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The start of Liverpool’s Premier League season is now under two weeks away as the Reds finalise their preparations.
Having been crowned champions almost three months ago, Liverpool kick off the new campaign at home against Bournemouth on Friday, August 15th.
To make sure of maximum readiness ahead of the match, Liverpool jetted out to the Far East this month for matches against AC Milan and Yokohama F.
Marinos.
And after two good run-outs, and plenty of bonding for the Liverpool squad, the Reds are now back on Merseyside.
Having won the Premier League last term, Liverpool will take part in the annual Community Shield match against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace on August 10th.
But, before that, Arne Slot’s team face Athletic Bilbao on Monday evening at Anfield.
Eagle-eyed supporters will notice that Liverpool actually play Athletic twice on Monday, but why exactly is that?
Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
It has become something of a tradition for Liverpool to play their final friendly of the summer back home at Anfield.
They did it last year against Sevilla, as Slot took charge of his first ever home match.
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On that occasion, the Reds also played two fixtures, with a second coming behind closed doors later on in the day.
And this year will be no different, with Slot using two matches to make sure his full squad are up to speed ahead of the beginning of the campaign.
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In 2024, the Liverpool head coach fielded a strong side in front of a sold-out crowd at Anfield in the day’s early kick-off, before putting out a slightly weaker XI against Las Palmas in the evening.
The experiment was clearly a success, although this time Liverpool have chosen to face the same opposition in each match.
Fans will be present for the 5pm kick-off, with a match in front of an empty Anfield getting underway at 8pm.
Monday is set to be an emotional occasion at Anfield as Liverpool fans come together en masse for the first time since the tragic death of Diogo Jota.
Jota scored in last year’s Anfield friendly against Sevilla, and there are likely to be tributes aplenty for the No.
20, as the fanbase gives itself a collective hug.
Athletic are a good opponent for such an occasion, with the Basque club well-known for being incredibly classy operators.
Given the significance of the match as a means of honouring and remembering Jota, tickets have been popular in the build-up to the game.
As per the Liverpool ticket office, there are no longer general admission tickets available.
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