Liverpool vs Como 1907: Pre-Season Clash at Anfield
Liverpool’s final dress rehearsal before the Premier League curtain goes up is not the gentle run-out it might look like on paper. Como 1907 arrive at Anfield with momentum, belief, and nothing to lose – and they’ve already shown this summer they’re not in England to make up the numbers.
Two games between the sides are scheduled for Sunday, one earlier in the day and this behind-closed-doors clash later on. No fans, no noise, no Kop. Strip away the Anfield roar and the aura fades. For a hungry Serie A side on the rise, this is as inviting as it gets.
Liverpool still searching for rhythm
Andoni Iraola is only just settling into the Liverpool dugout and it shows. His ideas are still bedding in, especially at the back, where uncertainty has crept into performances and results.
The transfer window has moved slowly for the Reds, and that hesitation has filtered onto the pitch. They’ve lost their last two games, both against opposition they were fancied to beat, and the manner of those defeats will sting. Against Leeds, Liverpool were 2-0 up on the hour and somehow contrived to lose 4-2. Seven goals conceded in two outings is a red flag for any side with title ambitions.
Going forward, though, the weapons are very real. Pre-season has already produced nine Liverpool goals in four matches, with Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz among those finding the net in their latest outing. The expected XI – Alisson behind a back four of Jeremie Frimpong, Ronald Araujo, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Federico Chiesa in midfield and Wirtz, Cody Gakpo and Isak up front – screams attacking intent.
That ambition comes with a price. A brand-new centre-back partnership needs time, and Liverpool don’t have much of it.
Como’s remarkable rise gathers pace
On the opposite bench, Cesc Fabregas has every reason to smile. Como finished fourth in Serie A last season, clinching a first-ever Champions League spot just seven years after playing in Serie D. It’s one of the most striking climbs in European football, and this pre-season has only reinforced the sense that they’re not done climbing yet.
They went to the Emirates on Wednesday night to face Premier League champions Arsenal and walked away level after 90 minutes. No fluke, no smash-and-grab. They were full value for the draw and left London with their confidence soaring.
Fabregas’ likely selection – Butez in goal; Yan Couto, Ramon, Marc-Oliver Kempf and Valle across the back; Da Cunha, Perrone and Liberali in midfield; Martin Baturina and Diao supporting Anastasios Douvikas – has a clear identity. Technical, brave on the ball, and ruthless when chances appear.
The numbers back that up. Como have scored 10 times in their last five outings and are unbeaten in pre-season inside regulation time. They’ve gone beyond a single goal in three of those five games. This is not a side content to sit deep and survive.
Goals almost guaranteed
Strip away the crowd and Liverpool’s advantage shrinks. Without the usual Anfield surge, visiting teams can breathe, pass, and grow into the contest. Como look perfectly placed to do exactly that.
Both sides have been involved in goal-heavy friendlies. Three of Liverpool’s four pre-season matches have seen both teams score. All five of Como’s have produced goals at both ends. With Liverpool’s front line in rhythm and their defence still learning each other’s movements, the pattern feels familiar: chaos, chances, and little sense of control.
A 2-2 scoreline sits neatly with the way both teams are trending. Szoboszlai and Isak are obvious threats for Liverpool; Baturina and Douvikas carry the same weight for Como. The net should bulge at both ends, and more than once.
Como scent an upset
This, frankly, is just about the best scenario any visitor will get at Anfield: a new manager still imposing his style, a defence patched together, a quiet stadium, and a pre-season opponent with nothing on the line but pride and sharpness.
Como’s five-game unbeaten run and that statement draw at Arsenal underline their resilience. They haven’t tasted defeat inside 90 minutes this summer, and their confidence is no longer that of a plucky underdog. It’s the posture of a side that expects to compete.
Liverpool, by contrast, are still searching for defensive balance. Injuries to Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez have left them light at the back. New signing Jeremy Jacquet has only just returned to training and is unlikely to be risked, so loan arrival Ronald Araujo is set to start as part of a new-look pairing. That partnership will settle in time; right now, it’s vulnerable.
Monaco and Leeds have both gone past the one-goal mark against the Reds in recent games. Como, with their sharp front line and fluid movement, will fully expect to do the same.
A night that could reshape expectations
The betting angles reflect the mood. Goals are expected, both sides are fancied to score, and Como are being taken seriously enough that a draw or better for the Italians is firmly in play. A Liverpool 2-2 Como 1907 outcome would not shock anyone who has watched both teams this summer.
Liverpool need this game to sharpen up and settle nerves before the real stuff begins. Como see it as another step in a remarkable ascent, a chance to walk into one of football’s great arenas – even a silent one – and prove they belong on this stage.
If they leave Anfield with another result, the question won’t be whether Como can surprise people this season. It’ll be how far, and how fast, they can go.
