Liverpool vs Como: Pre-Season Clash at Anfield

Liverpool’s final rehearsal before the Premier League curtain rises is no gentle tune‑up. Como 1907 arrive at Anfield with momentum, confidence and a growing reputation for ruining scripts.

The twist? The stadium will be empty. No Kop roar, no familiar Anfield surge. For a Liverpool side still finding their feet under Andoni Iraola, that strips away one of their biggest weapons and hands the Italians a sliver of daylight.

Liverpool still searching for rhythm

There’s unease around Liverpool’s preparation, and it centres on the back line.

Iraola is new in the dugout, his pressing ideas still bedding in. The transfer window has moved slowly, and the squad looks short of cohesion, particularly in defence. The results back that up: two straight defeats, both against sides they were expected to handle.

The collapse against Leeds told its own story. Two goals up after an hour, Liverpool somehow contrived to lose 4-2. Seven goals conceded in their last two outings is not the platform any manager wants heading into a new season.

Injuries have only deepened the concern. Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez are sidelined, thinning an already stretched defensive unit. New signing Jeremy Jacquet has only just returned to training and is unlikely to be risked. That leaves loan arrival Ronald Araujo in line for a start, with a new centre‑back partnership still trying to find rhythm on the fly.

Going forward, though, the picture is brighter. Liverpool have scored nine times in four pre-season matches. Dominik Szoboszlai has carried a threat from midfield, while Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both found the net in their latest outing. The attack looks sharp enough. The issue is what happens behind it.

Como’s remarkable rise fuels belief

On the opposite bench, Cesc Fabregas has every reason to be satisfied.

Como finished fourth in Serie A last season, securing a first‑ever Champions League berth just seven years after playing in Serie D. The climb has been steep and relentless, and this pre-season has only underlined their upward curve.

They arrive in England on the back of a five‑match unbeaten run in friendlies, having not lost inside 90 minutes. They’ve scored 10 goals in those five games and regularly found more than one in a match. Three of those fixtures saw them hit at least two.

Their trip to the Emirates in midweek underlined their steel. Against Premier League champions Arsenal, Como went toe to toe and came away level after 90 minutes. That performance, in that arena, will fuel belief that Anfield – without fans – is not a step too far.

Martin Baturina and Anastasios Douvikas carry the main goal threat, supported by a busy, technical midfield. Fabregas’ side move the ball with confidence and commit numbers forward. Against a defence still learning each other’s movements, that is exactly the kind of profile that can cause trouble.

Goals on the cards

Everything about this fixture screams goals.

Liverpool’s pre-season has been open, sometimes alarmingly so. Three of their four friendlies have seen both teams score. Como’s five warm‑ups? Goals at both ends in every single one.

With Iraola’s side still adjusting to a new pressing structure and a fresh centre‑half pairing, keeping Como quiet looks a tall order. The Italians have the tempo and confidence to take advantage, especially with Liverpool short of defensive options.

At the other end, Liverpool’s attacking depth should still tell. Even without the Anfield noise, a front line built around Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Cody Gakpo and Isak carries enough quality to trouble any visiting defence.

A 2-2 scoreline feels entirely plausible, with Szoboszlai and Isak likely threats for the hosts, and Baturina and Douvikas capable of answering for the visitors. With both sides in free‑scoring mood and neither defence fully convincing, a high‑scoring draw is firmly in play.

Best angles: where the value lies

The pattern of both teams’ summers points in one direction: an open contest with chances at both ends.

• Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score looks well‑founded, given Liverpool’s nine goals in four matches and Como’s 10 in five, coupled with their shared habit of conceding.
• Backing Como to avoid defeat inside 90 minutes has merit. They are unbeaten in pre-season, have just held Arsenal, and face a Liverpool side on a two‑game losing streak, shorn of its crowd and defensive stability.
• Como to score at least twice is another live angle. They have hit more than one goal in three of their last five, while Monaco and Leeds both went beyond the one‑goal mark against Liverpool recently. If the home defence again looks disjointed, the Lariani have the tools to punish them.

For Liverpool, this is supposed to be a final tune‑up. For Como, it feels like another chance to announce themselves on a bigger stage.

If the Italians leave Anfield with more than just experience, how loudly will the alarm bells ring on Merseyside with the Premier League kick-off just days away?