Liverpool vs Bournemouth Prediction 15.08.2025
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Liverpool vs Bournemouth Prediction
Liverpool vs Bournemouth Prediction and Betting Tips for Friday’s 2025-26 Premier League opener at Anfield. The reigning champions are out to respond after a painful Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace, while the Cherries arrive with a mixed bag of form and a daunting away record. This clash also features in our Premier League Predictions at XpertStats, where history, stats, and form all point in one direction but football loves a curveball.
- Mohamed Salah has scored more opening-day Premier League goals than any other player.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 12 opening league matches.
- Bournemouth have never won away to Liverpool in the Premier League.
- Both teams enter after underwhelming pre-season finishes.
Liverpool’s summer was big-spending and full of anticipation, but the season didn’t exactly start as planned. Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong both scored debut goals in the Community Shield, yet defensive lapses cost them, succumbing to Dean Henderson’s penalty heroics. Even so, Arne Slot’s men remain unbeaten at Anfield in the league since last September, and they’ve gone 12 straight seasons without losing an opener. Mohamed Salah’s love affair with opening day is another weapon: nine goals and 14 goal involvements on MD1 is ridiculous by any standard.
That said, the Reds do have absences. Ryan Gravenberch is suspended, Conor Bradley is nursing a muscle injury, and Joe Gomez is only fit enough for the bench. Still, reinforcements like Florian Wirtz could give the attack fresh bite. The German playmaker arrives after a 10-goal, 12-assist season in the Bundesliga and could become just the third German to score on his Premier League debut. Slot will expect intensity from the first whistle, last year’s late-season slump still lingers in memory.
Bournemouth’s record at Anfield? Grim reading. Six straight league defeats there, 23 goals conceded, only two scored. Yet Andoni Iraola’s side had their best Premier League campaign last year, hitting 56 points and boasting their tightest defence in top-flight history. The problem? That backline has been dismantled, with four key defenders moving on. Pre-season didn’t inspire much confidence either: two defeats in the USA followed by two goalless draws at home. And key attacking threats like Justin Kluivert, Ryan Christie, and Enes Ünal are all missing.
Even so, the Cherries have gone seven straight seasons without losing their opening match, and Antoine Semenyo’s new deal has kept some optimism alive. New goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic will be tested early and often, while fresh signing Bafode Diakite might get a baptism of fire if he’s thrown in. Can Bournemouth take a page from Palace’s book and frustrate the champions? Maybe. But with Salah’s home scoring record and Liverpool’s relentless starts to seasons, it’s hard to see this being the Cherries’ night. The smart money says the Anfield fortress stays unbreached, keeping the champions’ title defence on track from day one.
In short, this is one of those fixtures where history, form, and quality all align in favour of the hosts. And while shocks do happen, Bournemouth will need something extraordinary to turn the tide. This might just be a case of déjà vu for them.
Liverpool’s dominance over Bournemouth, especially at Anfield, makes this a high-confidence pick. The Reds have won 11 of their last 12 Premier League meetings with the Cherries, including six straight at home by a combined score of 23-2. They’re unbeaten in their last 12 opening-day fixtures, winning nine of them. Mohamed Salah thrives in these games, with nine goals and 14 goal involvements on Matchday 1: the best record in the league’s history. Bournemouth, meanwhile, travel without several key players, including Justin Kluivert, Ryan Christie, and Enes Ünal. Their once-solid defence has been stripped, losing four core members over the summer. Pre-season form hasn’t inspired confidence either: no wins in their last four friendlies. Liverpool might have had a stumble in the Community Shield, but they remain unbeaten at Anfield in the league since September. All signs point to the champions starting their title defence with three points.
This fixture has a habit of producing goals and plenty of them. Liverpool have scored 23 goals in their last six home league matches against Bournemouth, averaging almost four per game. Even when the Reds haven’t been flawless defensively, their attack more than makes up for it. Pre-season showed they can score but also concede, shipping 10 goals in their last five competitive and friendly matches. That gives Bournemouth a chance to at least get on the scoresheet, even without some key forwards. Liverpool’s front line, powered by Salah’s lethal opening-day form, should create enough to break the 2.5 goal mark on their own. Bournemouth’s reshuffled defence will be tested from the first whistle, and any attempt to open up could see them punished. With history, attacking talent, and defensive vulnerabilities on both sides, this match has all the ingredients for a high-scoring opener.
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