First Match: Liverpool 4–1 Athletic Club
Date: Monday, 4 August 2025
Kick‑off: 5 pm BST
Competition: Pre‑season friendly, match one of two at Anfield
🔢 Final Score
Liverpool 4 – Athletic Club 1
⚽ Goals & Timeline
- 2′: Rio Ngumoha opens the scoring inside two minutes
- 5′: Darwin Núñez doubles Liverpool’s lead
- 42′: Álex Padilla (own goal) makes it 3–0 at the break
- 58′: Harvey Elliott adds a fourth
- 76′: Gorka Guruzeta reduces the deficit for Athletic with a header
👥 Starting Lineups
Liverpool (4‑2‑3‑1):
Friddie Woodman (GK), Tsimikas, Robertson, Nyoni, Stephenson; Mac Allister, Jones (midfield); Lucky; Elliott; Ngumoha; Núñez; Doak.
Athletic Club:
Ármin Pécsi (GK), Lekue, Vivian, Rego, Yuri; De Galarreta, Prados; I. Williams, Gómez, Berenguer; Sannadi.
🔄 Substitutions & Rotation
Liverpool rotated heavily, introducing youth and fringe players throughout. Details include Kone‑Doherty, Laffey, Koumas substitutes and tactical tweaks. Athletic similarly rotated with Adu Ares and Unai Vencedor featuring later.
🧠 Key Moments & Context
- A false fire alarm prompted a temporary evacuation of the Main Stand just before kick-off. No delay occurred.
- Before the match, Liverpool and Athletic Club paid tribute to the late Diogo Jota and his brother, with a wreath-laying by legends Phil Thompson and Athletic president Jon Uriarte. His shirt number 20 has been retired by the club.
📊 Match Stats & Insights
- Possession: Liverpool ~72%, Athletic ~28%
- Liverpool created chances quickly and controlled tempo using energetic pressing and accurate finishing.
- The performance highlighted the emergence of Rio Ngumoha (16 years old) and strong impact from Darwin Núñez and Harvey Elliott.
🔚 Summary of Match One
Liverpool delivered a commanding 4–1 victory in the first of two pre-season fixtures against Athletic Club. A youthful side dominated from the start, with early goals from Ngumoha and Núñez, a fortuitous own goal, and a finish from Elliott. Athletic’s only goal came late through Guruzeta. The match served both as a tactical test and emotional tribute to Diogo Jota, all despite the pre-match stadium evacuation.
Stay tuned for details on the second match kicking off at 8 pm BST and full coverage of Liverpool’s pre-season build-up ahead of the new Premier League campaign.