Liverpool to host Como in Anfield pre-season double on August 16
Liverpool will face Como at Anfield in a pre-season friendly on Sunday, 16 August, with kick-off scheduled for 10:30 p.m. IST; the clubs are due to meet twice across a short span of hours as part of their preparations.
The fixture comes after Liverpool parted ways with Arne Slot and appointed Andoni Iraola as their new manager; Iraola’s side have lost to Monaco and Leeds United in their last two matches and travel into the mini-tour having secured a place in the UEFA Champions League despite a dip in form last season. Liverpool’s squad turnover included departures for Konaté and Robertson and the arrivals of Ronald Araújo and Victor Muñoz. Como’s rise from the Italian third division has been overseen by former Chelsea player Cesc Fabregas, and the club have added England international Trevor Chalobah from Chelsea and Yan Couto from Dortmund on loan.
Recent results for the two sides differ: Liverpool’s form in all competitions reads L-L-W-W-D while Como’s sequence is D-D-W-W-W. Como’s pre-season included a 2-2 draw with Paris FC and a 1-1 draw with Arsenal that the Italian side then lost on penalties.
Jeremie Frimpong is singled out in the preview: the Amsterdam-born fullback previously played for Celtic and Leverkusen before moving to Anfield, is a product of Manchester City’s youth system and registered 3 goal contributions in over 30 games last season; he is also described as an established Netherlands international with positional flexibility under Iraola.
Como’s incoming Yan Couto is described as a Brazilian wingback from Curitiba who will spend the season on loan at the club; the profile notes prior spells at Girona and Braga, a Bundesliga season with Leverkusen producing 4 goal contributions, and his age as 24, with an on-field role linked to supplying Senegalese winger Assane Diao.
Liverpool will be without Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni, Jayden Danns, Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley for the Anfield meeting, while Como are reported to have no injury concerns, though there is uncertainty over whether Nico Paz will feature. These two sides are scheduled to meet each other for the first time.
Projected lineups listed for the fixture show Liverpool named as: Alisson Becker (GK); Jeremie Frimpong, Ronald Araújo, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez; Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai; Rio Ngumoha, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo; Alexander Isak. Como’s XI is shown as: Jean Butez (GK); Yan Couto, Jacobo Ramón, Marc-Oliver Kempf, Álex Valle; Lucas Da Cunha, Máximo Perrone; Mattia Liberali, Martin Baturina, Assane Diao; Anastasios Douvikas.
Both clubs will play twice in close succession, and the preview predicts the Reds will field their main team in the second game at Anfield with Alexander Isak scoring a brace; the match on Sunday, 16 August at 10:30 p.m. IST can be streamed on LFC TV.