That was not the way Liverpool FC wanted things to start out for them this term. The Community Shield is obviously a quasi-friendly, sort of, despite the fact that it’s a trophy match. However, you got to give Crystal Palace their flowers- it took them forever to get that first piece of silverware, and now they have two, just like that! Anyway, you can’t dwell on it for too long, as AFC Bournemouth are coming to Anfield on Friday night.
Lots of storylines here in this one, especially Milos Kerkez, who gets to face his former squad.
Season Opener FYIs
Liverpool FC vs AFC Bournemouth
Kickoff: Friday, August 15, 8pm, Anfield, Liverpool, UK
Liverpool Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Story of How Bournemouth Elevated to the Premier League Summer Series: story link
Google’s Win Probability: Liverpool 75% Draw 15% Bournemouth 10%
Will the Serbian fullback/midfielder on the left side be in the first team?
In terms of looking at the potential starting lineup here, well, the central defense picks itself as the Merseyside club have injury issues at the position. And we do expect Alexis Mac Allister and Milos Kerkez to feature off the bench.
Well, here’s our best guess for the reigning league champions.
Liverpool Starting Lineup Prediction vs AFC Bournemouth
Alisson Becker; Jereme Frimpong, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Andrew Robertson; Dominic Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo; Mo Salah, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo; Hugo Ekitike
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter