Monaco Overcome Two-Goal Deficit to Defeat Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield

Monaco secured a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Anfield after Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz provided the hosts an early lead.

Monaco defeated Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield on August 9, 2026, after the home side surrendered a two-goal lead for the second consecutive preseason match. Alexander Isak opened the scoring in the 16th minute, followed by a Florian Wirtz strike in the 29th minute to put the Reds ahead 2-0. Monaco responded through an Aleksandr Golovin penalty in the 44th minute, a Mika Biereth equalizer in the 56th minute, and an 88th-minute winning header from Paris Brunner. This result marked a losing Anfield debut for manager Andoni Iraola, following a similar 4-2 defeat to Leeds United in Chicago where Liverpool also relinquished a two-goal advantage.

The match commenced after a minute of applause dedicated to Liverpool legend Kevin Keegan. Monaco nearly scored within the first 60 seconds when Mika Biereth entered the penalty area and forced Alisson into an early save. Liverpool responded as Lukas Hradecky denied a Wirtz attempt set up by Isak, while Cody Gakpo sent a shot wide following a team move. The deadlock was broken when Ryan Gravenberch played a one-two with Dominik Szoboszlai before assisting Isak, who turned his marker to finish into the bottom corner.

Wirtz Doubles Lead Before Golovin Penalty

Monaco attempted to level the score when Aline’s deflected shot required Alisson to tip the ball over the crossbar. However, Liverpool extended their lead just before the half-hour mark. Lewis Koumas delivered a cross that led to a goalmouth scramble after Gakpo headed the ball back into the six-yard box, allowing Wirtz to poke the ball home from close range. The momentum shifted in the 44th minute when Virgil van Dijk fouled Golovin inside the box. Golovin converted the resulting penalty, beating Alisson despite the goalkeeper diving in the correct direction to make the score 2-1 at the interval.

At halftime, Liverpool introduced Wataru Endo and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili for Alisson and Ndukwe. Monaco found their equalizer 11 minutes into the second period. Biereth broke into the box and saw his initial shot blocked by Mamardashvili, but the forward successfully converted the rebound on his second attempt. Following this goal, Liverpool executed a series of substitutions at the 60-minute mark, withdrawing Wirtz, Isak, Gakpo, Gravenberch, Van Dijk, and Kostas Tsimikas. Among the newcomers was Victor Muñoz, who made his first appearance for the club.

Brunner Completes Comeback in Closing Stages

Midfielder Curtis Jones was notably absent from the matchday squad amid ongoing speculation regarding his future at Liverpool. The high volume of personnel changes impacted the home side's rhythm, leading to 11 total substitutions by the end of the game. Mamardashvili was called into action again in the 70th minute to stop an effort from Coulibaly, while Konate saw a shot for Monaco drag narrowly wide of the target.

The decisive moment arrived in the 88th minute when Monaco earned a corner. Paris Brunner rose at the near post to head the ball into the net, securing the 3-2 turnaround for the visitors. Liverpool’s preseason schedule concludes on August 16 with a final friendly against Como at Anfield. The defeat follows a pattern established in their previous outing in Chicago, where the team failed to protect a multi-goal lead against Leeds United.