Liverpool vs Monaco prediction, tips and odds

Andoni Iraola takes charge of his first match at Anfield on Sunday afternoon as he leads Liverpool against Filipe Luis's Monaco in the final home friendly before the Premier League season begins against Newcastle United on 23 August.

The Reds won two and lost one of their three pre-season outings on the US tour, while Les Rouge et Blanc arrive in Merseyside on the back of a 1-0 victory against Getafe on Thursday, having won two, drawn one and lost one of their four summer fixtures.

Liverpool vs Monaco form and preview

The return of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Cody Gakpo transforms the look of this Liverpool squad, with all three having missed the entire US tour and now integrating ahead of the new campaign.

Iraola saw his side race into a 2-0 lead against Leeds last Saturday before second-half substitutions disrupted the defensive shape and allowed the visitors to score four goals after the interval.

That collapse has heightened concerns about the squad's depth, with injuries to Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley already reducing Iraola's available options, while doubts over Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet leave him particularly stretched at centre-back heading into the new campaign.

Liverpool have scored seven goals across their three US friendlies against Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds, but they have also conceded six, a ratio that will need to improve before the competitive campaign begins.

The departure of Mohamed Salah to Trabzonspor has left a significant hole in the attacking structure, and Iraola has used pre-season to experiment with Florian Wirtz and Victor Munoz in more advanced positions.

Monaco finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season, their third-lowest placement since returning to the French top flight in 2013-14, and Filipe Luis was appointed in July after Sebastien Pocognoli was sacked.

The Brazilian, who won the Copa Libertadores and the Campeonato Brasileiro with Flamengo in 2025, faces the task of rebuilding a side that missed out on Champions League qualification and will instead compete in the Conference League this season.

Monaco have scored eight goals and conceded six across their four pre-season friendlies, including that comfortable 5-2 win over National 1 side Saint-Priest on 18 July.

The loss of Maghnes Akliouche to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week removes one of their most creative players, though Camara and Golovin remain available in the centre of the pitch.

Monaco's away form is a concern heading into this fixture, with the visitors looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat on the road after a pre-season loss to Sporting CP and their final away defeat of the Ligue 1 campaign at Strasbourg.

Team news: Liverpool vs Monaco

Liverpool

The biggest absence for Iraola is Ekitike, who was Liverpool's top scorer last season with 17 goals across all competitions but ruptured his Achilles tendon and is not expected back until early January 2027 at the earliest.

Bradley is also unavailable after sustaining a knee injury and is not due to return to full training until late September, leaving the right-back position short of senior cover.

Jeremy Frimpong gave the coaching staff a scare during the Leeds defeat but trained fully with the squad in midweek, meaning he should be available to feature on Sunday.

Van Dijk, Alisson and Gakpo have all returned to training at the AXA Training Centre after being given extended breaks following the World Cup and are expected to feature at some point during the match.

Munoz, a World Cup winner with Spain last month, joined up with the squad this week and could make his first appearance from the bench, though he is unlikely to start given his lack of pre-season preparation.

The potential absences of Leoni and Jacquet could see Mor Talla Ndiaye partner Van Dijk in central defence, a combination that has not yet been tested in a competitive or friendly setting.

Monaco

Takumi Minamino will not face his former club after failing to recover from a knee injury, leaving Luis without one of his more experienced attacking options.

Eric Dier and Sadibou Sane are expected to form the centre-back partnership, with Vanderson and Nazinho at full-back.

Lamine Camara, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool this summer, is set to line up in midfield alongside Pape Cabral.

The front three is likely to feature Matthis Abline, Mika Biereth and Mathys Detourbet, with Aleksandr Golovin operating as the most advanced of the midfield trio.

Liverpool vs Monaco predicted lineups

Predicted Liverpool XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Scanlon, Ndiaye, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Nyoni, Szoboszlai; Munoz, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Isak.

Predicted Monaco XI (4-3-3): Hradecky; Vanderson, Sane, Dier, Nazinho; Camara, Cabral, Golovin; Abline, Biereth, Detourbet.

Head-to-head: Liverpool vs Monaco

These two sides have met just twice in competitive football, both times during the 2004-05 Champions League group stage more than two decades ago.

Liverpool won the first meeting 2-0 at Anfield in September 2004, before Monaco claimed a 1-0 victory at the Stade Louis II two months later.

The aggregate record stands at one win apiece with two goals to one in Liverpool's favour, though the distance between the two fixtures and the current squads means the historical record carries no predictive weight.

Sunday's friendly will be the first encounter between the clubs in over 21 years, and the first meeting between them outside of a competitive setting.

Our Liverpool vs Monaco prediction and tips