Monaco beat Liverpool 3-2 after trailing by two goals at Anfield

Monaco recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat Liverpool 3-2 in a pre-season friendly at Anfield. Paris Brunner completed the comeback with a late header.

Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz had placed Liverpool in control inside thirty minutes. The French side then changed the result across both halves.

Liverpool made a fast start in front of 60,216 supporters

Andoni Iraola took charge of his first match at Anfield as Liverpool head coach. The home side attacked with pace and created an early advantage. Isak opened the scoring in the sixteenth minute. The forward found space inside the area and gave Liverpool a reward for its strong opening. Wirtz added the second in the twenty-ninth minute. His finish left Monaco two goals behind before the visitors had settled into the match. The attendance reached 60,216 for Liverpool’s final home friendly of the programme. Supporters saw several senior players make their first summer appearances.

Monaco stayed in the contest and won a penalty near the end of the first half. Aleksandr Golovin converted it in the forty-fourth minute. The goal changed the halftime position from a comfortable Liverpool lead to a one-goal difference. Monaco had a clear route back after the interval. Liverpool still carried the stronger attacking work from the first half. Isak and Wirtz had combined movement with direct finishing during the best home spell. Golovin’s penalty punished one defensive mistake without erasing that work. It gave Monaco belief and reduced the pressure around its next attack.

Biereth equalised after half-time

Mika Biereth equalised for Monaco in the fifty-sixth minute. He reacted after the first effort was stopped and finished the rebound. The equaliser arrived before Liverpool completed its planned group of substitutions. Monaco had now answered both home goals within twelve competitive minutes. Liverpool changed several players around the hour. The new group needed time to rebuild the passing rhythm established during the first half. Monaco also used the bench, but its attacks remained direct. The visitors continued looking for spaces behind Liverpool’s full-backs rather than protecting the draw.

The winning goal arrived in the eighty-eighth minute. Paris Brunner met a corner and directed his header beyond the Liverpool goalkeeper. Liverpool had little time to create another response. Monaco protected the lead through the remaining minutes and completed a 3-2 victory. Brunner had entered during the later substitutions. Brunner attacked the corner and scored Monaco’s final goal from the set piece. The match therefore contained three separate Monaco scorers. Golovin began the recovery, Biereth levelled and Brunner scored the winning goal.

Several Liverpool players returned to the match squad

Alisson Becker, Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk made their first pre-season appearances. Each player completed a controlled block rather than the full match. Wataru Endo returned after missing earlier games. His minutes added another senior midfield option as Liverpool increased the workload before competitive fixtures.

Victor Munoz made his non-competitive Liverpool debut from the bench. The winger entered during the second half and played on the left side. The substitutions were planned for fitness, but the final score still exposed a difficult second half. Liverpool lost control after leading by two goals.

Monaco scored three unanswered goals in Iraola’s first Anfield match

Liverpool’s first thirty minutes showed effective movement and finishing. Two goals from different attackers created the strongest period of the afternoon. Monaco then found three different methods to score. A penalty, a rebound and a corner produced the complete comeback.

Pre-season substitutions influenced the rhythm, but they do not explain every concession. Liverpool conceded three times after building an early two-goal lead. The match ends as a 3-2 Monaco win rather than a fitness exercise without consequence. Iraola now has a clear record of both the strong opening and the late defeat.

Monaco’s substitutes maintained the attacking threat

Monaco changed several attackers during the second half without losing its direction. Biereth left before Brunner entered and later scored the winner. The visitors continued attacking Liverpool’s wide areas after each change. Fresh runners kept the home full-backs from moving forward as freely as before halftime.

That continuity helped Monaco complete the recovery. The decisive player was not required to start the match or share the pitch with the first scorer.