Liverpool Honors Late Diogo Jota as Nunez Scores in Pre-Season Friendly

Liverpool began their pre-season with a 3-1 victory against Preston North End, marked by a poignant tribute to their late teammate Diogo Jota. Conor Bradley opened the scoring before Darwin Nunez doubled the lead and honored Jota with a heartfelt celebration, mimicking his signature video game controller gesture and pointing to the sky. The match was Liverpool's first since the tragic deaths of Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a car crash, with both teams and fans observing a minute's silence, wearing black armbands, and paying respects through various tributes. Liverpool also announced the retirement of Jota's number 20 shirt as a mark of respect for his contributions, having scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club. The emotional atmosphere extended beyond the pitch with tributes from other players, including Jota's former Wolves teammate Raul Jimenez. Despite Preston scoring a late goal, Cody Gakpo sealed the win for Liverpool, who are set to continue their pre-season preparations against AC Milan.