Liverpool paid tribute to their two star players who were burnt alive in a car accident with a very emotional win

Liverpool began their 2025-26 pre-season with a 3-1 victory over Preston North End at Deepdale. The win was very emotional for Liverpool. Player Diogo Jota was tragically killed in a car accident in Spain last week. Jota's brother, Andre Silva, also lost his life in the crash. Before the match, the stadium atmosphere was filled with emotion. Both Preston and Liverpool players observed a minute of silence in front of the fans and laid a wreath for Jota.

There was a heartfelt live performance of 'You Will Never Walk Alone' before kickoff. Players from both teams wore black armbands. The crowd erupted in applause when a photo of the brothers was shown in the 20th minute. An emotional song was also sung for Jota.

Tributes to Diogo and Andre continued throughout the event. Liverpool's Darwin Nunez celebrated his goal in the second half by mimicking Jota's famous goal celebration, while Cody Gakpo later celebrated his goal by pointing to Jota's shirt number - 20, igniting fans' excitement.

On the field, the Reds delivered a strong performance. Conor Bradley opened the scoring late in the first half, with teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa providing assists. Nunez doubled the lead after a defensive error early in the second half, and Gakpo scored the third in the final minutes after Preston's Liam Lindsay scored with a powerful header.