- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
A late stunner from Phillip Coutinho has given Liverpool a 1-0 win in their opening match against Stoke City.
>>MATCH REPORT: Liverpool go 1-0 over Stoke
The match seemed destined to end in a draw until Coutinho kicked the winner in the 86th minute.
Stoke City 0 – Liverpool 1
Following an embarrassing 6-1 loss in the corresponding fixture on the final day of last season, Liverpool will be out for revenge when they return to the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke City on the opening day of the new campaign. Join The Roar from 1:00am (AEST) for live scores and commentary.
Former Reds captain Steven Gerrard was sent out a loser on the final day of last season at the hands of a rampant Stoke side – a match that will no doubt be etched in the minds of Liverpool players when they head back to the Britannia Stadium to open their 2015/16 campaign.
New captain Jordan Henderson has spoken candidly of the fixture as his worst afternoon in a Liverpool shirt and will no doubt have his boys out to avenge the embarrassment of last season. Stoke manager Mark Hughes will be praying for a repeat performance.
Both sides have undergone significant changes in key positions over the off season and there will be plenty of attention for the big names taking to the pitch in their new colours for the first time.
For the Reds, big money signings Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino as well as fellow acquisitions James Milner, Danny Ings, Joe Gomez, Adam Bogdan and Nathaniel Clyne will participate in their first official fixture for the club. Expect starts for all except keeper Bogdan and Ings. Also interesting to note that this is the first Liverpool squad to undertake the Premier League without Steven Gerrard since 1998.
For the Potters, Jakob Haugaard, Philipp Wollscheid, Joselu, Marco van Ginkel, Shay Given, Ibrahim Afellay and ex-Red Glen Johnson have all been added to the ranks. Afellay represents the latest of many ex-Barcelona players to call the Britannia home and is perhaps the pick of the crop.
As the first fixture of the new campaign, this match carries the potential to be the start of a winning way for either side and thus they will be both be eager to pick up the three points at all costs. Not to mention the history of close contests between the two – with the ledger squared up at 4 wins a piece in the last eight meetings home or away.
Stoke’s Jonathan Walters has been the most prolific player in the fixture – having notched 4 goals against the Reds in the past.
The bookies have the Reds as slight favourites for this clash despite being away from home.
In player news, Stoke captain and key centre back Ryan Shawcross is out for two months with a back injury and could be joined on the sidelines by Marc Wilson and Marko Arnautovic who are both doubtful.
While the Reds remain without key striker Daniel Sturridge, defender Jon Flanagan and potentially could miss Joe Allen who is carrying a hamstring injury sustained in preseason.
Prediction:
Stoke 1-2 Liverpool
Join The Roar from 1:00am (AEST) on Monday morning for live scores and participation in our live blog.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.