Preview: Ipswich Town vs. Liverpool lineups, team news, and prediction

At 12.30pm on Saturday afternoon, Ipswich Town and Liverpool will start off their respective Premier League seasons at Portman Road, ushering in two new eras.

The Reds are getting ready for their first competitive game under Arne Slot’s tutelage as the Tractor Boys prepare to return from their protracted banishment from the English football premier league.

Match preview

Jurgen Klopp may have had some issues with the fixture organisers when his team was assigned the early start time, but he can now relax and enjoy the match on Saturday as a fan while Slot rallies his troops in the morning. Klopp was not pleased that Liverpool was handed the first 12.30pm kickoff of the new season.

Nearly seven months have passed since Klopp shockingly announced that the 2023–24 season would be his final one at Anfield. Although he departed with another EFL Cup winners’ medal hung around his neck, Premier League dominance turned out to be too much.

Even so, Tottenham Hotspur’s failed attempt to sign former Feyenoord manager Slot in 2023 will be leading the Reds back into the Champions League this season, albeit in a different format, and the new manager bounce appeared to be in full swing throughout preseason.

Liverpool started the summer off with a shocking 1-0 loss to Preston North End in a private match, but they bounced back to win four straight against legendary teams Real Betis, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Sevilla, before playing to a scoreless tie in a low-key match at an empty Anfield against Las Palmas.

Slot has already made a few statements this summer, but the same cannot be said of Liverpool’s transfer gurus. The Reds’ impatient supporters are still waiting for their first summer addition, and the team is giving contracts to players like Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Mohamed Salah priority.

On the other hand, after Ipswich’s second consecutive promotion, a lot of new players have entered through the Portman Road doors. Last season, the 2022–23 League One runners-up narrowly lost to Leicester City in the Championship.

Having only played in the lower divisions since their demotion in the 2001–02 season, the Tractor Boys’ second-place finish was nonetheless enough to catapult them back into the top level 22 years after their most recent Premier League venture.

Kieran McKenna, the head coach, is said to have attracted interest from Chelsea and Manchester United as a result of his excellent work. However, the 38-year-old turned down the opportunity to advance in the football hierarchy in favour of signing a new deal at Portman Road.

Similar to their next opponents, Liverpool, Ipswich’s preseason preparations were overwhelmingly successful under McKenna, who led the team to three consecutive 1-0 triumphs over Shakhtar Donetsk, Hoffenheim, and Nice. The lone defeat came at the hands of Fortuna Dusseldorf, who defeated them 2-1.

Although Ipswich’s summer games were largely low-scoring affairs, since McKenna assumed leadership in December 2021, the team has scored 222 goals, ranking second in England’s top four divisions, only surpassed by Manchester City’s 239 goals. Conversely, during their two Premier League matches against Liverpool in 2001–02, the Tractor Boys shipped 11 goals in 180 minutes, losing 6-0 at Portman Road in an embarrassing fashion.

Team news 

Bobby Clark’s back ailment appeared to be the only injury issue for Liverpool heading to Ipswich; but, the teenage midfield player is now rumoured to be close to signing a £10 million deal to join Pep Lijnders’ Red Bull Salzburg.

Because Andrew Robertson played an hour of the Las Palmas match after returning from his Euro 2024 injury, Arne Slot should have all of his players ready for his Premier League baptism. The Scotsman should be OK to bomb down the left here.

Despite their contractual issues, Salah, Van Dijk, and Alexander-Arnold are also certain starters. However, there have been rumours that Slot is not too fond of Ibrahima Konate, who began the Las Palmas friendly while Jarell Quansah was selected in front of the supporters against Sevilla.

However, Cameron Humphreys (unspecified) is a serious doubt. In contrast, the Ipswich medical staff is recovering a few players, including Harry Clarke (Achilles), George Hirst (knee), Nathan Broadhead (thigh), and Janoi Donacien (adductor).

Nine players, including former Arsenal and Chelsea prodigy Omari Hutchinson, have signed permanent contracts to join Portman Road this summer. At least a few of them, like Arijanet Muric, Liam Delap, Jacob Greaves, and others, should start in the starting lineup right away.

Although Kalvin Phillips of Manchester City is rumoured to be close to joining the Tractor Boys on loan, Massimo Luongo and Sam Morsy should get together in the engine room first.

Isswich Potential starting lineup: Muric, Johnson, Luongo, Morsy, Davis; Hutchinson, Delap, Harness; Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Greaves

Liverpool’s potential starting lineup: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jota, Diaz

Prediction: Ipswich Town 0–2 Liverpool

It’s not impossible that Ipswich will switch to a three-man centre defensive structure to contain Slot’s Liverpool, but the full-strength Reds will eventually tire down their hosts’ defence.

Given their defensive strength during the preseason, McKenna’s team should still be able to maintain a fair scoreline, but we can only imagine Liverpool returning north with their first three points of the Slot era.