The new season brings old problems for the Anfield side. Liverpool squandered a two-goal lead against Monaco in a pre-season friendly, ending without a win, a stark warning for manager Iraola at the start of his era.
Liverpool fans left Anfield in disbelief on Saturday, August 9, 2026. Their beloved team held a comfortable 2:0 lead in a pre-season match against French side Monaco, only to suffer another painful collapse, losing 2:3. The defeat exposes serious issues in the Reds' play and casts a shadow over the beginning of new manager Iraola's tenure.
The home side entered the match with determination and completely outplayed the visitors in the first half-hour. Alexander Isak scored in the 15th minute (or 16th, according to Klix.ba) after a fine combination. Just a few minutes before the break, Florian Wirtz doubled the lead from close range in a crowded box. It seemed the question of the winner was already settled.
But then came a defensive collapse rarely seen at Anfield. In the 44th minute, captain Virgil van Dijk committed a foul, conceding a penalty. Aleksandr Golovin confidently converted from the spot, bringing Monaco back into the game just before halftime. Goalkeeper Alisson guessed the right side, but the shot was unstoppable.
The second half brought even more drama. Just ten minutes after the restart, Monaco equalized. Mika Biereth capitalized on a rebound after an initial save by goalkeeper Mamardashvili and slammed the ball into the net to make it 2:2. Following that goal, both teams made numerous substitutions, but it was the French side that fared better. The complete shock for the hosts was sealed in the 88th minute when Paris Brunner, from a corner at the near post, easily deceived Liverpool's defense and secured a full comeback and victory for the visitors.
This defeat comes as a cold shower for new manager Iraola, who is just at the start of his project at Anfield. Following the departure of club legend Mohamed Salah and the arrival of a new coaching staff, the team had recorded wins against Sunderland and Wrexham in earlier pre-season matches, but now they have received a painful reminder of their recent loss to Leeds United. Defensive errors are becoming a worrying pattern that the manager must address urgently.
Liverpool will conclude their pre-season with a match against Como, while Monaco have one more fixture on English soil, this time against Coventry. For the Reds, this is a clear alarm that despite attractive signings like Isak and Wirtz, the team still suffers from the same problems that plagued them last season.
