Tale of two halves leaves Iraola with plenty to ponder

What the report says

Liverpool ended their pre-season U.S. tour with a 4-2 defeat to Leeds in Chicago, leaving manager Andoni Iraola with several issues to assess before the new season. BBC Sport reported that the first half at Soldier Field showed Liverpool at their best under Iraola so far, while the second half was a sharp drop-off, with four unanswered goals conceded in 25 minutes after a series of changes at the interval.

The article said Liverpool’s attacking core looked sharp early on, with Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both returning and Wirtz scoring in a strong team move. Liverpool also opened the scoring through Luke Chambers, while youngsters Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni were highlighted for promising displays. But the second half exposed defensive problems, including set-piece issues and a lack of depth and physicality in an inexperienced back line.

The result matters because it gave Iraola a more complete look at his squad before the season begins, especially as Liverpool have not added new players during the two-week tour. BBC Sport said he is due to meet senior players and new signing Victor Munoz at the training centre in the coming days, while Alexis Mac Allister remains on extended leave after Argentina’s international duty. The match offered encouragement in attack, but also a clear warning about areas that need improvement.