Liverpool were beaten 1-0 by Preston in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday.

The Reds do not play their first official pre-season fixture until July 27, when they face Real Betis, but life under new boss Arne Slot has got underway and they faced Preston as their training ground.

A different lineup was used in each half, with Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai among those to feature in the first period, while Stefan Bajcetic, who endured injury problems for much of last season, played the second-half.

Championship side Preston picked up a narrow win, with Robbie Brady’s strike the only goal of the match.

Salah went close to scoring in the first-half, volleying over the bar, while Harvey Elliott and Conor Bradley went close with efforts from the edge of the area.

Szoboszlai came off with just over 30 minutes played, and was replaced by Wataru Endo.

Preston’s goal came in the first-half, as the Reds were caught playing out from the back and Brady fired in a brilliant finish past goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros from distance.

Liverpool could not respond after the break and their focus now turns to the start of their USA tour next week.

Slot’s side face Real Betis in Pittsburgh, before high-profile friendly fixtures against Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.

They will then return home to take on Sevilla, ahead of the start of the Premier League season away to Ipswich on August 17.

Liverpool first half XI: Jaros, Bradley, Van den Berg, Quansah, Tsimikas, Jones, Elliott, Szoboszlai (Endo, 33), Doak, Salah, Carvalho.

Liverpool second half XI: Davies, Stephenson, Nallo, Phillips, Chambers (Beck, 75), Endo (Nyoni, 75), Bajcetic, Morton, McConnell, Koumas (Blair, 75), Gordon.