Tranmere host Merseyside neighbours Liverpool for the annual pre-season friendly on Thursday night.
In case you missed it, the Reds travel to Prenton Park on the back of being crowned European Champions for the sixth time last month.
The recent success of Jurgen Klopp’s team seems to have triggered further interest in the game with it seemingly heading for a sell-out. Around 1,000 tickets remained on sale on Monday. The capacity of the stadium for this game is somewhere around the 14,000 mark, we understand.
So, if you have never been to, or watched, one of these friendlies before, here’s what you can expect on Thursday.
A strong LFC squad
Klopp likes to use this game to have a good luck at his squad. There will be a few big names missing due to recent international duty, but a few big hitters will play. Liverpool will make wholesale changes throughout the game as well, maybe even an entirely new eleven at half-time.
Tranmere trialists
Rovers threw some trialists in to this fixture last year, including the likes of Zoumana Bakayogo and Harvey Gilmour, both of whom went on to sign permanent deals. We understand at least one trialist will be involved on Thursday, possibly more.
Rovers to play on the break
Last year, Tranmere gave the reds a decent run for their money thanks to late goals from trialist Amadou Soukouna and debutant Jonny Smith. Most of their luck came playing on the break with Liverpool understandably dominating possession. It turned out to be a key weapon for Rovers for the entire season and helped bring about a second successive promotion.
Flares and pitch invasions
It’s fair to say that many of the Liverpool fans who attend this game probably aren’t Anfield regulars, which is fine. However, please don’t make it embarrassing with flares on the pitch/in the stands and a pitch invasion at the end. Tranmere have today published a statement warning against the use of any sort of pyrotechnic inside the ground.
Medals on the table
Tranmere are flying off the back of two successive promotions, while Klopp’s team finally clinched some silverware last season too (keep up, lads). So, both teams will have a spring in their step, and even those fringe players on both sides will be desperate to force their way in to their manager’s thinking.
