Liverpool's Premier League opener with Chelsea is quickly approaching, but the Reds have one final tuneup. They face Darmstadt 98 for the first time ever on Monday, August 7th in a natural site fixture at Preston North End's Deepdale stadium due to the ongoing expansion of Anfield.
Home Away From Home
For the first time all preseason Liverpool will play a fixture on British soil, but due to the expansion of the Anfield Road stand, the match will be played at Deepdale Stadium. The venerable venue opened in 1875 and is considered by many to be the oldest community football stadium still in use. Liverpool have not played a match at Deepdale since January 3rd, 2009 when they defeated Preston North End 2-0 in the FA Cup.
Darmstadt Rising
Darmstadt 98 enjoyed a brilliant campaign last season, winning promotion to the Bundesliga. The club had been in the third tier of German football as recently as 2014. They posted a 20-7 league record under manager Torsten Lieberknecht, relying on a stout defence to do so as the team allowed the fewest goals in the league. Baydon Manu is Darmstadt's top returning scorer from a season ago with 9 tallies.
Injury Update
Liverpool received good news on the injury front as Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic are participating in training again. Thiago is likelier to see action as he has not played all season and needs minutes on the pitch to prepare for the season. Alexis Mac Allister and Bajcetic could be held out as a precaution.
LFC Globe Verdict
As an American supporter, aside from Anfield, there is one other English Stadium I would love to visit, history-rich Deepdale. Walking in the same places as Sir Tom Finney would be a dream. As for the match, itself, this should be a good test for Liverpool, but not as stiff as the last one vs Bayern Munich. Almost everyone should be available to play so we should get a good idea of what the Starting XI and formation should be once the EPL season starts.
Where To Watch
Both teams will pitch under the lights as kickoff is set for 19:00 BST and will stream live on LFCTV.