Friday, May 23, 2008

Liverpool To Meet Villareal And Rangers In Pre-season Friendlies

Liverpool have announced a prestigious pre-season friendly with La Liga runners-up Villarreal.

And the Anfield club are also expected to confirm soon another warm-up game against Rangers at Ibrox.

So far the only date confirmed is the July 30 visit to Villarreal, a side Liverpool could end up facing in the Champions League next term.

The match is part of the deal that took Spain international goalkeeper Jose Reina to Anfield in the summer of 2005.

Liverpool are also almost certain to be facing a trip to Ibrox to face the beaten UEFA Cup finalists. That date could be July 26, but there has been no official confirmation yet.

Liverpool will travel to Switzerland in early July for their usual pre-season training camp, where a couple of games against local opposition will be organised.

Liverpool also hope to have a friendly on the weekend prior to the start of the new Premier League season.

There are no plans for a pre-season tour to the USA or the Far East, as Liverpool have staged in previous years.

Liverpool enter the Champions League at the third qualifying round stage next season, and the draw will be made on August 3.

The Premier League starts on August 9, with the third qualifying round first leg on August 12/13 with the second leg on August 26/27, with the group stages starting on September 16-17.

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