The twist of fate that sends Liverpool to Stoke City on Sunday is an opportunity that should be embraced, according to Adam Lallana.

Against the odds, the Reds will begin the 2015-16 season at the same venue where they ended the previous campaign in unceremonious fashion.

Stoke plundered half-a-dozen goals in the May meeting at the Britannia Stadium en route to a 6-1 result that Lallana and co have had to stew over for months.

When the new fixture list was confirmed, though, the No.20 saw Liverpool’s pairing with the Potters as an anomaly that can be used to their advantage.

He explained: “It’s a good fixture for us to start off with. What happened last season is fresh in our mind and we want to put it right. It’s a great chance for us to do that.

“Stoke is always a difficult place to go to and the first game is always a strange game in terms of no-one really knowing where they’re at with new additions to the squad.

“It’s always a good test and a good marker to see how the squad is gelling together and performing. It’s a big test for us psychologically off the back of the result in the last game of the season.

“Every team is going to want to start off well. We’ve always got big expectations, so we want to start the season well. Because we want to be in the top four come the end of the season.

“Obviously there’s going to be a lot of pressure, but that’s just part and parcel of day-to-day life. We’re just looking forward to getting going and trying to get a good result.”

After signing from Southampton last summer, Lallana’s Liverpool initiation was hampered by an injury picked up during pre-season.

It has been a different story for the Englishman this time around, though, with two smartly-taken goals and a consistent showing so far.

“There’s been a good mood and a good pre-season,” he continued.

“A lot of the signings happened early; we’ve managed to bond and go away and train together and play a lot of games together. We’re just hoping for a good start.

“I’ve had a good pre-season, I can’t wait to get going now. Let my football do the talking and, more importantly, get a good start for the team and show that we can be a real force this year.”

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