Liverpool are favourites to defeat AS Monaco in their penultimate pre-season match before beginning their Premier League campaign, with the hosts priced at 1.55 to win at Anfield on Sunday, 9 August 2026.
The match will provide a significant test for both teams as they continue preparations for the new season. Nasser Eddy, a consultant for NCI Sport and presenter of the UEFA Champions League on Radio Nostalgie, has assessed the fixture and offered his predictions. The match is scheduled to take place at Anfield in Liverpool, with the fixture details listing a 16:30 GMT kick-off. The preview also refers to a 13:30 GMT start.
Liverpool will be playing in front of their home supporters in their second-to-last warm-up game before their Premier League opener on 23 August. The “Reds” are entering a new phase after losing three influential players from recent seasons, with Mohamed Salah joining Trabzonspor, Ibrahima Konate moving to Real Madrid and Andrew Robertson signing for Tottenham after departing as free agents.
The club have not attempted to replace those departures with a series of high-profile signings. Instead, Liverpool have opted to invest in younger prospects, bringing in Victor Munoz from Osasuna and Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes. The two players, aged 22 and 20 respectively, are expected to contribute to a rebuilding process led by new manager Andoni Iraola, who has been tasked with reviving a side that struggled during the previous campaign.
Liverpool’s pre-season form has offered mixed encouragement. They have won two of their three matches but were beaten 4-2 by Leeds United last Sunday, a result which exposed weaknesses in defence. Iraola’s side have scored in every game, finding the net seven times in total, but have also conceded six goals.
One positive has been their ability to start matches quickly. Liverpool have opened the scoring in all three of their pre-season fixtures, doing so inside the opening 15 minutes on two occasions.
For Monaco, the visit to England represents an opportunity to test themselves against a leading UEFA Champions League-level opponent. The French club are expected to compete in the Conference League this season rather than Europe’s leading competition.
Monaco have recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat from their four pre-season outings. Their latest match brought a 1-0 victory against Getafe on Thursday, 6 August, with Paris Brunner converting a penalty. The 20-year-old German forward has been one of the major discoveries of the summer in Monaco, scoring four goals in four preparation matches.
That form has not completely removed concerns following the departures of captain Denis Zakaria and Maghnes Akliouche, who joined Paris Saint-Germain in recent hours. Akliouche’s move leaves a significant gap in the attacking department of manager Filipe Luis’s squad.
Monaco have signed Matthis Abline and confirmed the arrival of Ansu Fati, although Fati remains unavailable because of injury. Paul Pogba is also sidelined. Several important members of last season’s team remain, including Lamine Camara, Lukas Hradecky, Alexander Golovin, Eric Dier and Vanderson.
However, Monaco’s recent overall record remains inconsistent. They have won two, drawn one and lost three of their past six matches in all competitions, making a difficult assignment at Anfield even more demanding.
Liverpool and Monaco have both competed regularly in the UEFA Champions League during the 21st century, but they have met only twice in official competition. Those encounters came in the group stage of the 2004-05 tournament. Liverpool won 2-0 at Anfield, while Monaco claimed a 1-0 victory in the return fixture at Stade Louis II.
The player expected to attract particular attention is Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungary international was described as one of the few Liverpool players to emerge strongly from the difficulties of last season and is viewed as one of the team’s leading performers for 2025-26. Now 25, Szoboszlai is considered to be at the peak of his form, and Iraola is relying heavily on him for the 2026-27 campaign.
His ability to win possession, drive forward, cover large areas of the pitch and threaten from set-pieces gives Liverpool a range of options in midfield. Szoboszlai has already scored and provided an assist during pre-season, starting the previous two matches, and will be looking to build momentum before the competitive campaign begins.
The prediction is for Liverpool to win, with the home side priced at 1.55. Monaco are also expected to fail to score, although the recommendation is “NON” on both teams finding the net, at odds of 2.57. Liverpool are forecast to score first at 1.46 and to win by two goals, a result priced at 5.22.
Odds may change.
