Liverpool Held to Goalless Draw by Como in Pre-Season Friendly
At the AXA Training Centre, a pre-season run-out turned into a test of nerve as much as fitness.
Liverpool named a heavyweight XI for the 70-minute friendly, with Alexis Mac Allister pulling strings in midfield, Federico Chiesa offering threat in attack and Kostas Tsimikas patrolling the flank. On paper, it looked like a routine workout. On the pitch, it became something far more awkward and gritty.
The game finished 0-0, the Reds unable to break down a disciplined Como side who refused to be overawed by the names in front of them. Chances came and went, patterns of play were tried and tweaked, but the Italian visitors held their shape and their nerve.
Then came the moment that changed the tone of the afternoon.
Como defender Dossena went up to contest an aerial ball with James McConnell and Will Wright. He landed badly, his hand taking the full force. The impact left his finger severely dislocated, an injury so graphic that a close-up shot on LFCTV drew an immediate apology from the commentators to those watching at home.
For a few seconds, football stopped. Players winced, staff rushed on, and the training-ground friendly felt anything but friendly.
Dossena’s response cut through the shock. At 27, he has seen enough of the game to know when to panic and when to grit his teeth. He chose the latter. Como’s medical team worked quickly, bandaging the damaged finger and assessing whether he could continue.
He decided he would.
Strapped up and still clearly in discomfort, Dossena returned to the pitch for the closing stages. He saw out the final six minutes of the shortened contest, throwing himself back into the defensive line as Liverpool pushed for a late winner.
Those last minutes belonged to him. Every clearance, every block, every organised shuffle across the back line helped Como protect their clean sheet against a star-studded Liverpool side in a quietly remarkable pre-season stalemate.
No goals, no glamour. Just a reminder, even in July, of the stubborn streak and resilience this sport still demands.
