On Saturday, 25 July 2026, Liverpool and Sunderland met in a club friendly at GEODIS Park, with their complete lineups announced ahead of the 23:00 kickoff. The preseason fixture offered a look at the managers’ tactical preferences and squad depth. An Associated Press-credited caption by photographer George Walker IV also placed the match at GEODIS Park and described Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai scoring his side’s second goal in the second half.
Liverpool, managed by Andoni Iraola, fielded a 4-2-3-1 formation. Giorgi Mamardashvili started in goal, behind a defensive line of Kostas Tsimikas, Talla Ndiaye, captain Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong. James McConnell and Curtis Jones played in holding roles, while Ranel Ngumoha, Kieran Morrison and Harvey Elliott formed the attacking trio. W. Wright led the line. The bench mixed youth with experience, with J. Abe, F. Chiesa, M. Kerkez, D. Szoboszlai and F. Woodman among the options available for rotation.
Sunderland, guided by Régis Le Bris, matched Liverpool’s 4-2-3-1 setup. M. Ellborg started in goal, with Reinildo Mandava, T. Hume, D. Ballard and N. Mukiele in the back four. C. Rigg and captain L. O’Nien anchored basic midfield, while R. Mundle, E. Le Fée and A. Browne featured in attacking midfield. W. Isidor was named as the lone striker. Sunderland’s substitutes included C. Dinsdale, L. Hjelde, F. Geragusyan and several other squad members, giving the club options to test different combinations during the friendly.
Vísir reported that Liverpool won the match 4-2 and described it as Iraola’s first game in charge of the club. The result aligns with the AP caption’s account of Szoboszlai scoring Liverpool’s second goal. The July meeting was a preseason friendly, separate from the clubs’ scheduled English Premier League fixture on 2 December 2026, listed for 2:30 p.m.
The GEODIS Park match was part of a broader series of high-profile friendlies taking place across Europe that summer. Just days earlier, Celtic hosted AC Milan at Celtic Park, with both teams making impressive lineup decisions. Details of that fixture are available in this report on Celtic’s meeting with AC Milan.
July friendlies give managers a chance to assess new signings and experiment with tactical systems, while giving emerging talents valuable minutes. Both Liverpool and Sunderland chose the 4-2-3-1, a setup that balances defensive protection with attacking options across midfield. These matches also offer supporters an early glimpse of squad choices ahead of the competitive season. Friendly results do not carry league points, but performances and selections can shape decisions for the months ahead. GEODIS Park’s role as the Nashville venue for this international club fixture added another high-profile match to its calendar.
