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The Community Shield is always the unofficial opening act of the new season.

It’s the first taste of competitive football after the summer break.

Fans get to see where their team stands, how sharp the players look, and what kind of energy the squad is bringing.

Some see it as just a friendly.

But with silverware and bragging rights at stake, it always matters.

For Liverpool fans, the competition brings back a mix of emotions.

They’ve had high moments, frustrating defeats, and fierce showdowns with top rivals.

But this year’s game is different.

It’s not against Manchester City, Arsenal, or Chelsea.

It’s Crystal Palace.

And that makes it a bit more unpredictable.

Liverpool’s first official fixture of the 2025/26 season has now been confirmed.

They will face Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, August 9.

The Reds qualified after a dominant Premier League campaign.

That title win secured their place in the traditional season curtain-raiser.

Crystal Palace earned their spot the hard way—by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Eberechi Eze’s first-half goal settled the showcase event, giving Palace a shock 1-0 win and leaving Pep Guardiola’s side trophyless for the season.

For Liverpool, this will be their first Community Shield appearance in three years.

They last played in 2022, beating City 3-1 at the King Power Stadium.

Before that, they lost back-to-back Community Shields 5-4 on penalties, to City and Arsenal in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

The Reds have won the trophy 16 times in their history, whether under the Charity Shield or Community Shield name.

A win against Palace would move them level with Arsenal in second place on the all-time list, just four behind record-holders Manchester United, who have 21.

The match comes one week before the 2025/26 Premier League kicks off.

But there’s a bit of history to note—the last time a Community Shield winner went on to win the league was in 2018, when City beat Chelsea before edging Liverpool to the title.

This year, it’s Liverpool vs Palace.

The season starts here.

And the tone will be set from day one.

Read more: Conor Bradley signs new long-term contract at Liverpool

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