Slot’s team hosted their Championship rivals at the AXA Training Centre for a closed-door clash, where Robbie Brady scored the only goal of the game for the visitors.
While the Reds were still some of their stars from Euro 2024 and the Copa América, adding Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo, no fewer than 25 players earned minutes under Slot in the narrow defeat.
Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai have been named in the first eleven, as have Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott, Kostas Tsimikas, Curtis Jones and Ben Doak, who returns from a serious knee injury.
Doak and Salah were joined by Fabio Carvalho in the first three of the first forty-five in Kirkby, but the Reds went down just before the 30th minute, when Brady fired a very good long-range shot after Liverpool were left out looking to play. behind.
Szoboszlai then gave way to Wataru Endo in the 33rd minute, and the Japanese foreigner was the only player to finish the first half and also come off in the second half.
Players such as Tyler Morton, Stefan Bajcetic, Kaide Gordon, Lewis Koumas and defender Nat Phillips were among the 10 players brought in for the second half, where Trey Nyoni replaced Endo in the 75th minute.
Liverpool pushed for an equaliser as the second half wore on, but Preston dug deep into the defence to give Slot his first unofficial defeat as Liverpool manager, not keeping him up at night.
In addition to Liverpool’s group of internationals, second goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher took part in Friday’s friendly, with Vitezslav Jaros and Harvey Davies sharing the gloves.
The Republic of Ireland foreigner is believed to need to move elsewhere in search of regular playing time, while young striker Jayden Danns is also nowhere to be found.
After Friday’s defeat behind closed doors, Liverpool begin their tour of the United States and will face Real Betis (July 26), Arsenal (July 31) and Manchester United (August 3).
Slot will then conclude his preparations for the new season against Sevilla at Anfield on August 11, six days before traveling to newly promoted Ipswich Town for their first Premier League game.