Inside The Panthers

Liverpool Practices at Pitt Football Training Facility

Liverpool F.C. practiced this week at the Pitt Panthers football training facility.

Dominic Campbell

Jul 25, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah (11) plays the ball against Manchester City during the second half of an International Champions Cup soccer match at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 25, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah (11) plays the ball against Manchester City during the second half of an International Champions Cup soccer match at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers had a visitor at their football training facility, UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, as Liverpool F.C. came by and practiced there this week.

Liverpool arrived in Pittsburgh earlier this week ahead of the start of their preseason U.S. tour, which begins with a friendly against Spanish side Real Betis at Acrisure Stadium Friday night with kickoff set at 7:30 p.m.

The Reds practiced mostly on the Steelers side of the facility and worked out in the weight room also. They went through a number of drills, under new manager Arne Slot, including conditioning and strength training.

Liverpool brought many of their star players on this preseason tour, including wingers in Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah and midfielders Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endō.

Not every player in the Liverpool squad is playing during the preseason tour, which is normal. This is especially true after many of their players competed in the European Championship in Germany and the Copa America in the U.S. this summer.

Winger Luis Díaz for Colombia, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister for Argentina, forward Darwin Núñez for Uruguay and goalkeeper Allison Becker for Brazil are the South Americans not available.

Forward Cody Gakpo and centre-back Virgil Van Dijk of the Netherlands, centre-back Joe Gomez and right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold of England, and centre-back Ibrahima Konáte of France are the European players that won't play Friday night in Pittsburgh. Neither will Scottish left-back Andrew Robertson, who is out with injury.

This is the fourth game in the last 20 years that European teams have played at Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium for friendly matches. Chelsea F.C. (London) defeated Roma 3-0 in 2004, Manchester City demolished AC Milan 5-1 in 2014 and Borussia Dortmund (Germany) and Benfica (Portugal) went to penalties in 2018 after a 2-2 draw, where Benfica won. 

Liverpool stays in the commonwealth for their next game in the preseason tour against Arsenal F.C. (London) on Aug. 1 at Lincoln Bank Field in Philadelphia and they will face off against rival Manchester United at Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. on Aug. 4.

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Dominic Campbell

DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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