Liverpool Face Athletic Club in Anfield Doubleheader Showdown
So here’s what’s going down at Anfield today — Liverpool are wrapping up their preseason with not one, but two friendly matches against Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao. It's quite an unusual setup, but it gives manager Arne Slot a chance to test out different lineups as he shapes his squad for the season ahead.
The matches are being held just days before the Community Shield, where Liverpool will face Crystal Palace at Wembley. And after a globe-trotting preseason that included stops in Asia and games against the likes of Milan and Yokohama F. Marinos, the Reds are back on home soil.
Now, about these matches — the first kicked off at 12 p.m. ET and the second will follow at 3 p.m. ET. Both are being streamed on LFCTV and LFCTV Go, for anyone looking to tune in.
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Liverpool’s summer has been pretty eventful. The club has welcomed several new signings including Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Hugo Ekitike — all of whom have already started to make their mark. And although Alexander Isak is still being pursued, the current squad has plenty of depth.
Athletic Club, meanwhile, are no pushovers. They finished fourth in La Liga last season, earning themselves a Champions League return for the first time in a decade. Plus, they made it to the Europa League semifinals, only falling to Manchester United. So, despite a few losses in preseason — including to Racing Santander and Alavés — they’re still a dangerous opponent.
As for lineups, Slot is expected to use two different starting elevens across the two matches. That gives us a chance to see a mix of experience and youth, and perhaps some glimpses of what his preferred XI might look like going into the season. There’s a bit of uncertainty though — Virgil van Dijk is out sick, and both Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are doubtful. Alisson is also racing the clock to return in time for the competitive fixtures.
Bilbao’s key players include the ever-dangerous Williams brothers — Nico and Iñaki — along with Oihan Sancet and Gorka Guruzeta. But their backline is struggling right now with injuries and suspensions, so that could be a vulnerability Liverpool exploit.
Predictions? Most pundits expect Liverpool to come out on top in both games, especially considering their squad depth and attacking firepower. A combined scoreline of 5–3 in Liverpool’s favor has been suggested — and that sounds about right given both teams’ form.
In any case, these friendlies are less about the score and more about final prep before the real action begins. Still, fans will be watching closely to see how Slot’s vision for this new Liverpool era starts to unfold.
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