Liverpool played two matches in one evening at Anfield on August 4, 2025, facing Athletic Club at 17:00 BST and again at 20:00 BST. The first game featured a youthful side with debutants, while the second showcased five new signings in a near-strongest XI.
Match Date: 04.08.2025 · Liverpool Starting XI (1st game): Woodman, Nunez, Mac Allister, Jones, Elliott, Tsimikas, Robertson, Nyoni, Doak, Ngumoha, Stephenson · Past Score: Liverpool 4-1 Athletic Club · New Signing Fee: £2.8m from Chelsea
Quick snapshot
- Double-header friendlies at Anfield on 04.08.2025 (Athletic Club Official)
- Liverpool won 4-1 in first match and 3-2 in second (ESPN)
- Five new signings started second game: Wirtz, Ekitike, Frimpong, Kerkez, Mamardashvili (This Is Anfield)
- Full details behind Isak’s absence from Liverpool squad
- Exact reasoning for Salah benching in first game
- Athletic Club’s exact starting XI for both matches
- 04.08.2025 17:00 BST: First friendly kickoff
- 04.08.2025 20:00 BST: Second friendly kickoff
- Recent: Rio Ngumoha transfer from Chelsea for £2.8m
- Liverpool continue pre-season build-up
- New signings to be integrated further
- Premier League opener approaching
The table below summarises the key facts confirmed by official and authoritative sources.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Event | Liverpool FC vs Athletic Bilbao Friendly |
| Date | 04.08.2025 |
| Liverpool GK (1st game) | Woodman |
| New Signing | Rio Ngumoha |
| Official Source | Liverpool FC |
| First Kickoff | 17:00 BST |
| Second Kickoff | 20:00 BST |
| Ekitike Fee | £79 million |
| Attendance (2nd game) | 59,774 |
| Tyler Morton Fee | £15 million |
Why are Liverpool playing Bilbao twice today?
The double-header was an unusual but deliberate setup. Liverpool faced Athletic Club twice on the same evening at Anfield — first at 17:00 BST, then again at 20:00 BST — with entirely different squads each time. According to the Athletic Club Official announcement, this format allowed maximum game time for a larger group of players during pre-season.
Tactical reasons played a role too. Manager Arne Slot wanted to evaluate new signings against quality opposition while also giving minutes to academy products and squad players who would feature differently in the two matches. The early kickoff showcased youth and rotation, while the evening fixture presented a near-first-choice lineup including five new arrivals.
The games were broadcast via Liverpool’s official channels and Athletic Club’s YouTube (available in Spain only), with BBC Sport providing match updates throughout the evening.
Who scored for Liverpool vs Bilbao?
Liverpool found the net multiple times across both friendlies. In the first match (17:00 BST), the Reds won 4-1 with goals from Rio Ngumoha after just two minutes, Darwin Núñez at the five-minute mark, an own goal from Álex Padilla in the 42nd minute, and Harvey Elliott completing the scoring in the 58th minute. ESPN recorded the full goals breakdown.
The second fixture (20:00 BST) ended 3-2 in Liverpool’s favour. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 14th minute before Cody Gakpo added two goals in the 55th and 70th minutes. Athletic Club’s Oihan Sancet scored in the 29th minute, and Gakpo’s own goal rounded out the scoring. The attendance for this match reached 59,774 at Anfield, per Sky Sports.
The two results built on Liverpool’s pre-season record of three wins before the Bilbao double-header, having recovered from an Asian tour loss with a 3-1 victory over Yokohama F. Marinos, according to Sports Illustrated.
How did Liverpool get Rio Ngumoha?
Rio Ngumoha is a 17-year-old winger who joined Liverpool from Chelsea for a fee of £2.8 million. According to BBC Sport reports, the transfer was completed ahead of the pre-season friendlies, with the teenager included in the first lineup against Athletic Club.
Ngumoha made an immediate impact, scoring within two minutes of his debut in the 17:00 BST friendly. His inclusion alongside players like Ben Doak and Jayden Stephenson represented Liverpool’s investment in youthful attacking talent during pre-season rotation.
The signing adds to Liverpool’s growing list of young forwards, with the club clearly targeting both experience through established names and potential through emerging teenagers. Meanwhile, Tyler Morton was absent from both matchday squads as he closed in on a £15 million move to Lyon, per This Is Anfield.
Why is Isak not playing for Liverpool?
Alexander Isak was not included in either Liverpool lineup for the Athletic Club double-header. The Swedish striker, linked with a potential move to Liverpool in previous transfer windows, remains with his current club. This article focuses on the confirmed Liverpool squads as announced for the August 4 friendlies.
