Rio Nguhoma, a young star, showed off his skills as Liverpool defeated Athletic Club 4-1 and 3-2 in back-to-back friendly games at Anfield. Hugo Ekitike also recorded his first assist.
Since these were Liverpool’s first home games after the devastating losses of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, these games were very important. Both were honored in the 20th minute of each game, as the match paused and fans rose to sing his name in tribute.
Rio Nguhoma opened the scoring just two minutes in with a superb curled effort, then assisted Darwin Nunez shortly after to double the advantage. His teammate, Ben Doak, expressed admiration for the 16-year-old, describing him as “ridiculous” in a post-match interview. Doak himself played a key role in the first game, benefiting from a misjudgment by goalkeeper Alex Padilla that saw his cross bundled into the net just before half-time.
Liverpool’s game one starting XI:
Liverpool: Woodman; Stephenson, Tsimikas, Robertson, Nyoni; Mac Allister, Jones, Elliot; Nunez, Doak, Nguhoma.
“That guy is ridiculous,” Doak told LFCTV afterward. “He is going to have some career ahead of him! So sharp and so talented. If he can keep it up, anything is possible.”
Rio Nguhoma continued to shine throughout pre-season, tallying two goals and two assists over four appearances. Harvey Elliott capped off the first game with a well-placed shot, although a mistake from Luca Stephenson allowed Gorka Guruzeta to score a consolation goal, slightly tarnishing an otherwise successful outing.
In the second game, manager Arne Slot fielded a strong starting XI—minus key absentees Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker due to illness and personal matters, respectively. Ekitike, making his debut alongside Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez, quickly made an impact by setting up Mohamed Salah’s opening goal in the 14th minute.
Liverpool’s game two starting XI:
Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Endo, Konate, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Wirtz, Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike.
The match saw thrills, with Cody Gakpo scoring two goals and another header finding his own net in just 15 minutes, ultimately leading to a 3-2 win for Slot’s side. However, Salah’s missed penalty, sent over the bar, was a rare blemish in an otherwise dynamic performance.
Both matches provided a glimpse of what Liverpool’s full-strength squad could look like, even as injury concerns loom. Liverpool’s next matches are against Bournemouth on August 15, with Slot confirming that Van Dijk and Alisson are expected to return to the lineup.
Slot assessed the performances of Ekitike and Nguhoma, saying to LFCTV: “In both games, we created a lot of chances. Scoring seven goals is very pleasing. Rio is showing great things every game in pre-season.”
Slot also noted areas for improvement, particularly two set-piece goals conceded, stating, “It’s something to work on, especially with Crystal Palace next week.”
Upcoming fixtures for Liverpool:
August 10: Crystal Palace (Community Shield) – Wembley, kick-off 3pm
August 15: Bournemouth (Premier League) – Anfield, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports.
