Hugo Ekitike scores on his Liverpool debut, but the Reds are defeated on penalties by Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.
Arne Slot has explained why he substituted Hugo Ekitike during Liverpool’s Community Shield defeat.
The Reds lost a penalty shootout to Crystal Palace in the 2025-26 season opener at Wembley Stadium. The Premier League champions Liverpool and FA Cup holders Crystal Palace drew 2-2, but the Eagles won 3-2 on penalties. Reported By Liverpool News.
While Liverpool was exposed defensively, they impressed on the offensive end, with Ekitike making a spectacular debut. The £79 million signing from Eintracht Frankfurt scored just four minutes, curling a low shot into the far corner, assisted by £100 million record arrival Florian Wirtz.
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Ekitike will be unhappy that he did not add to his tally, as he missed a golden opportunity in the first minute of the second half and failed to take another great chance. The afternoon of the France under-21 international ended in the 71st minute, when he was substituted by Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool’s head coach, Slot, said: “It’s always wonderful to score a goal, not only for him but also for Jeremie Frimpong, when you start your career with a new club. But it would have been much better to win a game because winning is more essential than scoring. He had a positive influence, but he was also a player who arrived two weeks ago at the end of our Asian tour, so playing him 90 minutes would not have been wise for me with only four days until the Friday game. We have Federico, but he has not been with us on the Asian tour.
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