Liverpool vs AS Monaco: Match Preview, Latest Team News and How to Watch

Liverpool vs AS Monaco: Match Preview, Latest Team News and How to Watch Liverpool vs Monaco: Andoni Iraola’s First Anfield Test in Pre-Season Liverpool return to Anfield on Sunday for a pre-season meeting with Monaco, and the occasion matters more than the usual August run-out. This is Andoni Iraola’s first game at Anfield since taking over as head coach, and while nobody sensible should overreact to a friendly, there are clear things to watch, selection issues to assess and a few players who need to make a point. Iraola has had three matches so far, all in the United States. Liverpool beat Sunderland and Wrexham, then produced the sort of reminder that pre-season can turn messy very quickly, surrendering a two-goal lead in a 4-2 defeat to Leeds after a poor second half. That result does not define anything, but it does underline where the work is. Fitness, structure and game control are still in progress. Monaco arrive with their own uneven summer behind them. They have lost to Sporting, drawn with Cercle Brugge, and beaten Getafe and Saint Priest. Their squad includes familiar names such as Folarin Balogun and Eric Dier, while Paul Pogba has yet to feature in pre-season. One notable absentee is Maghnes Akliouche, who has left for Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool team news and selection issues The most interesting team news centres on players returning to the fold. Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo are all expected to be involved after missing the entire USA tour. That gives Iraola a more recognisable spine, which helps immediately, even in a friendly. Summer signing Victor Munoz is also in line for a first appearance after linking up with the squad following a post-World Cup break. He is unlikely to start, which is logical given the lack of training time, but he should get minutes from the bench. This is how pre-season works. You introduce quality gradually, you avoid needless risk, and you learn who picks things up quickly. Photo: IMAGO There are still absentees. Jeremy Jacquet remains a doubt, while Joe Gomez joins Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni on the treatment table. Alexis Mac Allister completes his mandatory post-World Cup break after this match, so there should be another chance in midfield for Trey Nyoni. Wataru Endo may also feature, with Iraola hopeful of getting him on the pitch. That midfield balance is worth watching. Liverpool looked sharp in spells in the United States, but the collapse against Leeds showed what happens when intensity drops and distances grow. Iraola’s football demands organisation and repeat sprints. If the shape stretches, the game gets away from you. Monaco test offers useful benchmark There is no need to pretend this is decisive, but it is useful. Monaco should provide a stronger reference point than some earlier opposition, and Liverpool now have the added benefit of key senior players coming back in. That changes the texture of the contest. For Iraola, the central task is simple. He wants a performance that looks coherent, aggressive and physically sound. The result matters less than the signs, but because this is his first Anfield game, there will naturally be more attention on the scoreline than there would be otherwise. Liverpool and Monaco have only met twice before, both in the 2004-05 Champions League group stage, and they traded wins. That history is largely irrelevant now, but it adds a small layer of familiarity to a fixture that does not come around often. Kick-off time, venue and how to watch Liverpool vs Monaco is scheduled for a 2.30pm BST kick-off on Sunday, August 9, 2026. The match will be played at Anfield. In the UK, supporters can watch the game live on All Red Video, Liverpool’s in-house streaming platform. Access requires a membership, with an annual subscription priced at £42.99. Prediction for Iraola’s Anfield debut Pre-season predictions are a dangerous habit because substitutions kill rhythm and fitness takes priority over flow. Even so, there is a fair case for Liverpool here. The return of Alisson, Van Dijk and Gakpo gives the side more authority, and Monaco arrive without one of their more gifted attacking players in Akliouche. Iraola will have liked much of what he saw in the United States, apart from that second half against Leeds. The expectation here is not perfection. It is a cleaner defensive structure, better control in midfield and a stronger overall rhythm. If Liverpool get that, the result should follow. Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Monaco.