The Liverpool FC vs Athletic Bilbao lineups captured the imagination of the Anfield faithful on a memorable Monday evening, August 4, 2025, as the two clubs met twice at the famous old stadium in a unique pre-season double-header, with the second fixture kicking off at 8:00pm BST.
Arne Slot used the occasion to introduce five major summer signings to the home crowd simultaneously, generating significant excitement ahead of Liverpool’s title defence in the Premier League.
The first game, which began at 5:00pm, saw Liverpool run out comfortable 4-1 winners with a largely fringe lineup, with Rio Ngumoha and Darwin Núñez scoring inside the opening five minutes before Harvey Elliott added a fourth in the second half and Gorka Guruzeta pulled one back for Athletic.
The evening fixture brought the star quality, as Slot sent out a side featuring Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike all starting together for the first time.
Mohamed Salah, restored to the lineup as captain, gave Liverpool the lead from the penalty spot in the 14th minute.
Athletic Bilbao levelled through Oihan Sancet before Cody Gakpo found himself on both sides of the scoresheet, first inadvertently turning the ball into his own net to give Athletic a 2-1 lead, before scoring twice more to complete the turnaround and seal a 3-2 victory for the hosts.
A minute’s tribute was paid in the 20th minute in memory of Diogo Jota, with both sets of players and supporters applauding the late Liverpool forward.
Liverpool FC vs Athletic Bilbao Lineups in Full — Second Fixture
Liverpool Starting XI (4-2-3-1)
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Giorgi Mamardashvili |
| RB | Jeremie Frimpong |
| CB | Ibrahima Konaté |
| CB | Wataru Endo |
| LB | Milos Kerkez |
| CM | Ryan Gravenberch |
| CM | Dominik Szoboszlai |
| RW | Mohamed Salah (C) |
| AM | Florian Wirtz |
| LW | Cody Gakpo |
| ST | Hugo Ekitike |
Athletic Bilbao Starting XI
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Unai Simón |
| RB | Jesús Areso |
| CB | Dani Vivian |
| CB | — |
| LB | Yuri Berchiche |
| CM | Mikel Jauregizar |
| CM | Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta |
| CM | Oihan Sancet |
| RW | Nico Williams |
| ST | Iñaki Williams |
| LW | Maroan Sannadi |
Key Substitutions — Second Fixture
| Team | Off | On |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | Jeremie Frimpong | Amara Nallo |
| Liverpool | Florian Wirtz | Will Wright |
| Liverpool | Mohamed Salah | Federico Chiesa |
| Athletic Bilbao | Yuri Berchiche (inj.) | Aimar Duñabeitia |
| Athletic Bilbao | Oihan Sancet (inj.) | Peio Canales |
First Fixture Lineups (5pm game)
| Liverpool | Athletic Bilbao |
|---|---|
| Woodman (GK) | Padilla (GK) |
| Stephenson | Gorosabel |
| Nyoni | Prados |
| Robertson | Jon de Luis |
| Tsimikas | Iñigo Lekue |
| Mac Allister | Alejandro Rego |
| Curtis Jones | Mikel Vesga |
| Harvey Elliott | Nico Serrano |
| Ben Doak | Unai Gómez |
| Rio Ngumoha | Berenguer |
| Darwin Núñez | Gorka Guruzeta |
Liverpool FC vs Athletic Bilbao: A Pre-Season With Purpose
The Liverpool vs Athletic Bilbao double-header served as far more than routine pre-season preparation, functioning instead as a proper showcase of the squad depth and new signings Slot had assembled during a transformative summer transfer window.
Wirtz, arriving from Bayer Leverkusen as one of the most anticipated arrivals in Premier League history, showed flashes of his considerable quality throughout the evening fixture despite the relatively low-stakes environment of a friendly at Anfield.
Ekitike, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt, made an immediate impression on his new teammates and supporters alike, pressing relentlessly and linking play with an energy that signalled genuine intent for the season ahead.
Frimpong, joining from Leverkusen alongside Wirtz, provided explosive energy down the right flank before being withdrawn in the second half as a precaution.
Mamardashvili, the Georgian goalkeeper recruited to eventually succeed Alisson Becker, impressed with a sharp save to deny Athletic in the closing stages of the evening match, capping a positive individual display.
Athletic Bilbao, managed by the experienced Ernesto Valverde, had arrived at Anfield on the back of three consecutive pre-season defeats and were unable to find a way to contain the wave of quality Slot brought on across both fixtures.
The Basques did show moments of genuine attacking intent, particularly in the evening game when Sancet’s goal and Gakpo’s unfortunate own goal gave them a brief lead, but Liverpool’s quality ultimately told as the Reds signed off their pre-season schedule in winning fashion ahead of the Community Shield the following weekend.
