Arne Slot earned his first victory as Liverpool head coach as their pre-season tour of the U.S. got off to a positive start with a 1-0 win over Real Betis at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored the only goal of the night when he converted Mohamed Salah’s pass during the first half in front of a crowd of 42,679.
Slot used 23 players, including a host of youngsters, as Liverpool held on to beat their Spanish opponents.
They fly on to Philadelphia on Saturday to prepare for Wednesday’s second tour game, against Arsenal.
How did Slot set the team up?
A balmy night in Pittsburgh provided supporters with the first proper glimpse of the Slot era at Liverpool.
It would be wrong to read too much into how the Dutchman set the team up given the absence of so many star names, but his choice of formation was certainly intriguing.
Attacking options were at a premium given Diogo Jota was not available for selection after only reporting back on Thursday, while Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz remain on holiday and youngster Jayden Danns stayed behind in the UK due to injury.
Slot opted to experiment, effectively playing 4-2-4 with Szoboszlai and Harvey Elliott operating as false No 9s in the first half, with Salah and Fabio Carvalho on the flanks.
Without a focal point in attack, Liverpool struggled to retain possession during a scrappy opening half-hour, but Szoboszlai’s influence increased as they belatedly seized the initiative before the break.
The Hungary captain fed the ball out to Salah on the right and made an intelligent run into the penalty box. The Egyptian’s pass was inch perfect and Szoboszlai swept a clinical first-time finish past former team-mate Adrian and into the far corner.
Szoboszlai’s sharpness certainly bodes well for the challenges ahead. He initially lit up Anfield following his £60m ($77m) move from RB Leipzig last summer but lost his way alarmingly in the second half of the season. Injuries certainly contributed to his output dwindling but a proper break following the European Championship appears to have done him the world of good.
What did this tell us about the need for a No 6?
As the wait for the first signing of Slot’s reign goes on, the holding midfield role is widely regarded as a key area where Liverpool really need to bolster their squad.
This was not a night to quieten that debate.
Wataru Endo arguably over-achieved during his first season at Liverpool as he played 43 times following his £16.2m move from Stuttgart a year ago.
The combative 31-year-old proved himself to be a decent stop-gap after the club missed out on deals for the Chelsea-bound duo of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. The Japan international improved once he had got to grips with the pace and physicality of the Premier League, but his form dipped again towards the end of last season.
He is not the long-term solution there and he struggled badly during his 45 minutes against Real Betis. Time and time again he conceded possession cheaply and gave away some careless free kicks.
Wataru Endo endured a difficult 45 minutes against Real Betis (Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Endo was relieved to see former Liverpool transfer target Nabil Fekir fail to punish one of his sloppy errors when a swift counter-attack ended with a wild finish.
There was more concern for Slot in terms of his midfield department when Curtis Jones gestured that he needed to come off before the interval.
Stefan Bajcetic is another option for Slot in the No 6 role and he came through the final half hour here unscathed, but after so long out injured it would be wrong to expect too much from him this season.
The clamour to add another dynamic holding midfielder to the squad will continue.
Which of the young players impressed?
This tour provides a golden opportunity for Liverpool’s youngsters to impress Slot and one stood out above the rest.
Trey Nyoni only turned 17 last month but the England youth international did not look out of place in this environment. In fact the midfielder flourished — calm in possession and elegant when he burst into space and picked the right pass.
Nyoni, who replaced the injured Jones, wasted no time making an impact as he was involved in the move that led to Szoboszlai’s goal.
Trey Nyoni made a good first impression when given a chance by Arne Slot (Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool regarded it as a major coup when they signed him from Leicester City last summer and his development since has been eye-catching.
He became the youngest Liverpool player to play in the FA Cup when Jurgen Klopp handed him his debut against Southampton in February, aged 16 years and 243 days.
When Slot talks about his excitement over what he inherited from Klopp, Nyoni is a perfect example of the rich potential that needs to be tapped into.
There was also the welcome sight of teenage winger Ben Doak shining in the second half as he looks to put last season’s injury issues behind him. Doak provided a decent outlet with his pace and trickery down the right.
What next for Liverpool?
Thursday, August 1: Arsenal, Lincoln Financial Field, 12:30am UK, 8:30pm ET (Wednesday)
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(Top photo: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
