Liverpool vs Sunderland Prediction: Friendly Betting Tips & Odds

Liverpool and Sunderland open their US pre-season tours against each other at GEODIS Park in Nashville on Sunday morning New Zealand time.

This is Andoni Iraola’s first match in charge after replacing Arne Slot, who was sacked following a disappointing fifth-place finish. For Sunderland, the mood is very different. Regis Le Bris guided them to seventh in their first Premier League season back and Europa League qualification, one of the most impressive promoted campaigns in the competition’s history.

In this Liverpool vs Sunderland preview, I look at squad news, pre-season plans and the likely shape of both sides. I’ve got a goals angle further down for those wanting some football betting tips ahead of the weekend.

Liverpool

It’s safe to say Iraola has a big job on his hands. 

Slot won five from five to start 2025-26 before a four-match losing streak derailed things, and Liverpool limped to fifth on 60 points with 12 defeats. Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate have departed on free transfers, Andy Robertson has joined Tottenham, and Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid last summer.

The squad Iraola inherits is exciting, though. 

Florian Wirtz has been signed for a staggering £116m from Bayer Leverkusen and Alexander Isak has been clinched from Newcastle for £125m. Jeremie Frimpong also arrived from Leverkusen last summer, while Jeremy Jacquet is a £60m centre-back addition this window who I expect to partner Joe Gomez from the start of the season.

None of the World Cup contingent will feature here. Wirtz, Isak, Ryan Gravenberch, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson are all due to join the tour later. That leaves Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott as the senior creative options. 

I’m most interested to see how Iraola’s pressing system looks with this group.

Team News: Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Stefan Bajcetic, Wataru Endo and Hugo Ekitike are all travelling but injured and won’t feature. Cody Gakpo is on compassionate leave. New signing Victor Munoz celebrated Spain’s World Cup win and will join later.

Predicted Lineup: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Jacquet, Gomez, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Jones, McConnell; Chiesa, Elliott, Ngumoha.

Sunderland

I can’t overstate how good Sunderland’s season was. They were promoted through the Championship play-offs, widely tipped for relegation, yet finished seventh with 54 points. 

Le Bris has a settled squad and a clear identity. Granit Xhaka, Omar Alderete, Chemsdine Talbi and new signing Thomas Meunier are all absent after the World Cup, which weakens their group here. 

But Sunderland’s depth was one of their strengths last season, and players like Wilson Isidor and Romaine Mundle will be desperate to grab a starting spot. Chris Rigg is another who could force his way in.

Dan Ballard is expected to return to full training in America after an injury. Their 5-1 thumping of York City in their pre-season opener was as comfortable as it sounds. I think Le Bris will use this tour to experiment, and I’d expect plenty of rotation across the three US fixtures.

Team News: Xhaka, Talbi, Alderete and Meunier are absent after the World Cup. Jocelin Ta Bi didn’t travel due to a visa issue. Patterson is included despite uncertainty over his future. Ballard and Mundle have both travelled.

Predicted Lineup: Roefs; Hume, Ballard, Seelt, Reinildo; Diarra, Sadiki; Mundle, Le Fee, Adingra; Mayenda.

• Liverpool beat Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light in their Premier League meeting last February.
• Their December clash at Anfield finished 1-1.
• Sunderland lost just once at home in the Premier League last season, a 0-5 defeat to Nottingham Forest on 24 April.
• Liverpool lost 12 Premier League matches last season, their most in a single campaign since 2020-21.

I’m predicting Liverpool to win a tight one here. Their available squad is stronger on paper even without the World Cup contingent. Sunderland are missing Xhaka and Talbi too, which hurts.

Pre-season friendlies are unpredictable though. Iraola will want a positive start, but he’ll also want to look at combinations and give minutes to fringe players. I think Liverpool’s pace out wide through Frimpong and Ngumoha could cause problems, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Sunderland get a result here.

For those keen to get involved on NZ betting apps, I’d look at goals rather than the result. Neither side will be defensively organised this early, and both managers will prioritise attack.

Over 2.5 Goals @ $1.75

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that pre-season friendlies produce goals. 

Both managers want to look at attacking players and neither will set up to defend for 90 minutes. Liverpool scored in every pre-season friendly last summer, and Sunderland put five past York in their opener this year.

Iraola’s Bournemouth were one of the most entertaining sides in the Premier League last season, so I expect a similar approach here. Sunderland won’t play deep either. 

Over 2.5 at $1.75 is the play for me on the best legal betting sites available in New Zealand.