Liverpool Face Como in High-Stakes Friendly at Anfield

Liverpool’s final dress rehearsal before the Premier League curtain goes up is anything but a gentle warm‑up. Como 1907 arrive at Anfield with momentum, confidence and a growing reputation for upsetting bigger names – and they will not have to deal with the famous roar of the Kop.

Two games between the sides are scheduled on Sunday, both behind closed doors. No crowd, no noise, no usual Anfield suffocation. For a Liverpool side still trying to find their feet under Andoni Iraola, the timing is awkward. For Cesc Fabregas and his ambitious Como team, it feels like an opening.

Liverpool still searching for rhythm

The questions around Liverpool are piling up faster than the answers. Iraola is new in the dugout, his ideas still bedding in, and the team’s defensive structure looks far from settled.

The transfer window has moved slowly at Anfield, and the lack of decisive defensive reinforcements is already being felt. Injuries to Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez have thinned the options at the back. New signing Jeremy Jacquet has only just returned to training and is unlikely to be thrown straight in.

That leaves Ronald Araujo, on loan from Barcelona, set to anchor a makeshift centre-back pairing in what is officially a friendly but feels like a serious examination. Liverpool have conceded seven goals across their last two outings, losing both to sides they were expected to handle. The 4-2 collapse against Leeds, having led 2-0 on the hour, will not have gone unnoticed in the Como camp.

Going forward, though, Liverpool still carry threat. They have scored nine goals in four pre-season matches, with Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both on target in their most recent run-out. Dominik Szoboszlai remains a constant danger from midfield.

A likely XI of Alisson, Frimpong, Araujo, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Chiesa, Wirtz, Gakpo and Isak screams attacking quality. The issue is what happens behind them.

Como’s remarkable rise gathers pace

On the other side stands a club riding a wave. Como 1907 finished fourth in Serie A last season, booking a historic first-ever place in the Champions League. Seven years ago they were in Serie D. The climb has been steep, and they have not stopped to look down.

Fabregas has every reason to be satisfied with pre-season. Como have gone five games unbeaten inside 90 minutes, scoring 10 goals in that stretch and showing they can live with elite opposition.

They walked into the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night to face Premier League champions Arsenal and walked out level after 90 minutes. That result will echo around their dressing room before they step onto the Anfield pitch. If they can stand toe-to-toe with Arsenal, why fear a Liverpool side still under construction?

The expected lineup of Butez, Couto, Ramon, Kempf, Valle, Da Cunha, Perrone, Liberali, Baturina, Diao and Douvikas is balanced and dangerous. Martin Baturina pulls strings between the lines, while Anastasios Douvikas offers a sharp edge in the box. They have scored at least twice in three of their last five games. They will not come just to defend.

Goals almost guaranteed

Everything about this match screams goals.

Liverpool’s pre-season has been open, entertaining and chaotic. Three of their four friendlies have seen both teams score. Como’s friendlies? All five have produced goals at both ends.

With Liverpool’s defence in flux and Como’s attack in rhythm, a clean sheet for either side feels unlikely. Iraola’s side will create chances; so will Fabregas’ men. The predicted 2-2 scoreline feels less like a bold call and more like a logical extension of both teams’ recent form.

The net should bulge repeatedly, and the pattern of both teams scoring looks set to continue.

Anfield, but not as we know it

Playing Liverpool at an empty Anfield strips away one of the biggest psychological advantages in European football. For Como, this is as good a window as they could hope for.

Liverpool are on a run of two straight defeats, both against supposedly inferior opposition. They have leaked goals, surrendered control and looked vulnerable once pressure has been applied. Como, by contrast, have not lost inside regulation time during pre-season and have just held the English champions.

Take the noise away, take the edge off the occasion, and the gap narrows. The Lariani have shown enough resilience and quality to believe they can avoid defeat over 90 minutes – and possibly more than that.

Can Como land a statement blow?

The storylines are clear. Liverpool, with a new coach and a reshaped back line, are racing the clock to be ready for the Premier League. Como, newly minted Champions League qualifiers, are testing themselves against the very level they are about to join.

Fabregas’ side have already proved they can score freely and compete with top opposition. Liverpool, shorn of key defenders and still ironing out Iraola’s pressing patterns, look ripe to be challenged.

Behind closed doors, with the usual Anfield intimidation dialled down to zero, this no longer feels like a routine pre-season home win. It feels like an opportunity.

If Como exploit Liverpool’s defensive uncertainty again and find those two goals they’ve been threatening all summer, how loudly will the alarm bells ring on Merseyside just days before the real season begins?