Liverpool 2-3 Monaco: Reds Suffer Late Pre-Season Defeat at Anfield.

Liverpool returned to Anfield for this game following their United States tour, and after a disappointing result against Leeds United to end that tour, the Reds wanted to bounce back against Ligue 1 side Monaco.

First Half

In Andoni Iraola's first game at Anfield as Liverpool boss, he selected a side that isn't far off what you may expect LFC's opening lineup with the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Cody Gakpo all returning to the side following their respective holidays

Additionally, it was more minutes in the legs for the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Ryan Gravenberch, and Jeremie Frimpong, who all featured for the Reds in the US.

Young players Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Lewis Koumas were also given the opportunity to impress in front of the Anfield crowd alongside the number of senior players also on the pitch. 

Jeremy Jacquet remained absent from the squad, while Curtis Jones was left out as a precaution, amid continued links to a move to Inter Milan.

Starting XI - Alisson, Tsimikas, Van Dijk (C), Ndukwe, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Wirtz, Koumas, Isak

The Monaco side featured a few familiar names, including ex-Spurs player Eric Dier as well as possible LFC transfer target Lamine Camara. 

And it was Liverpool who came flying out of the traps with intensity high and put Monaco under huge pressure from the first whistle.

And this pressure paid off as a lovely passing exchange on the edge of the box between Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai ended up at the feet of Alexander Isak, who finished calmly to the goalkeeper's right-hand side from inside the box, and made it 1-0 after 16 minutes.

The Reds would continue to ask questions of the Monaco backline, with Liverpool's midfield in particular being given lots of room to show off their creative ability. And it was this creativity that was on display for Liverpool's second goal.

Ryan Gravenberch hit a long ball up the field towards Lewis Koumas on the right-hand side, who crossed the ball in.

Then a goal-line scramble involving Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and the Monaco defenders, until it was eventually poked in by Wirtz to double the Liverpool lead. 

However, just before the half-time break, Virgil van Dijk gave away a penalty just inside the box after Jarrad Gillet deemed Liverpool's skipper to have fouled Monaco winger Aleksandr Golovin.

Golovin converted from the spot to reduce the deficit, meaning Liverpool went into the break with a 2-1 lead.

Second Half

The second 45 minutes started with two changes for Liverpool, with Giorgi Mamardashvili coming on for Alisson Becker and Ifeanyi Ndukwe coming off for Wataru Endo, who made his comeback from the injury that kept him out of the World Cup.

The second half didn't start with the same intensity as the first, and Monaco capitalised on this by leveling up the game at 2-2 after an initial shot was saved by Mamardashvili; the ball fell kindly back to Monaco's Mika Biereth, who finished past the Georgian goalkeeper.

At the 60-minute mark, Andoni Iraola would make a number of changes, with Virgil Van Dijk, Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, and Ryan Gravenberch all among the players to make way.

With Milos Kerkez, Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni, and new signing Victor Munoz all amongst the raft of players to take to the field for the last 30 minutes of the game and hopefully turn the scoreboard back into Liverpool's favour.

The intensity had massively dropped, and Monaco was the side having the better chances, one of which was a powerful shot struck straight at Mamardashvili. 

With 15 minutes remaining in the game, LFC made a final handful of changes as Federico Chiesa, Calvin Ramsay, and Harvey Elliott all entered the fray, the latter of whom, Harvey Elliott, was welcomed back to great applause by the Anfield crowd.

But as the game looked as though it was going to fizzle out as a 2-2 draw, Monaco managed to score late on from a set piece

A towering header from Monaco attacker Paris Brunner from a corner meant that Liverpool fell to another defeat in pre-season, the game ending 3-2 to the Ligue 1 side at Anfield. 

Where Next For The Reds?

Liverpool will end their pre-season campaign with two games against Serie A side Como next Sunday.

The first of those will be at the AXA Training Ground in a behind-closed-doors game at 12 pm BST, while the second game against Como will take place at Anfield, with a 6 pm BST kick-off.