Liverpool wrapped up their pre-season preparations in style on Sunday, defeating Como 2-0 in the second of two friendlies against the Serie A club, with the headline moment being the first appearance for summer signing Jeremy Jacquet.
The two sides met twice on the day, fielding separate squads in each fixture. The earlier match, played behind closed doors at Anfield, finished goalless, while the evening contest — open to supporters — saw Andoni Iraola trot out what appears to be his preferred starting lineup ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
Jacquet, a £60 million recruit from Rennes whose move was agreed back in January but only formalised this summer, finally pulled on a Liverpool shirt for the first time. The 21-year-old defender's introduction had been delayed after he sustained a significant shoulder injury last season, one that ended his campaign prematurely and prompted his new club to handle his return with caution ahead of the domestic season getting underway.
His reward for patience came in the form of a goal on debut. Lining up alongside Virgil van Dijk — a partnership many expect to become Iraola's default centre-back pairing this season — Jacquet got on the scoresheet by turning home a corner to double Liverpool's advantage after Cody Gakpo had opened the scoring.
Iraola set his side up in a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alisson Becker in goal behind a back four of Jeremie Frimpong, Van Dijk, Jacquet and Milos Kerkez. In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch was paired with Dominik Szoboszlai in the double pivot, with Alexis Mac Allister having featured in the earlier fixture following his return from World Cup duty. Florian Wirtz operated in the number 10 role, flanked by youngster Rio Ngumoha on the right and Gakpo on the left, with Alexander Isak leading the line as the central striker.
The second half brought several changes as Iraola looked to run the rule over his wider squad. Ronald Araujo, a loan arrival, made his own Liverpool debut at the break, replacing Jacquet in defence. Lewis Koumas was given minutes out wide after coming on for Ngumoha, while fellow new signing Victor Munoz was introduced in the 73rd minute in place of Gakpo. Trey Nyoni also came on, replacing Wirtz, and Isak was withdrawn late on with Will Wright taking his place up front.
The morning's closed-doors match offered its own glimpses of squad depth. Mac Allister played 69 minutes before making way for Talla Ndiaye, while Harvey Elliott featured on the right flank for 56 minutes. Federico Chiesa spearheaded the attack with Munoz deployed on the left side. At the back, Wataru Endo and Kostas Tsimikas both completed the full 90 minutes, protecting goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who deputised for Alisson.
With pre-season now concluded, Iraola will have plenty to consider as he finalises his plans for the opening weeks of the Premier League season. The clean sheet, the productive cameo appearances from new arrivals, and above all the sight of Jacquet finally in action will all offer encouragement as Liverpool look to build momentum heading into the new campaign.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.