Liverpool had enough of the ball, enough shots and more than enough attacking promise to feel good about parts of this pre-season friendly. They still lost 3-2 to Monaco. That is the real takeaway from a night when Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both scored early, only for Liverpool's control to disappear once the game turned.
Isak and Wirtz gave Liverpool the good stuff
For half an hour, Liverpool looked like a side with a very obvious attacking upside.
Isak scored the opener in the 16th minute after a one-two involving Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai. It was a clean move and a clean finish, the kind of sequence that makes him look like a natural fit. BBC Sport's live ratings desk summed it up neatly: "Alexander Isak: Started off with some good touches and took his first goal really well with a solid finish past Hradecky, before getting the final touch to claim Liverpool's second."
Wirtz then made it 2-0 before 30 minutes had been played after a goalmouth scramble. He had already been heavily involved by then, and BBC Sport's verdict on him was even stronger: "Florian Wirtz: A class apart. Had an early effort saved by Lukas Hradecky but was constantly at the heart of Liverpool's attacking play."
That pair were the clearest positives. Isak now has 4 appearances with 1 goal and 3 goal contributions overall, while Wirtz has 3 goal contributions in 4 appearances. In a pre-season game, those numbers are less important than the feel of it, and the feel was good. Liverpool were getting quality touches in dangerous areas and both new attacking focal points looked comfortable taking responsibility.
Defensive control remains the issue
The problem was not creating chances. Liverpool had 52% possession and 15 shots, but they only managed 6 shots on target. Monaco produced 8 shots on target and made their pressure count far more often.
From 2-0 down, Monaco turned the match around through Aleksandr Golovin, Mika Biereth and Paris Brunner. Once Liverpool lost their grip on the game, the defending became reactive and the match started to look stretched.
That is why the attacking encouragement comes with a clear warning. Liverpool were bright enough going forward, but they were still too open when Monaco pushed back. You can see why some of the post-match focus landed there rather than on the front line.
Sky Sports also pointed to recent pre-season context, noting that Liverpool had thrown away a two-goal lead against Leeds the previous week before losing 4-2. That does not prove a season-long habit and it should not be treated as one in August. It does, though, make this collapse harder to shrug off as a one-off.
The result mattered less than the pattern inside it
Pre-season friendlies are for experiments, rhythm and minutes, so any single scoreline needs to be handled carefully. Liverpool also made sweeping second-half changes, with Sky Sports reporting that 11 substitutions came after the break, and that always affects structure.
Still, the same basic issue remained visible. Virgil van Dijk and Alisson are experienced enough that one messy friendly should not trigger panic, but Monaco were able to force too many recovery moments for a side that had already gone 2-0 behind.
The optimistic reading is straightforward enough: Wirtz looks ready to run games, and Isak already looks capable of finishing the moves around him. The less comfortable reading is that Liverpool's attack may be ahead of the rest of the team right now. After a night like this, that feels like the fair conclusion.
Liverpool will still come away with real encouragement from Isak and Wirtz. They just leave this one knowing the better football was not enough to stop a 3-2 pre-season defeat at Anfield.
FAQ
Why did Liverpool lose to Monaco after leading 2-0?
Liverpool created enough to go 2-0 up through Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, but they did not control the game after that. They finished with 52% possession and 15 shots, yet Monaco forced 8 shots on target to Liverpool's 6 and turned the friendly around through Aleksandr Golovin, Mika Biereth and Paris Brunner.
Did Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz play well for Liverpool against Monaco?
Yes. Isak scored the opener in the 16th minute after a one-two involving Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, then got the final touch for Liverpool's second. Wirtz also scored before the half-hour and was described by BBC Sport's live ratings desk as "a class apart" and central to Liverpool's attacking play.
Are Liverpool's defensive concerns still showing in pre-season?
This match pointed to that. Liverpool let a 2-0 lead slip in a 3-2 pre-season defeat, and Sky Sports also noted they had thrown away a two-goal lead against Leeds the previous week. That does not settle anything about the full season, but it does keep the defensive questions alive heading into the next games.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →
