile the manager gave winger Harry Wilson his first start in a Leeds shirt after his free transfer from Fulham. It was good for Farke to get a win under his belt, albeit an edgy one; but he knows it’s all about Premier League 2026 results and the pressure will ramp up again if his team makes a slow start.
History
The Reds have had the better of the recent head-to-head results, winning 17 to Leeds’ five and there have been six draws in all competitions over the last 28 games. Last season, both matches ended in a draw. At Elland Road the Whites grabbed a stoppage time equaliser from Japanese star Ao Tanaka to round off a thrilling 3-3 draw after Szoboszlai thought he’d given Liverpool a valuable victory, after Leeds had already pegged them back from a 2-0 lead.
The return match at Anfield was an altogether tamer affair as the two sides played out a goalless draw.
Betting Tip
With Liverpool at odds of 1.55 to win this friendly and Leeds United at 8.00 this looks like a third Reds win in a row for Iraola and I’m inclined to agree. Farke was under pressure for much of last season and he will use this game to fine tune his players before they take on Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the new campaign. The result won’t matter too much but the Leeds boss wants to see continued progress, while his opposite number is building pre-season momentum as the Reds take on a winning mentality.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
