Liverpool Seek First Win as Barcola Awaits at Ipswich
Portman Road gets the Friday night spotlight, and it already feels like one of those early‑season markers. Ipswich, back in the Premier League and refusing to play the grateful guest, host a Liverpool side still hunting their first victory under Andoni Iraola.
Two games, two 2-2 draws. Newcastle away, Nottingham Forest at Anfield. Liverpool have shown flashes of Iraola’s aggressive, front-foot style, but not yet the control or ruthlessness to turn performances into three points. That’s the tension they carry into Suffolk.
Ipswich, by contrast, have arrived with a jolt of colour. A 2-1 win over Sunderland on the opening weekend announced their return to the top flight, and even in a 5-2 defeat at Old Trafford last time out, they carried a threat that will not have gone unnoticed.
Julio Enciso and Abdul Fatawu have given the Tractor Boys a sharp, fearless edge in attack. They helped Ipswich go in front against Manchester United before the game ran away from them, but the message was clear: underestimate them and you’ll suffer. Promoted in May, already swinging in September.
Barcola’s £123m question
Into this mix steps Bradley Barcola, Liverpool’s headline act of the summer window and the biggest unknown of the night.
Signed from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m on the penultimate day of the transfer window, the French winger lands at Anfield as a statement, a project and a potential game-changer all at once. He has not played a minute of football since the World Cup, though he has been training normally, and that shapes the dilemma for Iraola.
“It’s a good question, it’s a good question,” the Liverpool manager said when asked whether Barcola would start at Ipswich. He confirmed the 21-year-old has trained three times with his new teammates and “is in a good place”, but also stressed the lack of pre-season minutes. The balance between impact and caution will likely push Barcola towards the bench, at least at kick-off.
Even from there, his presence looms large. Liverpool need a spark to turn promise into points. Barcola, with that price tag and reputation, instantly becomes the man everyone expects to provide it.
Line-ups: new faces and familiar pillars
When the teams dropped, Barcola’s role became clearer: he starts among the substitutes, waiting for his first taste of English football.
Liverpool line up with Alisson in goal and a back four of Jacquet, Araujo, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai anchor midfield, with Munoz, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo supporting Alexander Isak up front.
It is a side that blends the established spine of Alisson and Van Dijk with the newer era under Iraola: Kerkez at left-back, Wirtz as the creative hub, Isak as the spearhead. There is invention there, but also pressure. A third straight draw would do little to quieten the questions about how quickly Liverpool can adapt to their new manager.
Ipswich respond with their own intent. Bart Verbruggen’s absence means Scherpen starts in goal, behind a back four of Dara O’Shea, Issa Diop, Jacob Greaves and Leif Davis. In midfield, Palacios and Sasa Lukic patrol the centre, with Fatawu, Enciso and Daizen Maeda operating behind striker Emersonn.
That trio behind the forward is where Ipswich will believe they can hurt Liverpool. Fatawu’s direct running, Enciso’s ability to drift into pockets and Maeda’s relentless movement offer variety and pace. At Portman Road, with the crowd at full volume, those combinations could make this a far more uncomfortable night for the visitors than the league table suggests.
Injuries bite as Iraola reshapes
Iraola’s options are already being tested. Hugo Ekitike remains out with an Achilles problem. At the back, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are sidelined by knee injuries, while Joe Gomez misses out with a muscle issue. Federico Chiesa, another of Liverpool’s attacking weapons, is nursing a minor back problem.
The absences force Liverpool to lean even more heavily on their new structure. The back line must settle quickly; the midfield has to protect as much as it creates. With Barcola not yet fully up to speed, the onus falls on Wirtz, Gakpo and Isak to carry the attacking load from the first whistle.
Ipswich have their own concerns. Jaden Philogene-Bidace is out with an ankle injury, a blow to their width and creativity. Azor Matusiwa is sidelined by a muscle issue, Jack Taylor has a knee problem, and Florentino Luis is a doubt. Emersonn, despite a knee concern, has been passed fit enough to start, but how long he lasts could shape the second half.
Early-season stakes
Strip away the calendar and this could feel like a mid-season test. Ipswich sit one place above Liverpool after two games, three points to Liverpool’s two. Kieran McKenna’s side have already shown they can score and suffer in equal measure. Liverpool have shown they can rally, but not yet impose themselves for 90 minutes.
Portman Road will sense opportunity. A newly promoted club, under the lights, facing a giant still adjusting to a new manager and a reshaped squad. The script almost writes itself.
For Liverpool, this is about more than just a first win. It is about rhythm, authority and the first real sign that Iraola’s ideas are taking root. The press, the vertical passing, the aggressive full-backs – all of it needs to start knitting together into something more convincing than late salvages and shared points.
Kick-off is at 8pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, the curtain-raiser to the Premier League weekend. Ipswich, buoyant and dangerous, against a Liverpool side trying to remember how to dominate.
Barcola waits on the bench, a £123m wildcard. How long before Iraola plays that card, and how quickly can it change Liverpool’s season?
