Liverpool faces tough test against Como 1907 at Anfield

Liverpool’s final dress rehearsal before the Premier League kicks off is not the gentle tune‑up some expected. Como 1907 arrive at Anfield with form, belief, and nothing to lose – and they’ve already shown this week they can live with England’s elite.

The sides will meet twice behind closed doors on Sunday, a quirk of scheduling that strips away Liverpool’s greatest weapon. No Kop. No noise. No intimidation. Just 22 players, a new manager’s ideas, and a Serie A upstart with a taste for upsetting the script.

Iraola still searching for balance

Andoni Iraola steps into the Liverpool dugout still trying to knit his team together. The attacking patterns are starting to flash, but the defensive structure is lagging behind. That tension has defined their pre-season.

Liverpool have scored nine times in four friendlies, with Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both finding the net in their latest outing. Going forward, there is enough talent on the pitch – Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, Cody Gakpo – to trouble anyone.

The problems sit behind them.

Injuries to Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez have thinned the defensive options. New signing Jeremy Jacquet only rejoined training on Wednesday and is unlikely to be thrown straight in. That leaves loan arrival Ronald Araujo to anchor a new-look centre-back pairing that has not yet found its rhythm.

The recent scorelines tell the story. Seven goals conceded in the last two games. Two straight defeats, both against sides Liverpool were expected to handle. Leeds turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 win, exposing the fragility that Iraola must fix – and quickly.

Como’s rise gathers pace

On the opposite bench, Cesc Fabregas has every reason to be satisfied. Como’s trajectory has been remarkable: Serie D seven years ago, now heading into a Serie A campaign with a Champions League spot secured after finishing fourth last season.

The step up has not fazed them. Nor has the opposition.

On Wednesday night, Como walked into the Emirates Stadium to face Premier League champions Arsenal and walked out with a draw after 90 minutes. They were not passengers in that contest; they belonged. That result alone will fuel their belief heading to Anfield.

Pre-season has only reinforced that confidence. Como are unbeaten inside regulation time in five friendlies, scoring 10 goals in that stretch and going past the one-goal mark in three of those matches. Martin Baturina and Anastasios Douvikas have carried a consistent threat, with the Lariani showing they can hurt teams in different ways.

Goals almost guaranteed

Strip away the crowd and Liverpool’s aura dims. That gives Como a foothold, especially against a defence still learning each other’s movements.

The numbers point one way: goals at both ends.

Three of Liverpool’s four pre-season fixtures have seen both teams score. All five of Como’s friendlies have produced goals for each side. Liverpool’s front line looks sharp enough to find gaps, but their back line looks just as likely to offer them up.

It’s why a high-scoring draw feels entirely plausible. A 2-2 scoreline would fit the pattern of both teams’ summers: Liverpool dangerous but open, Como fearless and efficient in the final third.

Probable lineups

• Liverpool expected XI: Alisson; Jeremie Frimpong, Ronald Araujo, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez; Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Federico Chiesa; Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak.
• Como 1907 expected XI: Jean Butez; Yan Couto, Ramon, Marc-Oliver Kempf, Valle; Da Cunha, Perrone, Liberali; Martin Baturina, Diao, Anastasios Douvikas.

An upset in the making?

This is as good a window as any for Como to catch Liverpool cold. No supporters. A new coach. A back line still in flux. A recent habit of conceding in bunches.

Liverpool’s attack should still land its blows. But if Monaco and Leeds can both put more than one past the Reds, Como will fancy their chances of doing the same. Their five-game unbeaten run, capped by that result at the Emirates, underlines that this is not a ceremonial visitor turning up for a pay day.

The betting angles reflect that sense of jeopardy: a game tilted towards over 2.5 goals with both teams scoring, Como backed to avoid defeat inside 90 minutes, and the Italians fancied to hit at least twice.

For Iraola, this is more than a friendly. It’s a final, unforgiving snapshot of where Liverpool really stand before the season starts. For Fabregas and Como, it’s something else entirely.

It’s a chance to walk out of Anfield – even an empty one – with another statement that their rise is no fairy tale.