Liverpool will finish their pre-season on Monday with two friendly matches against Athletic Club at Anfield.
The 2024/25 Premier League Champions are back from Asia after beating Yokohama F. Marinos 3-1 in Japan. Now they face the Spanish side twice in one day as part of their final preparations before the Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace on August 10.
Liverpool vs Athletic Club – Preview
Liverpool have won three of their four pre-season games but are still conceding goals. They beat Preston 3-1, Stoke 5-0 behind closed doors, and Yokohama F. Marinos 3-1. The only defeat came against AC Milan, who punished them with quick counter-attacks in a 4-2 loss.
The Reds have scored a total of 13 goals so far, with Florian Wirtz netting his first in the last match. The attack is becoming sharper with each game, but the defence remains shaky. They managed to keep a clean sheet only in the game against Stoke.
Meanwhile, Athletic Club have not had a good pre-season so far. They have lost their last three games, including a 2-1 defeat to Racing Santander. They have scored only three goals in four matches and conceded five.
Last season, Ernesto Valverde’s team finished fourth in La Liga with 70 points. That earned them a Champions League spot for the first time since 2014. They had the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 29 goals across the season.
Their away form at the end of last season was strong. They won their final two games on the road. But before that, they went ten away matches without a single win.
Liverpool vs Athletic Club – Team News
Alisson Becker is not expected to feature after returning to Brazil for personal reasons. Joe Gomez is still out with an Achilles injury picked up last month. Federico Chiesa could return after missing the Asia tour with a muscle problem. Alexis Mac Allister came off the bench against Yokohama and may be fit to start.
Arne Slot is likely to pick a stronger team for one of the games, with this being the last outing before the Community Shield. Conor Bradley has been starting at right-back, with Van Dijk, Konate and Kerkez making up the rest of what looks like the first-choice defence.
Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz are likely to continue in attack, with Mohamed Salah expected on the right. Curtis Jones, Endo, Robertson and youngsters Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni are all in line for more minutes.
Elsewhere, Athletic Club are facing a defensive crisis going into Monday’s double-header at Anfield. Unai Egiluz is out long-term with a knee injury, while Aitor Paredes has a muscle problem. Dani Vivian is the only fit senior centre-back, forcing manager Ernesto Valverde to rely on younger players like De Luis and try out Adu Ares and Prados in defence during pre-season.
In midfield, Mikel Vesga and Mikel Jauregizar are expected to start. Vesga scored in their most recent friendly and will likely play a deeper role. Nico Williams remains their main threat on the left, with Iñaki Williams likely to play on the right and Gorka Guruzeta up front.
Head‑to‑Head & Previous Meetings
Liverpool and Athletic Club have only met twice before, both in pre-season friendlies at Anfield. The first meeting came in August 2017, when Liverpool won 3‑1. Their most recent clash ended in a 1‑1 draw in August 2021, with Diogo Jota scoring a well‑worked opener before Athletic equalised in the second half.
Key Stats
- Liverpool have scored 13 goals in 4 pre-season games this summer.
- Athletic Club have lost their last 3 pre-season matches, conceding 5 goals.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in both meetings with Athletic Club (1 win, 1 draw).
Liverpool will aim to finish pre-season strong with a win in front of the Anfield crowd.
