Preston v Liverpool live: Reaction as Reds earn straightforward win in first match since death of Diogo Jota | OneFootball

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Fans pay tribute to Diogo Jota at first Liverpool match since footballer's death

Liverpool beat Preston North End 2-1 in an emotional friendly at Deepdale in the Reds’ first match since the death of Diogo Jota.

An emotional rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was followed by a moment of silence before kick-off, with players from both sides wearing black armbands in memory of the Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva.

A much-changed Liverpool side settled quickly without creating many opportunities, with Rio Ngumoha impressing before Federico Chiesa saw a cross deflected to Conor Bradley, who opened the scoring.

The tempo of the game remained low during a warm day in Lancashire, with Arne Slot making 11 changes at half-time, but Liverpool were virtually given a goal when Darwin Nunez latched onto a backwards pass before rounding the ‘keeper.

And Nunez was then at the centre of the third, producing a lovely dummy to allow Gakpo to roll in the net late on, wrapping up the game for the visitors despite a late consolation from Liam Lindsay.

Liverpool pay emotional tribute to Diogo Jota at Preston friendly

For seven minutes after the final whistle, Liverpool players and staff stood in front of their supporters at Preston as they chanted Diogo Jota’s name.

Sunday’s pre-season friendly at Deepdale was originally envisaged as a day to kick-start preparations for Liverpool’s Premier League title defence, but it played out as a memorial service for Jota and his brother Andre Silva, 10 days after they died in a car accident in Spain.

On the pitch Liverpool eased to a 3-1 win through goals from Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo but thoughts of Jota and Silva remained at the forefront throughout the day.

Chris Wilson13 July 2025 19:11

Diogo Jota: The fan favourite who achieved more than he ever dreamed possible

The caption is more poignant now, even as the words have proved horribly wrong. “Yes to forever,” wrote Diogo Jota, accompanying social-media pictures of his wedding to his long-time partner Rute Cardoso. Within two weeks, Jota’s forever had ended, the Liverpool and Portugal forward killed in a car crash in Spain, along with his brother Andre Silva. His new wife is already a widow, his three young children left without a father.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Cristiano Ronaldo, his Portugal captain. There is a feeling of shock whenever a life is suddenly cruelly cut short, and Jota was just 28. It is still greater when someone has seemed as full of life as Jota did. He was often a smiling figure; “someone with an infectious joy,” Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Football Federation, said. He was popular wherever he went. “Diogo was adored by our fans, loved by his teammates and cherished by everyone who worked with him during his time at Wolves,” his previous club said. Wolves described themselves as “heartbroken”, Liverpool as “devastated”

Diogo Jota: The fan favourite who achieved more than he ever dreamed possible

The forward lifted trophies in his final games for both Liverpool and Portugal, writes Richard Jolly, two highlights of a career the little Portuguese dribbler never thought possible as a teenager who simply loved to play

Chris Wilson13 July 2025 18:00