Andoni Iraola’s first game as Liverpool head coach at Anfield ended in a 3-2 loss to Monaco from France’s Ligue 1.
He selected a strong starting XI for Sunday’s friendly and his side raced into a two-goal lead before the half-hour mark, as Alexander Isak opened the scoring on 16 minutes before Florian Wirtz tapped in a second.
Monaco halved the deficit just before half-time when Aleksandr Golovin converted a penalty, which he won when he was fouled by Virgil van Dijk. Mika Biereth equalised 11 minutes after the restart, scoring at the second attempt after being denied by an excellent Giorgi Mamardashvili save.
The intensity dropped in the second half as both teams made a string of substitutions before Liverpool’s set-piece problems from last season raised their head again as they conceded an 88th-minute winner; Paris Brunner heading in from a corner.
Andrew Jones analyses the main talking points.
Are we starting to see the Isak-Wirtz link Liverpool hoped for?
Florian Wirtz scores Liverpool’s second goal against Monaco (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
If Liverpool can see this version of Isak and Wirtz consistently during the upcoming season, there is plenty to be excited about.
Last summer, they invested more than £225million ($303m) combined in these two players, who they thought would lead their attack into a new era. For differing reasons, neither had the debut season that anybody at Anfield would have hoped.
Under new head coach Iraola, though, it is so far so good.
Their first outing of pre-season, in the opening 45 minutes against Leeds United in Chicago last Sunday, was a real positive as they contributed to Liverpool’s best half of football on the three-game tour of the United States, and as a partnership it looked like a connection had already been established as a No 9 and a No 10.
Their performances against Monaco today were another positive step forward, and both looked like the players Liverpool thought they were buying last summer. They were sharp and nearly combined in the seventh minute when they traded passes in the Monaco area before Wirtz’s shot was saved by Lukas Hradecky.
They continued to cause problems throughout the first half, with Wirtz finding plenty of space in between the lines and Isak constantly posing a threat in behind, as well as being involved in build-up play.
Isak gave Liverpool the lead when he received a pass from Ryan Gravenberch, who had played a neat one-two with Dominik Szoboszlai, and finished calmly into the bottom left corner from the middle of the area. Wirtz’s bright play was rewarded when he scored from close range after a goalmouth scramble to make it 2-0, with Isak picking up the assist.
Their threat continued in the second half, before they were both substituted just before the hour.
How many transfers do Liverpool actually need?
Jon Mackenzie
How did Munoz do in his first Anfield appearance?
Liverpool supporters have had to wait some time to see summer signing Victor Munoz in action, but they finally got their first glimpse of him against Monaco.
He received a loud reception when he was brought on, as one of a number of other changes, just before the hour.
The 23-year-old only joined up with the squad at the start of the week after cutting his post-World Cup holiday short, having been part of the Spain squad that won the tournament.
Munoz is a versatile forward and today, after he came on with fellow winger Rio Ngumoha, it was the Spaniard who played on the left wing, while the teenager operated off the right.
The match’s second half lacked the intensity of the first 45 minutes, but there were a couple of promising moments from Munoz, most notably when he used his speed to skip past the full-back before delivering a low cross that was cleared.
On the opposite flank, it was another opportunity for Ngumoha to gain more experience playing on the right. There was a noticeable lift in volume from the crowd every time he got the ball, and he looked more assured in that role than when used there against Wrexham in the second friendly of the American tour 10 days ago.
The club are still looking to add to their attack before the summer window closes on September 1, as their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s France winger Bradley Barcola continues, but with an encouraging performance from Cody Gakpo here too, Iraola can begin to feel like he has a variety of options at his disposal. Further signings would only strengthen that.
What next for Koumas and Ndukwe?
Andoni Iraola’s first game in charge of Liverpool at Anfield ended in defeat (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
Iraola selected a strong line-up for his first Liverpool game at Anfield, but he included two youngsters in his starting XI – Lewis Koumas, 20, and 18-year-old Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
Both had made a strong impression during the tour in the United States and continued that form into the game against Monaco, with both looking right at home.
Koumas started on the right wing, a position Liverpool are still yet to address after the summer departure of long-time talisman Mohamed Salah, and he took his opportunity as he was constantly involved in their attacking play. It felt like a vote of confidence from Iraola, who had other options he could have selected, such as 52-time Italy international Federico Chiesa or Koumas’ fellow youngster Kieran Morrison, 19.
The young Welshman provided the deep cross to Gakpo which led to the scramble that ended with Wirtz making it 2-0, and the only thing missing from his performance was a goal, although he consistently got into promising potential scoring positions.
Koumas, who moved to the No 9 position in the second half, is expected to remain at Liverpool for the next few weeks before a decision is made on his future. There will be plenty of interest in him, and what happens next is also likely to depend on attacking incomings at Anfield.
The only negative so far about centre-back Ndukwe’s pre-season is that work permit issues will prevent him from playing for Liverpool this season.
The Austrian teenager looks ready for senior football. Partnering captain Van Dijk today, his size was striking, and he put in another calm, composed display. He embraced the physical challenge posed by 6ft 2in (187cm) centre-forward Biereth and was front-footed and confident. That was shown in the opening 10 minutes, when he dragged the ball back, turning away from two Monaco players.
Uruguay international Ronald Araujo’s imminent arrival from Barcelona on a season’s loan offers a short-term solution for Liverpool’s centre-back issues but Ndukwe, along with fellow youngsters Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni — who both missed this game due to injury — suggest their long-term health at that position is very strong.