Andoni Iraola took charge of Liverpool at Anfield for the first time as his side hosted Monaco in a pre-season friendly, with the hosts putting in an impressive first-half display before a Monaco fightback added late drama before the break.
The fixture served as the penultimate outing of Liverpool's pre-season schedule, coming just two weeks before their Premier League opener away at Newcastle. Iraola's side had endured a mixed run on their recent tour of the United States, defeating both Sunderland and Wrexham before a chaotic finale against Leeds, in which Liverpool squandered a two-goal advantage in the second half and ultimately lost 4-2 to their Premier League rivals.
That collapse appeared to be on the minds of supporters as Monaco threatened a similar turnaround at Anfield, though Liverpool's dominant opening periods gave little indication of any vulnerability at first.
Liverpool struck early through Alexander Isak, who opened the scoring to give the hosts a deserved lead. Florian Wirtz then doubled the advantage, continuing an encouraging pre-season for the German attacker, who looked lively throughout and forced another opening later in the half that was well blocked by a Monaco defender.
The home side controlled proceedings for large stretches, with Iraola's high-pressing approach evident even in a friendly setting — at one point winning the ball back almost instantly after losing possession in the Monaco half. Kostas Tsimikas tested the away goalkeeper from distance following one such passage of play, though his effort flew wide.
Monaco struggled to fashion clear opportunities of their own for much of the first half, managing occasional forays into Liverpool's final third without troubling Alisson Becker's goal. However, the visitors were handed a route back into the contest in the 43rd minute when Aleksandr Golovin was fouled by Virgil van Dijk inside the box, prompting referee Jared Gillet to award a penalty.
Golovin stepped up himself and confidently converted, sending the ball beyond Alisson to reduce the deficit to 2-1 and inject fresh belief into the Monaco ranks heading into the interval. Van Dijk almost atoned for his part in the penalty moments later, meeting a deep free-kick with a header that narrowly cleared the crossbar in stoppage time.
The half ended with Liverpool holding a slender 2-1 lead, a scoreline that flattered Monaco given the balance of play, but one that also left the door ajar for a potential comeback in the second period — a scenario Liverpool fans will be keen to avoid a repeat of following their capitulation against Leeds.
Elsewhere, there was a minor scare for Liverpool when Kostas Tsimikas appeared to be caught by an opponent's studs and held his ankle in discomfort, though he was able to continue after treatment.
Iraola now has closer to a full squad to work with following the return of several key players from their post-World Cup breaks, including Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Cody Gakpo. New arrival Victor Munoz was also named among the substitutes and could be handed his first minutes in Liverpool colors as the match progresses.
With the new Premier League campaign fast approaching, Iraola will be eager for his side to build on their early dominance and avoid the kind of second-half lapse that proved so costly during their American tour finale.
Based on reporting from The Independent.