The unofficial 2025–26 season curtain-raiser takes place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, with Liverpool taking on Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.
Only Manchester United and Arsenal have won this fixture more times than Liverpool (16, including five shared titles), with the Reds taking part for the third time this decade. Palace, meanwhile, are playing in their first-ever Community Shield, after they secured their first piece of major silverware via the FA Cup in May.
Much of Palace’s summer has focused on the farcical situation regarding their Europa League status, which they earned by virtue of winning the FA Cup. There’s been little squad turnover, with only two notable additions being made to Oliver Glasner’s squad. They have, however, been able to retain the core of their 2024–25 heroes.
Liverpool, on the contrary, have opted for revolution despite their title success. They’ve been Europe’s biggest spenders this summer, and many are eagerly anticipating how the Reds look when they turn out under the arch this weekend.
Here is Sports Illustrated‘s guide to the 2025 Community Shield.
What Time Does Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool Kick-Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Wembley Stadium
- Date: Saturday, August 10
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
- Referee: Chris Kavanagh
- VAR: Paul Tierney
Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Crystal Palace: 1 win
- Liverpool: 2 wins
- Draws: 2
- Last meeting: Liverpool 1–1 Crystal Palace (May 25 2025) - Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool on TV, Live Stream
Crystal Palace Team News
Chadi Riad, who appeared just once in the Premier League during his debut season, remains out of action for the Eagles, while Cheick Doucouré has been out for the long haul with a knee injury
Eddie Nketiah is set to miss the start of the new season with a hamstring issue, but Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line anyway for Glanser’s side.
Adam Wharton and Marc Guehi have returned from setbacks this summer and are both ready to start on Saturday. Palace have also managed to hold onto Eberechi Eze with less than a month of the summer transfer window remaining.
Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool
Crystal Palace predicted lineup vs. Liverpool (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Muñoz, Lerma, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
Liverpool Team News
Slot’s primary issues have resided in defence this summer, with Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley both not fit to play a role this weekend.
Liverpool are currently without any centre back depth after selling Jarell Quansah, but Slot does have both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté ready to go. Van Dijk missed Monday’s doubleheader through illness.
Alexis Mac Allister has barely featured in preseason due to a lingering injury, and the Argentine will likely feature off the bench at Wembley. Record signing Florian Wirtz is poised to start as Liverpool’s No. 10, while fellow newbies Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong should also make the XI.
Giorgi Mamardashvili could get the nod over Alisson, who left Liverpool’s preseason tour early, between the posts.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Crystal Palace
Liverpool predicted lineup vs. Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitiké
Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool Score Prediction
Liverpool’s preseason hasn’t been without issue. The Reds’ defence has been far from secure, and Crystal Palace will be keen to expose the set-piece weakness that manifested in the second game of their double-header with Athletic Club on Monday.
Palace were one of the Premier League’s best from set plays last season, with Glanser’s game model facilitating success against the big boys. The Eagles are excellent are soaking up pressure and springing on the counter-attack.
Liverpool must be wary of their opponent’s transition threat, but the Reds’ new signings look the part and they’re bound to be a more diverse attacking force this term.
Their defensive issues means Palace should have some joy, but this feels like an occasion where Liverpool lay down their title credentials before the Premier League season gets underway.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1–3 Liverpool
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool: Community Shield Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
