This morning, the moment I woke up, I saw the news: Liverpool is set to play a preseason friendly against Las Palmas. Even though it’s just a warm-up match, not an official game, I still really want to know: Who will be on the pitch? Will the starters play?
For me, it’s like a pre-match ritual. Without glancing at the starting lineup, watching the game just feels a bit off.
So I immediately grabbed my phone and opened my go-to sports app to check for updates. And what did I find?
The homepage was flooded with old news—stuff like “Liverpool eyeing a certain midfielder” or “Player X’s contract is expiring soon”…
But nowhere was the information I cared about most: Who’s starting in today’s match?
I refreshed the page multiple times, but nothing budged. This app is usually lightning-fast, but today it felt like it was frozen solid.
The official site wasn’t much help either, taking forever to update
No choice—I switched to my computer and opened Liverpool’s official website. Surely the official source would have something?
But clicking in, the news section was flooded with ticket ads and a youth academy signing announcement.
The lineup for this match? Not a single word.
I was getting desperate. The game was starting in hours, yet the club wouldn’t reveal what fans craved most.
It felt like arriving at a friend’s dinner party, everyone seated, while he’s still bustling in the kitchen—not even showing you the menu.
Finally got the info from a reporter’s tweet
With no other options left, I switched to Twitter (now called X). I searched the hashtag #LFC and scrolled through a bunch of content:
- Funny fan-made memes
- Complaints about last season’s games
- Transfer rumors
Then, out of nowhere, a tweet from a local Liverpool reporter I’d been following for ages popped up:
- “Liverpool vs. Las Palmas starting XI: Alisson; Gomez, Quirós, Konaté, Tsimikas; McConnell, Clark, Elliott; Doku, Díaz, Gakpo.”
My eyes lit up! Finally, someone had posted it!
This guy’s usually pretty reliable, and he wrote it out clearly—even listing the goalkeeper and defensive positions.
I quickly refreshed his page, hoping he’d also post Las Palmas’ lineup.
But after waiting forever, not a single new tweet appeared.
DIY: Piecing Together the Opponent’s Roster
No choice—I had to find it myself.
I opened Google and searched: “Las Palmas today vs Liverpool starting lineup.”
The first result was a fan forum, loading painfully slow and plastered with ads.
After finally getting in, I saw someone had pasted a text block, likely copied from a Spanish news site but poorly translated:
- “Several doubtful players rested, Kieran starting in midfield…”
Though the sentences were awkward, I caught the key points:
- The main defender isn’t playing
- A young midfielder named Kieran will start
- The goalkeeper should be the regular starter
I then searched Twitter for Las Palmas’ official account and found they posted a training photo showing several players in match kits. Combining this with the forum info, I roughly pieced together their starting lineup.
A friend asked, and I could finally answer
While I was busy researching, my WeChat group kept “ding-ding” with notifications.
A friend asked: “Who’s playing for Liverpool today? Any updates?”
I quickly posted the lineups I’d compiled:
- Liverpool fielded a mix of half-starters and young players
- Las Palmas also rotated several starters
The moment I posted it, I felt like I’d accomplished something major.
Like finishing an exam with the last answer written in the final second—a huge sigh of relief.
Why are preseason matches so hard to research?
This experience taught me one thing:
Information on preseason friendlies is incredibly hard to find.
There are several reasons:
- Clubs don’t prioritize them
Since these aren’t official matches and the outcome doesn’t matter, club websites are reluctant to update lineups promptly. - Sports apps update slowly
Major platforms focus on major competitions, often overlooking these friendlies or providing outdated information. - Language and time zone barriers
Las Palmas is a Spanish team, so their updates first appear on Spanish-language sites. English translations are slow, and the content is often incomprehensible to the average person. - Fragmented information
There’s no single place to find both teams’ lineups at once. You have to piece things together, hunting for clues like solving a mystery.
Lessons Learned
I’ve now mastered a few practical methods:
- Follow local journalists: They often report faster and more accurately than official sources.
- Don’t rely on just one site: Check official websites, Twitter, fan forums, and score apps.
- Research early, don’t wait until kickoff: Last-minute info gets chaotic and stressful.
- Keep your own notes: Write down both lineups for easy sharing and review.
Finally, before the match even starts, just no injuries
Even though it’s just a friendly, as a fan, I still hope:
The players perform well, but above all, stay injury-free.
Especially the young players—this is their chance to shine, but safety comes first.
By the time I finished writing this, the kettle had boiled. I brewed a cup of tea and settled in to watch the game.
Now that I finally know who’s playing, I can relax and enjoy the game.
That’s football for you—
even an obscure warm-up match
can keep you running around like crazy
if you want to figure out the details.
But in the end, when you see the players step onto the pitch,
all the hassle is worth it.
