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Liverpool have their final tune-up before the first competitive fixtures of the coming season as the Reds host Athletic Club for a pair of back-to-back friendlies at Anfield on Monday.
The two clubs will play consecutive fixtures just an hour apart, allowing as many players as possible to gain valuable minutes before the campaign begins.
The match comes less than a week before Liverpool’s first official match of the season, where the defending Premier League champions will meet FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the annual Community Shield at Wembley next Sunday.
Athletic Club, meanwhile, have one more friendly before they begin their campaign. Ernesto Valverde’s side take on Arsenal this weekend.
JUMP TO: Goals, highlights from first friendly | Goals, highlights for second friendly | How to watch
Liverpool vs. Athletic Club live score Score (HT) Goal scorers Liverpool 1 Salah (14′) Athletic Club 1 Sancet (29′) Starting lineups:
Liverpool (4-2-3-1, right to left): 25. Mamardashvili (GK) — 30. Frimpong, 3. Endo, 5. Konate, 6. Kerkez — 8. Szoboszlai, 38. Gravenberch — 11. Salah, 7. Wirtz, 18. Gakpo — 22. Ekitike.
Athletic Club (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Simon (GK) — 37. Areso, 3. Vivian, 32. Boiro, 17. Berchiche — 16. de Galarreta, 18. Jauregizar — 9. I. Williams, 8. Sancet (Canales, 43′), 10. N.Williams — 21. Sannadi.
Liverpool vs. Athletic Club goals, highlights from second friendly HALFTIME: Liverpool 1-1 Athletic Club
Like in the first game, Liverpool were the far better side through the opening 45 minutes, peppering the Athletic Club goal thanks to a combination of brilliant team combination, individual excellence, and woeful opposition defending. Yet unlike the opening match, the Reds were unable to head into the dressing room with a scoreline lead.
Mohamed Salah was the only Liverpool player who managed to finish his chance successfully, as Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, and even Ibrahima Konate all came close but failed to find the net in the end.
All of Liverpool’s new signings have been strong performers, topped by the brilliant Wirtz who has been fabulous throughout the 45 minutes. Ekitike was vital on Salah’s goal, and Jeremie Frimpong has also stood out. Athletic Club have their goal through Oihan Sancet, but the Spaniard was forced off just before the break with an injury which will worry the club as the new season approaches.
29th min: GOAL! ATHLETIC CLUB! Oihan Sancet has brought the game back level! It comes on a set-piece for Athletic Club, with the ball sent in from deep by Jesus Areso. It’s floated exquisitely to the far post where an attacker gets a touch to the ball and nods it back to the penalty spot.
Every Liverpool defender was caught ball-watching, as they had all followed the flight of the delivery and failed to track two or three Athletic forwards who had slammed on their brakes around the top of the six-yard box. With them all now unmarked, Sancet latched onto the ball and finished with confidence!
21st min: As they did in the first friendly, there’s a minute’s applause around Anfield to remember Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. The moment is delayed slightly as there was no stoppage in the 20th minute, but the referee allows the ground to have its moment at the first opportunity.
14th min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL! After Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo missed glorious chances minutes earlier, Mohamed Salah finds the back of the net to open the scoring!
Hugo Ekitike is the creative source of the goal, driving to the byline before cutting it back to the top of the penalty area. The delivery crosses up Adama Boiro so bad the ball goes right through his legs and straight to the feet of Salah, and he drives home the emphatic finish!
Mo Salah with time and space. You know what happens next ⚽ pic.twitter.com/LHRpKf35Xt
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 4, 2025 Kickoff: “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is complete and the match is under way! Premier League official Darren England is the referee for this second friendly.
1 hour to kickoff: With the first friendly complete, the second game is on its way, with shortly over an hour before kickoff. The first-choice players for both sides are set to take the field here, with many of Liverpool’s starters hoping to complete the full 90 minutes as the Reds only have six players named to the bench for this second friendly.
One player who misses out is Virgil van Dijk, whom Liverpool confirmed misses out due to illness, which forces midfielder Wataru Endo into the back line. Conor Bradley is also missing, with a “minor injury” the reason given.
Liverpool vs. Athletic Club final score from first friendly Score (2H) Goal scorers Liverpool 4 Ngumoha (2′),
Nunez (5′),
Doak (42′),
Elliott (58′) Athletic Club 1 Guruzeta (76′) Starting lineups:
Liverpool (4-3-3, right to left): 28. Woodman (GK — Pesci, 46′) —91. Stephenson, 26. Robertson, 42. Nyoni (Pilling, 67′), 21. Tsimikas — 10. Mac Allister (Lucky, 56′), 19. Elliott, 17. Jones (Laffey, 84′) — 50. Doak (Danns, 56′), 9. Nunez (Koumas, 80′), 73. Ngumoha (Kone-Doherty, 67′).
Athletic Club (4-2-3-1, right to left): 13. Padilla (GK) — 2. Gorosabel (Louisjean, 73′), 6. Vesga, 4. De Luis, 15. Lekue — 24. Prados (Navarro, 13′), 30. Rego (Rencedor, 73′) — 7. Berenguer (Canales, 85′), 20. U. Gomez, 33. Serrano (Ares, 73′) — 12. Guruzeta (Izeta, 85′).
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Liverpool vs. Athletic Club goals, highlights from first friendly FULLTIME: Liverpool 4-1 Athletic Club
An excellent showing by the Liverpool players who took part in the first friendly of the day, largely a second-choice group who carved Athletic Club to pieces.
