Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz scored in the first half as the hosts exhibited some free-flowing \u00adfootball,\u00a0but Monaco<\/a> dominated a \u00adsecond half that became fragmented as Iraola and Monaco\u2019s Filipe Lu\u00eds made wholesale changes.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as we have made some changes they start to get tired, we cannot sustain that level, so we have work to do,\u201d Iraola told LFCTV on Liverpool\u2019s \u201cfrustrating\u201d regression after a bright start. \u201cThey were much better in the second half, in the same way we were better in the first half.\u201d<\/p>\n After Liverpool beat Wrexham and Sunderland during a pre-season tour to the US, a 4-2 defeat against Leeds<\/a> brought back memories of the struggles of last season. This result will cause some concerns with transfer activity dragging.<\/p>\n Ronald Ara\u00fajo is at least due to arrive on loan from Barcelona. Although that deal is not yet complete and Alexis Mac Allister is still to return from World Cup duty, Iraola\u2019s team to face Monaco was strong, with Ifeanyi Ndukwe, 18, and Lewis Koumas, 20, the only fringe players to start if you exclude Kostas Tsimikas, back from a loan at Roma. J\u00e9r\u00e9my Jacquet and Curtis Jones were not considered because of fitness doubts, with Iraola at pains not to \u201crush\u201d Jaquet, who signed from Rennes for \u00a350m<\/a>, into action after a chequered time with injury.<\/p>\n Iraola said: \u201cJ\u00e9r\u00e9my, we were in doubt whether to pick him today, he should be fine for the next one. Curtis [there is] something wrong with his hip, [it] didn\u2019t make sense to risk [him].\u201d<\/p>\n Wirtz was sharp, testing Lukas Hradecky with an early shot. Isak\u2019s opener on 16 minutes was met with a hearty cheer from the home faithful, perhaps not surprising given it was just the fourth time the Anfield crowd have been able to celebrate an Isak goal, competitive or otherwise.<\/p>\n Andoni Iraola was disappointed after watching Liverpool slip to a second successive friendly defeat. Photograph: Lewis Storey\/Danehouse\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The strike came after Ryan \u00adGravenberch and Dominik \u00adSzoboszlai\u2019s slick midfield exchange, the former then finding the Swede, who rifled low into the corner. Koumas and Wirtz\u00a0both squandered presentable chances, but it was soon 2-0 when the German forced home after a \u00adgoalmouth scramble.<\/p>\n Iraola cut a relaxed figure on the touchline throughout and was content with his side\u2019s attacking fluidity. The Spaniard\u2019s preference for a high defensive line was evident throughout, though Alisson was tested far less often than Hradecky until he had to face a 44th-minute penalty after Virgil van Dijk\u2019s trip on Aleksandr Golovin. The Russian stroked home the spot-kick himself to make it 2-1 at the break, giving \u00adAlisson no chance.<\/p>\n
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