Leeds United produced a remarkable second-half turnaround to defeat Liverpool 4-2 in a pre-season friendly at Soldier Field, overturning a two-goal deficit thanks to a string of impact substitutions introduced by manager Daniel Farke.
Liverpool's new head coach Andoni Iraola handed first starts of the summer to Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, both of whom had reported late for pre-season duty following their involvement at the 2026 World Cup. The German international justified his inclusion with a well-taken goal before the interval, though it was ultimately Leeds who left with the victory.
Liverpool made the early running and took the lead inside seven minutes. Milos Kerkez flicked on a corner delivered by Dominik Szoboszlai, and the ball dropped invitingly for Luke Chambers, who fired home to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage.
Leeds responded with periods of pressure of their own during the opening 45 minutes, with Lukas Nmecha and Anton Stach both testing the Liverpool defense without success. The visitors did, however, suffer a concerning setback when Gabriel Gudmundsson was forced off with what appeared to be a muscle problem.
Liverpool doubled their lead shortly before the break in a goal that showcased the quality of their young talent. Trey Nyoni, who continued to catch the eye in midfield, played a superb pass to find Jeremie Frimpong out wide. The Dutch full-back's cut-back picked out Wirtz, who made no mistake from close range to make it 2-0 heading into the interval.
The match was transformed after the restart as Farke turned to his bench, introducing Brenden Aaronson, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Sean Longstaff. All three would play pivotal roles in what became a stunning comeback for Leeds.
Aaronson pulled a goal back for the visitors around the hour mark, capitalizing on a mistake from Kerkez to reduce the deficit to 2-1. Leeds continued to build momentum and drew level shortly afterward when Calvert-Lewin headed home following a flick-on from Joe Rodon, who had redirected a long throw from Ethan Ampadu.
Having found their rhythm, Leeds completed the turnaround in style. Aaronson turned provider this time, setting up Longstaff to fire Leeds into the lead for the first time in the match. Calvert-Lewin then added his second of the afternoon, repeating his earlier headed effort to seal an impressive 4-2 victory for Farke's side.
The result will offer plenty of encouragement for Leeds as they continue their pre-season preparations, with the introductions of Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, and Longstaff proving decisive in turning the game on its head. For Liverpool, despite the promising performances of both Wirtz and Nyoni, the second-half collapse will give Iraola plenty to consider as his side continues to build toward the new campaign.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.