Arne Slot secured his inaugural win as Liverpool manager with a 1-0 triumph over Real Betis, thanks to a superb finish by Dominik Szoboszlai in Pittsburgh.
Despite a prior 1-0 defeat to Preston in a closed-door friendly at their training ground earlier in July, the post-Jurgen Klopp era has commenced with Liverpool’s first victory on their US tour.
Hungarian midfielder Szoboszlai netted the only goal at the 34-minute mark, converting a through ball from Mohamed Salah.
Betis striker Juanmi squandered two chances in front of 42,679 spectators.
Liverpool suffered a setback when midfielder Curtis Jones left the field half an hour into the game, with Slot stating it was too early to determine the severity of the injury.
The Reds are scheduled to face Arsenal in Philadelphia on Thursday, followed by a match against Manchester United in Columbia on Sunday, August 4.
Slot, who succeeded Klopp after nine years, brought a softer touch to the German’s famed ‘heavy metal football.’ Under the Dutch manager, Liverpool’s style morphed into a fluid 4-2-4 formation without a traditional striker.
This shift, partly due to limited available players, saw Klopp’s gegenpressing evolve into a slower, possession-based approach, reminiscent of Johan Cruyff-influenced Dutch coaching.
Slot, directing from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Acrisure Stadium technical area, frequently repositioned players with hand gestures and measured shouts.
Harvey Elliot and Szoboszlai alternated in the number 10 role, leaving Liverpool striker-less for most of the game.
“I think during the season you will see us playing with a real striker but at this moment we have no-one with Darwin [Nunez] unavailable,” Slot explained.
“We played with two number 10s and put them in the position they will play during the season. That was maybe out of necessity.
“But for the rest of the style of play, we tried to build from the back, that is our style to control the game, not concede constant counter attacks.
“That will hopefully be our style during the season and there were also many things we can improve but that’s normal after two weeks.”
This strategy mirrored the tactical approach Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag used in the FA Cup final, with Bruno Fernandes playing upfront against Manchester City.
Liverpool’s tactic was effective despite the limited senior players. Early dominance saw attempts from Fabio Carvalho, Salah, and Wataru Endo, albeit from tough positions. Elliot missed the first substantial chance from a Conor Bradley cutback before Szoboszlai’s goal.
The second half lacked excitement as numerous youngsters disrupted the game’s flow. Nabil Fekir’s free-kick hit the side netting, and Carvalho’s shot was saved by ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian before his substitution.
The game served as a fitness exercise and an introduction to Slot’s style ahead of the new Premier League season.
Defender Bradley excelled, linking well with Salah and creating key chances on the right flank. Carvalho, back from a loan at Hull City, showed determination with several dangerous plays.
A complete lineup change saw youthful substitutes Trey Nyoni, Vítezslav Jaros, Tyler Morton, Harvey Blair, Ben Doak, Luke Chambers, Nat Phillips, Luca Stephenson, Owen Beck, Stefan Bajetic, Kaide Gordon, and Lewis Koumas feature in the second half.
Nyoni, 17, particularly stood out, taking control of the midfield and creating a significant chance for Blair after replacing the injured Curtis Jones.
The youthful squad choice reflected Liverpool’s policy of granting their Euro 2024 and Copa America players a full three-week holiday, per players’ union FIFPro guidelines, while many rivals shortened these breaks.
Ibrahim Konate and Diogo Jota will return early due to minimal national team involvement.
Before kickoff, the midfielder expressed his enthusiasm for Slot’s approach but exited injured in the 28th minute, heading straight down the tunnel.
After the match, Slot commented on Jones’ condition, saying: “I think it’s too early to tell [how bad it is]. He maybe could have played on, but I think maybe you could see he was not at 100%.”
