đŽ Match Story: Liverpool vs Athletic Club â Club Friendly Clash at Anfield
Date: [Insert Match Date]
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Fixture: Club Friendly
Final Score: Liverpool 3â1 Athletic Club (Bilbao)
Arne Slotâs Liverpool continued their impressive preseason form with a commanding 3-1 win over Athletic Club in front of a vibrant Anfield crowd, showcasing fresh faces and fluid attacking football in preparation for the 2025/26 campaign.
𧚠First Half â Wirtz Magic and High Press
The Reds wasted no time stamping their authority. Florian Wirtz, wearing the iconic No. 7 shirt, opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a slick one-two combination and a cool finish low into the bottom cornerâhis first goal in a Liverpool shirt and a clear glimpse of his quality.
Liverpoolâs high pressing unsettled the visitors early, with Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley bombing forward from the flanks, adding constant pressure. Frimpong nearly doubled the lead minutes later with a stinging effort parried by the Bilbao goalkeeper.
Athletic Club, however, settled into the game and found an equalizer on the half-hour mark through Nico Williams, who curled in a brilliant strike from the edge of the area following a rare lapse in Liverpoolâs midfield tracking.
âïž Halftime Score: Liverpool 1â1 Athletic Club
đ Second Half â Impact Substitutes and Ekitikeâs Debut Goal
Slot rang in the changes after the break, introducing Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, and Giorgi Mamardashvili among others. The switches added energy and depth, as Liverpool regained control of possession.
In the 63rd minute, Darwin NĂșñez capitalized on a defensive error to make it 2â1, pouncing on a loose ball in the box and smashing it into the roof of the net. It was a confidence-boosting strike for the Uruguayan, who is facing increased competition this season.
Just ten minutes later, it was Hugo Ekitike who sealed the win. The French striker latched onto a through ball from Curtis Jones, shrugged off his marker, and calmly slotted past the keeper for Liverpoolâs thirdâmarking his debut goal in red and sparking wild applause from the Anfield faithful.
â Key Performers:
- Florian Wirtz â Technical brilliance, creative spark, and a debut goal.
- Jeremie Frimpong â Electric pace, tireless energy, and a constant threat down the right.
- Hugo Ekitike â Clinical debut goal and impressive movement off the ball.
- Darwin NĂșñez â Showed hunger and physicality, pressing defenders into mistakes.
đ Match Stats (Selected):
- Possession: Liverpool 57% â 43% Athletic Club
- Shots on Target: Liverpool 8 â 3 Athletic Club
- Corners: Liverpool 5 â 2 Athletic Club
- Fouls: Liverpool 9 â 12 Athletic Club
đ Takeaways:
- Arne Slotâs Liverpool look sharper with each outing, blending youth and experience.
- New signings are bedding in well, particularly Wirtz and Ekitike.
- Depth and rotation will be key for the season ahead, and this match showed Liverpool are building toward a competitive squad across all positions.
