Liverpool FC put on a commanding pre-season performance in the Liverpool FC vs Athletic Bilbao timeline of events that unfolded at Anfield on the evening of Monday 4 August 2025, kicking off at 8:00 PM in front of 59,774 supporters.
The Reds were simply irresistible in the opening exchanges, and the visiting Basques had no answer to their intensity.
Liverpool FC vs Athletic Bilbao Timeline: Key Events
Goal & key event timeline
Liverpool
Min
Athletic Club
Goal — Ngumoha
2′
Goal — Núñez
5′
13′
Sub — R. Navarro on
18′
Yellow — A. Rego
OG — Padilla
42′
Half time — 3–0
HT
GK Sub — Pécsi on
45′
Sub — Lucky, Danns on
56′
Goal — Elliott
58′
Sub — Koné-Doherty, Pilling on
67′
73′
Triple sub (Athletic)
76′
Goal — Guruzeta
Sub — Koumas on
80′
Sub — Laffey on
84′
85′
Double sub (Athletic)
Full time — 4–1
FT
Match statistics comparison
Liverpool
Stat
Athletic
4
Goals
1
10
Substitutions
7
5
Corners
4
6
Offside calls
3
3
Fouls committed
10
0
Yellow cards
1
4
Shots saved/blocked
5
Liverpool recent form (last 5)
| Date | Competition | Result | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2025 | Club Friendly | Liverpool 4–1 Athletic Club | W |
| 30 Jul 2025 | J.League Challenge | Yokohama 1–3 Liverpool | W |
| 26 Jul 2025 | Club Friendly | Liverpool 2–4 AC Milan | L |
| 20 Jul 2025 | Club Friendly | Liverpool 5–0 Stoke City | W |
| 13 Jul 2025 | Club Friendly | Preston 1–3 Liverpool | W |
Athletic Club recent form (last 5)
| Date | Competition | Result | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2025 | Club Friendly | Liverpool 4–1 Athletic Club | L |
| 26 Jul 2025 | Club Friendly | PSV 2–1 Athletic Club | L |
| 25 May 2025 | La Liga | Athletic Club 0–3 Barcelona | L |
| 18 May 2025 | La Liga | Valencia 0–1 Athletic Club | W |
| 15 May 2025 | La Liga | Getafe 0–2 Athletic Club | W |
Head-to-head record
| Date | Competition | Result | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2025 | Club Friendly | Liverpool 4–1 Athletic Club | Liverpool |
| 8 Aug 2021 | Club Friendly | Liverpool 1–1 Athletic Club | Draw |
| 5 Aug 2017 | Club Friendly | Liverpool 3–1 Athletic Club | Liverpool |
Scorers and goalscoring breakdown
All goals
| Min | Player | Team | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2′ | Rio Ngumoha | Liverpool | Right foot, outside box | 1–0 |
| 5′ | Darwin Núñez | Liverpool | Left foot, close range | 2–0 |
| 42′ | Álex Padilla (OG) | Athletic Club | Own goal | 3–0 |
| 58′ | Harvey Elliott | Liverpool | Left foot, centre of box | 4–0 |
| 76′ | Gorka Guruzeta | Athletic Club | Header, six yard box | 4–1 |
Liverpool FC vs Athletic Bilbao Timeline: How the Match Unfolded
Rio Ngumoha wasted absolutely no time announcing himself, drilling a right-footed effort into the bottom right corner from outside the box as early as the second minute, with Alexis Mac Allister providing the assist.
It was barely five minutes before Liverpool had their second.
Darwin Núñez, feeding off a clever header from Ngumoha, swept a left-footed finish into the bottom left corner at close range to make it 2–0 and effectively end the contest as a competitive spectacle.
Athletic Club attempted to find a foothold in the match during the middle portion of the first half, with Andoni Gorosabel rattling the right post in the 17th minute in what was their clearest moment of the opening 45.
But Liverpool pressed relentlessly and were rewarded again deep in first-half stoppage time.
Ben Doak’s persistence forced a smart save from Álex Padilla, only for the Athletic Club goalkeeper to watch in dismay as the ball cannoned into his own net — an own goal that sent the teams into the interval with the tie already as good as decided.
The Second Half: Elliott Seals It, Guruzeta Responds
The pattern continued after the break, with Liverpool managing the game calmly while rotating their squad heavily.
Harvey Elliott, who had been excellent throughout, curled a composed left-footed finish into the high centre of the goal on 58 minutes after a fine assist from Núñez, making it four and ensuring the victory was comprehensive.
Athletic Club showed some late pride through Gorka Guruzeta, whose glancing header from the right side of the six-yard box reduced the deficit to 4–1 on 76 minutes.
It was scant consolation for a side that had found themselves overwhelmed by Liverpool’s physicality and movement in the opening exchanges.
Referee Robert Jones oversaw the final exchanges with minimal incident, adding no time at the conclusion of either half.
Context and Pre-Season Significance
The result extended Liverpool’s unbeaten record across all friendly meetings with Athletic Club, having beaten them 3–1 in 2017 and drawn 1–1 in 2021.
For the visitors, it was a second consecutive friendly defeat following a 2–1 loss to PSV Eindhoven just days earlier.
Liverpool, meanwhile, came into the fixture in decent form overall — their only reverse of pre-season had been a 4–2 loss to AC Milan on 26 July, sandwiched between wins over Stoke City, Preston and Yokohama F. Marinos.
The starting lineup showed the depth of options available to the management, with a host of younger players given significant minutes alongside established first-team regulars.
Key takeaways:
- Liverpool scored twice in the opening five minutes, setting the tone for the entire match
- All four Liverpool goals came from different scorers, underlining squad depth
- Athletic Club managed just one goal from nine combined attacking efforts
- Attendance of 59,774 confirmed a near-sellout crowd for the Anfield friendly
- Rio Ngumoha’s performance will have attracted considerable attention ahead of the new season