Anfield prepares to welcome Andoni Iraola for his non-competitive home debut as Liverpool take on Ligue 1 outfit Monaco in their final pre-season test on Sunday afternoon. Fresh off a whirlwind three-stop tour of the United States,the Reds return to Merseyside looking to iron out the final details before their Premier League campaign gets underway.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the fixture…
How to watch
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* **Date & Kickoff Time:** Sunday, August 9, 2026 at **2:30 PM BST**
* **Venue:** Anfield, Liverpool
* **TV Channel (UK):** LFCTV
* **Live Stream:** LFCTV GO / All Red Video service
* **Highlights & Goals:** Live goal updates posted on LFC’s official X account, with match highlights uploaded to the official Liverpool FC YouTube channel later in the day.
Recent Form
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### Liverpool
Andoni Iraola’s side return to Merseyside following a three-stop pre-season tour of the United States, where the new head coach relied heavily on youth prospects during his first few weeks in charge.
The Reds enter Sunday’s fixture looking to bounce back from a 4-2 defeat against Leeds United on August 2. Prior to that loss, Liverpool earned back-to-back victories over American opposition, securing a tight 1-0 win against Wrexham on July 29 and a high-scoring 4-2 success over Sunderland on July 25.
### Monaco
New manager Filipe Luis brings his Monegasque squad to Anfield aiming to build on a encouraging 1-0 victory against Getafe on August 6. Monaco have already completed four warm-up friendlies ahead of their trip to England, displaying mixed results as they build match sharpness for the upcoming Ligue 1 campaign.
Prior to beating Getafe, Monaco played out a 2-2 draw with Cercle Brugge on July 31, suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Sporting CP on July 25, and opened their summer preparations with a convincing 5-2 win over Saint-Priest on July 18.
Team News
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### Liverpool
The Reds have received a timely boost with senior figures Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, and summer signing Victor Muñoz all returning to squad training following extended post-World Cup breaks. Jeremie Frimpong has allayed injury fears after coming off against Leeds, training as normal this week, while defender Jérémy Jacquet remains a doubt as his load is carefully managed.
Alexis Mac Allister is still absent following his run to the World Cup final with Argentina. Meanwhile, Iraola remains short on depth due to a lengthy injury list featuring Wataru End?, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Stefan Baj?eti?, Hugo Ekitiké, and Joe Gomez.
### Monaco
Monaco travel to England without former Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino, who misses out on a return to Anfield as he continues his recovery from a long-term ACL tear alongside defender Mohammed Salisu. Filipe Luis must also adapt to life without star creator Maghnes Akliouche following his high-profile transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
However, the visitors are expected to hand further minutes to summer arrivals Mathys Detourbet, Sadibou Sané, Flávio Nazinho, and Matthis Abline as they continue to integrate into the first team.
Predicted Xl’s
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**Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Leeds (4-2-3-1):** Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Ndukwe, Chambers, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Nyoni; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Koumas; Isak.
**Monaco Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool (4-2-3-1):** Hrádecky; Vanderson, Sané, Dier, Nazinho; Camara, Cabral; Abline, Golovin, Detourbet; Biereth.
### **Andoni Iraola (Liverpool)**
Ahead of his first home fixture at Anfield, Andoni Iraola expressed his enthusiasm in his matchday programme notes, emphasizing that he wants supporters and the team to enjoy the journey together:
**_“I hope you all enjoyed a good summer break, and I hope you are all looking forward to Sunday’s game as much as we are… This fixture, plus the games we have scheduled next week against Como, will be hugely beneficial for us as we start to look ahead to our first Premier League game.”_**
With the Premier League season rapidly approaching, Sunday’s clash at Anfield provides a vital platform for both sides as pre-season preparations enter their final stretch.