Crystal Palace vs Liverpool Predictions

• Both teams have scored in four of the past seven fixtures between these two
• The Reds have kept just one clean sheet in their six pre-season friendlies
• Gakpo scored 21 goals for club and country last season

Reds can lay down an early marker

Liverpool haven’t had things all their own way in recent meetings with Crystal Palace but our prediction is for the Premier League champions to lay down a marker at Wembley ahead of the new Premier League season.

The Reds romped to then title last term and will face the surprise FA Cup winners on Sunday in the annual curtain-raiser to the new campaign.

Arne Slot’s side are well-accustomed to this kind of occasion but Palace are still relatively new at this kind of contest but they should play their past in what could be an open affair at the national stadium.

The Eagles have lost two of their last six meetings with Liverpool and the pair drew 1-1 in their Premier League fixture in May. That scoreline was symptomatic of the way this fixture has gone in recent times with four of the past seven match-ups seeing both teams get on the scoresheet.

What was also similar in that result was the lack of goals as five of the past six meetings have featured no more than two goals, but a more open affair can be expected this weekend with little pressure regarding the outcome of the contest.

Liverpool’s plethora of attacking options should give them the edge but they have looked vulnerable at times in pre-season, keeping just one clean sheet in their six friendlies, shipping  four goals to AC Milan in Yokohama, and two to Athletic Bilbao last time out on Monday.

Virgil van Dijk should return from illness to help shore up the champions who are fancied to win this encounter by a 3-1 scoreline.

Gakpo to put on a show

Heavy investment over the summer has enhanced Liverpool’s attacking options and that could drive on Cody Gakpo to impress his manager Arne Slot.

Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike has been brought in for large sums so Gakpo will be feeling the heat with both players looking to occupy similar roles in the line-up in which the Dutchman normally features.

Gakpo is likely to start in attack and switch between a central role and the left flank with Ekitike, so he should get chances to shine and he is in good nick having bagged a brace against Athletic Bilbao last time out.

The flying Dutchman scored 21 times for club and country last term and he knows he needs to hit the ground running with pressure on for places in the Reds line-up.

He looks a great anytime goalscorer option for this contest at Wembley.

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