Liverpool vs Sunderland Prediction: Expect entertainment on Iraola’s debut

Liverpool play their first game under new boss Andoni Iraola on Saturday night (11pm BST), when they meet fellow Premier League side Sunderland in Nashville.

Read on for my Liverpool vs Sunderland predictions, complete with the latest odds and team news.

Liverpool vs Sunderland Odds

Liverpool are 4/9 to secure victory in Nashville, while Sunderland are priced at 5/1 to cause an upset. The draw is available at 7/2.

Team News

Liverpool are without some key names who were away on World Cup duty. The Reds have left the players who were on international duty this summer at their training ground, including Alexander Isak, Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson.

Sunderland had no fewer than 12 players at the World Cup, and they signed a 13th in Thomas Meunier. They've been left with limited options heading into preseason, with Alan Browne starting their opening warm-up match after spending last season on loan at Middlesbrough.

Both Teams To Score - Yes @ 8/13

Iraola arrived at Anfield with a huge reputation after his success at Bournemouth, but it took some time for his ideas to translate with the Cherries. They failed to win any of his first nine league games in charge, while defensive issues plagued Bournemouth from the start of preseason.

Fixing Liverpool's vulnerable backline will be one of the first things Iraola is tasked with, after Arne Slot's side struggled throughout last season. However, the absences of van Dijk and Alisson make that a tougher task.

Sunderland had little trouble going forward in their first preseason outing, but they won only twice in nine warm-up matches a year ago as the club underwent major turnover. Given the number of key players missing for Saturday's clash, it's easy to see the Black Cats struggling once again.

Iraola will encourage his side to get forward, and Sunderland should find some joy against a weakened Liverpool defence. A back-and-forth game between these two Premier League sides is on the cards, which makes both teams to score stand out at 4/6.

In the correct score betting, a 3-2 win for Liverpool appeals, given the Reds' defensive troubles and Sunderland's hefty list of absentees.

Anytime Goalscorer - Dominik Szoboszlai @ 11/5

Former Newcastle forward Isak won't be able to haunt the Black Cats, while last season's top scorer Hugo Ekitike continues his recovery from injury.

However, Dominik Szoboszlai was the Reds' second-highest scorer with 13 strikes across all competitions. Hungary failed to reach the World Cup, so Szoboszlai will feature in Iraola's opening match.

The midfielder proved himself to be a major goal threat last term, and he stands out with the Reds expected to name an inexperienced forward line for this clash.

Szoboszlai is a 13/2 chance to score the opener, while he's a good bet to score anytime in this contest at 21/10.

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