Liverpool vs Como: Pre-Season Friendly Insights
Liverpool’s pre-season takes another intriguing turn today as Como arrive at Anfield for a rare meeting between two clubs on very different trajectories, but with equally sharp ambitions.
Kick-off is set for 16 August 2026 at 11:30, a lunchtime window that drops this fixture right into the heart of Liverpool’s preparations – and offers Como a major stage to measure how far they’ve come.
Liverpool searching for rhythm
Liverpool’s summer has been anything but smooth.
One win, one draw and three defeats from their last five games tell the story of a side still searching for balance. The most recent outing, a 3-2 loss to Monaco on 9 August, underlined the problem: plenty of attacking intent, but a defence that keeps leaving the back door open.
Before Monaco, Liverpool were beaten 4-2 by Leeds United in another high-scoring pre-season contest. The goals keep coming – 10 scored and 10 conceded across those five games – but control has been in short supply.
There have been bright spots. A tight 1-0 win over Wrexham and a more open 4-2 victory against Sunderland showed flashes of the pressing and fluid attacking play the Anfield crowd expects. Yet those positives sit alongside a pattern of vulnerability that Liverpool will want to address quickly with the new campaign looming.
Team news remains under wraps. No official injury list, no confirmed suspensions, no probable XI. For now, Liverpool are keeping their cards close, with updates expected closer to kick-off.
Como riding a quiet wave
On the other side, Como arrive with momentum and a growing sense of purpose.
Three wins, one draw and a single defeat from their last five matches paint a picture of a side on the rise. They closed out their Serie A campaign with back-to-back victories over Cremonese and Parma, results that injected belief into the squad and set a firm platform for pre-season.
This summer has largely continued that theme. Como have scored 11 and conceded seven in their last five, showing they can hurt teams but also manage games well enough to stay in control.
Their latest outing, a 1-1 draw with Arsenal on 12 August, was a statement of sorts. Holding their own against Premier League opposition is no small feat, and it sends a clear warning that they are not travelling to Anfield just to make up the numbers.
They edged Famalicao 3-2 and drew 2-2 with Paris FC earlier in pre-season, further proof of a side that likes to play, commits bodies forward and backs itself in open contests.
As with Liverpool, Como have yet to release any detailed team news. No official coach comments, no confirmed squad list, no fitness bulletin. The expectation is that clarity will come as kick-off nears.
A fresh fixture with no history
One of the quirks of this match-up is the lack of shared history.
There is no recent head-to-head record between Liverpool and Como. No scorelines to revisit, no old grudges to revive, no familiar narratives to lean on. This is a clean slate.
That absence of history adds a different kind of intrigue. Liverpool are used to being the benchmark in fixtures like this, the yardstick by which others measure themselves. Como, buoyed by strong recent form and that draw against Arsenal, will see this as another chance to test their level against elite opposition in a hostile, storied arena.
What’s really at stake?
On paper, it’s “only” a friendly. In reality, the stakes are sharper than that.
For Liverpool, this is about tightening the screws. Ten goals scored and ten conceded in five games is entertaining, but it is not the platform a contender wants heading into a new season. They need signs of defensive stability, cleaner game management, and a performance that reassures the home crowd that the pieces are coming together.
For Como, the challenge is different. Can they back up that Arsenal performance with another composed display on English soil? Can they show that their recent surge – three wins, one draw, one loss – is not a brief spike, but the start of something more sustained?
With no previous meetings to lean on and no line-ups yet confirmed, this game walks into Anfield as a blank page.
By the final whistle, we’ll know whether Liverpool have begun to iron out their flaws – or whether Como are ready to turn a promising run into a statement summer.