Arne Slot addressed player availability publicly, noting absences beyond Isak as well. Virgil van Dijk missed both games due to illness, Alisson was absent for personal reasons concerning his wife’s surgery in Brazil, and Joe Gomez remained sidelined with an Achilles injury. Conor Bradley was also ruled out with a minor knock. The manager stated: “Almost all of them are fit or stayed fit. Unfortunately, Virgil is sick today,” per Dave Ockop.
The reasoning for benching Salah in the first game stemmed from the double-header format — Slot wanted his strongest available XI in the evening fixture, giving Salah and the more experienced players a rest before the second match. Mohamed Salah then started the 20:00 BST game and scored in the 14th minute.
Confirmed Liverpool line-up v Athletic Club
The first Liverpool lineup (5pm BST) featured a rotated side with youth and squad players: Woodman in goal, a defence of Stephenson, Nyoni, Robertson, and Tsimikas, a midfield of Mac Allister, Jones, and Elliott, and an attack of Doak, Ngumoha, and Nunez. Andy Robertson captained the side, according to the Liverpool FC Official announcement.
The second lineup (8pm BST) was significantly stronger, with five new signings in the starting XI: Mamardashvili in goal, Frimpong, Konate, Endo, and Kerkez in defence, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, and Wirtz in midfield, and Salah, Gakpo, and Ekitike up front. This Is Anfield confirmed all five new arrivals started this match.
Athletic Club brought a 30-player squad including Unai Simón, Nico Williams, Iñaki Williams, and Oihan Sancet, though they were missing senior centre-backs Aitor Paredes, Unai Egiluz (injured), and Yeray Álvarez (doping suspension). The match referee was Darren England, per Sky Sports.
Five new signings making their first Anfield start together signals serious intent from Slot. With Ekitike alone costing £79 million, Liverpool’s pre-season spending is substantial — and the evening lineup suggests those investments are expected to deliver immediately.
“Almost all of them are fit or stayed fit. Unfortunately, Virgil is sick today. We miss out on Alisson. Joe Gomez is not there, Conor Bradley is not there.”
— Arne Slot, Liverpool Manager
Liverpool’s lineup for their second of two friendlies against Athletic Club is closer to their strongest XI, with Florian Wirtz among five new signings to start.
— This Is Anfield
For Liverpool fans, the double-header format provided a rare glimpse of both the future and the present in a single evening. Ngumoha’s debut goal suggests academy talent remains a priority even amid big-money signings.
For fans tracking Liverpool’s ambitions, the message from Anfield on August 4 was clear: Slot is building a squad with both depth and quality, rotating wisely while integrating expensive new arrivals quickly. The 4-1 and 3-2 wins offered positive results alongside the experimentation, setting an encouraging tone ahead of the competitive season.
Liverpool’s youth XI and new signings shone in the double-header against Athletic Bilbao, with the full action captured in this double-header report from Anfield.
Frequently asked questions
What were the confirmed Liverpool lineups for both games?
First game: Woodman; Stephenson, Nyoni, Robertson, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Jones, Elliott; Doak, Ngumoha, Nunez. Second game: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Endo, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike.
Where can I watch Liverpool FC vs Athletic Bilbao?
The games were available via Liverpool’s official channels and Athletic Club’s YouTube channel (available in Spain only). UK coverage included updates from BBC Sport and Sky Sports.
Who is starting for Liverpool against Athletic Bilbao?
The first game featured youth and rotation players. The second game featured five new signings — Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Giorgi Mamardashvili — alongside established names like Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo.
What was the score in previous Liverpool vs Bilbao matches?
On August 4, 2025, Liverpool won the first friendly 4-1 and the second 3-2. Both matches were pre-season friendlies played at Anfield.
Why double fixtures in pre-season?
The double-header allowed Arne Slot to give game time to more players while testing different lineups. The first game showcased youth, while the second featured stronger XI with new signings.
Details on Rio Ngumoha’s transfer?
Rio Ngumoha joined Liverpool from Chelsea for £2.8 million. The 17-year-old winger debuted in the first friendly and scored within two minutes.
Is Mohamed Salah in the lineup?
Salah started the second game (8pm BST) and scored in the 14th minute. He was rested for the first game as part of Liverpool’s rotation strategy.
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Sophie Kendall is Tools & Digital Culture Correspondent at WordPatch.co.uk, covering writing tools, productivity software, AI writing platforms, digital publishing and online communication trends.