Rio Ngumoha and Ben Doak starred in the first half, and while the second half was a bit quieter, they still largely out-performed their Spanish opponents. Alexis Mac Allister, the lone first-choice player in the lineup today, was also a standout.
76th min: GOAL! ATHLETIC CLUB! A sloppy defensive moment for Liverpool sees Gorka Guruzeta pick up Athletic’s first goal! Luca Stephenson tries to clear the ball, but having to contort his body awkwardly to get contact on the ball, he instead heads it right to Guruzeta who finishes from about six yards out!
58th min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL! Harvey Elliott is the latest Liverpool player to find the back of the net as Athletic Club are once again carved to pieces! A great vertical ball from Kostas Tsimikas up towards Darwin Nunez unlocks the back line, and with his back to goal he squares it for Elliott who’s somehow completely unmarked 10 yards from goal, producing a great finish!
It was Elliott’s defender who stepped up to challenge Nunez, who himself had snuck by his mark, and nobody filled the vacancy behind! Athletic Club have been absolutely shambolic at the back in this first of two games.
Watch in USA:
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) August 4, 2025 56th min: Here come the first of likely many substitutions. Alexis Mac Allister is the first off for Liverpool, as Ben Doak is also withdrawn. On to replace them are Jayden Danns and Wellity Lucky.
A bit later, Rio Ngumoha exits to an Anfield ovation, replaced by Kone-Doherty. Alongside him Toni Nyoni goes off, maybe struggling with a bit of a muscle issue, replaced by Tommy Pilling.
2nd half kickoff: The players are back out for the second half. There are no changes for Athletic Club, whose only substitution so far remains the early injury replacement for Benat Prados, with Robert Navarro coming on to replace him. There is one for Liverpool, as Armin Pesci comes on to replace Freddie Woodman in goal.
Expect a flurry of alterations after the hour mark, but as players ramp up to 90-minute fitness, they are now tasked with performing past a 45-minute level.
HALFTIME: Liverpool 3-0 Athletic Club
The Reds completely dominated the first 45 minutes of this opening friendly, with Rio Ngumoha and Ben Doak the headline standouts. Darwin Nunez scored his fifth goal of the preseason, which is notable as he looks to secure a move away or push his way into a crowded Liverpool attacking lineup.
Athletic had a few chances, hitting the crossbar early in the half and having a few other big attacking moves cut down at the last moment. At the back, however, they were woeful, allowing the Liverpool wingers to dribble at will, almost fearful of challenging them on the ball.
42nd min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL! Ben Doak has a third for the Reds, who have dominated this first half! He takes it himself from outside the penalty area, driving vertically down the right edge of the six-yard box and scoring from an incredibly tight angle, sneaking the ball in off the palm of the goalkeeper who should have done better!
FROM THIS ANGLE BEN DOAK?! 😳 pic.twitter.com/n8BfiZYllc
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 4, 2025 35th min: Chance, Athletic! An absolutely FANTASTIC defensive intervention by Trey Nyoni at the back post to prevent an Athletic Club goal! A second consecutive Athletic corner is swung into the mixer, where it’s headed on a platter at the far post for a crashing forward. But there is Nyoni, who got to the ball before the attacker or the goalkeeper, and swipes it away with his foot! WHAT a play!
20th min: The match is momentarily paused for a minute’s applause in honor of former Liverpool striker Diogo Jota, who wore No. 20 and passed away this summer in a car wreck. A wonderful tribute at Anfield for a beloved player and person.
Anfield pay tribute to the late Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in the 20th minute of their first game back at Anfield since their untimely deaths ❤️ pic.twitter.com/M2wP3Uvhog
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 4, 2025 5th min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL! It’s all too easy for Darwin Nunez who taps the ball into the net from right on the line, and Liverpool are 2-0 up in a flash! It comes on the back of a great move, with a cross by Ben Doak to the head of Rio Ngumoha who places it right at Nunez’s feet for the near-post touch!
The team football on display from Liverpool right now 😍
Darwin Nuñez finishes off a lovely bit of play from The Reds 😤 pic.twitter.com/ls2QcJjGBJ
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 4, 2025 2nd min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL! It’s a wonderful solo goal to start things off, with a wonderful run and finish from young winger Rio Ngumoha! The 16-year-old meanders through midfield, advancing the ball into the attacking third, and with nobody from Athletic Club stepping forward to challenge, he goes for goal himself from about 18 yards out and tucks it inside the post!
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 4, 2025 Kickoff: The first match is under way as these two clubs look to advance closer to the start of their seasons!
1 hour to kickoff: Lineups are in, and both sides have largely gone with a second-choice setup for the first match, likely leaving the first-choice players for the second game.
Starting for Liverpool up front is Darwin Nunez, who is the subject of significant transfer speculation. It’s unlikely that Arne Slot risks him for too long ahead of what could be a big-money move for the Uruguayan, which Liverpool will not want to see scuppered by a potential injury.
🔴 Update on Darwin Nunez: #LFC striker wanted by Saudi side Al-Hilal as well as AC Milan.
However Liverpool yet to receive any bids and Nunez is currently set for involvement vs. Athletic Club tonight.
Full story @thisisanfield.
— Jack Lusby (@LusbyJack) August 4, 2025 Liverpool vs. Athletic Club lineups, team news Hugo Ekitike made an underwhelming Liverpool debut against Yokohama F. Marinos and will be keen to impress, especially with the club’s ambitions to sign Alexander Isak having hit an impasse.
Alisson left the Asian t
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