Jeremy Jacquet was the star as Liverpool enjoyed a confidence-boosting 2-0 win over Como in their final pre-season friendly at Anfield.

The 21-year-old defender was making his debut for the club after signing from Rennes in February and marked the occasion by scoring the second goal just before half-time to double the lead for Andoni Iraola’s side after Cody Gakpo had fired in the opener.

Gakpo set up Jacquet for his tap-in which proved to be the final act by the French youngster as he made way for fellow new arrival Ronald Araujo at half-time. The tempo dropped and that suited Como who played more of the football in the second half.

Liverpool had contrived to lose a two-goal lead against Monaco last week but there was no repeat – Ryan Gravenberch even hitting the crossbar late on. As well as Gakpo and Jacquet, Jeremie Frimpong and Rio Ngumoha were among those to impress for Iraola’s side.

There are others with work to do. Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both scored against Monaco, but the former Newcastle striker faded here after a striking a post early on, while the German playmaker flattered to deceive. The real stuff begins next Sunday at St James’ Park.

Sunday 23rd August 4:00pm


Kick off 4:30pm

Key moments at Anfield

8 – POST! Isak strikes a bouncing ball against the foot of the far post

23 – GOAL! Frimpong brilliantly finds Gakpo to fire Liverpool ahead

44 – GOAL! Gakpo lays the ball across for Jacquet to tap it home

58 – CLOSE! Rodriguez fires a shot into the side-netting for Como

85 – CLOSE! Diao skims the Liverpool crossbar on the counter-attack

89 – BAR! Szoboszlai works it to Gravenberch but he hits the bar

How Jacquet impressed the crowd

Jacquet’s name was read out last when the teams were announced as Anfield gave him a special welcome and the young defender responded with a standout performance. The Frenchman certainly pressed his claims for a start against Newcastle next week.

The first cheers for Jacquet came within 30 seconds as a result of a couple of purposeful passes that indicated his willingness to add some drive to a Liverpool backline that was guilty of being a little bit too sluggish on the ball under Arne Slot last term.

And the crowd were chanting his name a quarter of an hour in when he produced a strong challenge right in front of the Kop before doing well to hold off his man in the follow-up tussle for possession. Jacquet looks serene but there is steel there as well.

It was not flawless. He missed a challenge just before the half-hour mark and needed Frimpong to save him with a covering challenge. There was a clumsy miskicked clearance soon after that he made up for with a crucial interception inside the area.

But the goal, tapping in Gakpo’s cross, capped off a fine 45 minutes before he was withdrawn at the break. Araujo has been brought in on loan but Jacquet is seen as the long-term solution at the back for Liverpool and this was a very encouraging start.

The statistics show Ibrahima Konate was quick but it could sometimes take a while for the legs to get going. Now 35, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk needs pace around him in that defence now. In Jacquet, he appears to have found his ideal new partner.

Iraola admits Liverpool ‘need to be better’

Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola:

On the performance: “We needed this feeling of finishing with a clean sheet and winning the game. Still, the first half has been better than the second but at least we kept our organisation and our composure. We found a way to finish with a clean sheet. We needed this feeling before we started.”

“We are better than we were last week. I hope next week we are better than we were today. You can say the first half is still better than the second half, but today a lot of players played 90 minutes and they finished with no cramps.

“It’s an improvement but still, especially in the second half, we need to be better.

“We need every player, every time, every minute, every action and that’s the commitment. I’m very happy with the attitude of the players. They are training really well. I am asking them to do things that are a little bit different, especially without the ball and I think they are trying to get it.

“We are not perfect. We have things to improve but I’m very happy with their attitude, their willingness to be on the same page and we will get there.”

On Jeremy Jacquet: “Jeremy played really well, also Ronald played really well when he came in.

“Also, a very good performance of Jeremie Frimpong, also playing 90 minutes as a right-back helping us offensively but closing very well his side also. Some good performances at the back.”

What’s next?

French 2000 Guineas hero Rayif bounced back to form to repel a strong raiding party in the Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.

Francis-Henri Graffard’s colt struck Classic gold on what was his seasonal debut in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains in early May, but his summer campaign has been interrupted, with a planned visit to Royal Ascot scuppered by a minor setback after which he ran a little below par when fifth in the Prix Jean Prat.

He had plenty on his plate stepping back up to a mile, with Aidan O’Brien’s Irish 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner Precise the hot favourite after bumping into top-class older filly Blue Bolt on her last couple of starts.

Fozzy Stack’s Prix Jean Prat victor Thesecretadversary took the field along for much of the way, closely pursued by Karl Burke’s Zeus Olympios, who looked the likely winner after quickening to the lead inside the final furlong.

But Mickael Barzalona delivered Rayif with a withering late run and he got up to deny Zeus Olympios an elusive first Group One success, with Precise close up behind in third.

“I’m very happy, it’s a wonderful race to win, a very hard race to win,” said Graffard.

“I kept my confidence in the horse. He ran pretty well the other day with excuses and he was in top form (today). Over that course you need the perfect trip and we had the perfect trip today.

“He travelled really well and picked up really nicely, he’s very tough and game.

“He won the Poule d’Essai on very soft ground so everyone was saying he’s a soft ground horse, but you need to keep trying and if these horses are to find their place at stud they need to be performing at this level.

“The Jacques le Marois is a very famous race – probably the second most famous race in France after the Arc – so it’s a wonderful race to win. It means so much.”

Rayif has a range of options for the second half of the season, including the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day, for which he was cut to 4-1 second-favourite from 14-1 by Coral.

Graffard added: “It depends if we decide to go for the Prix du Moulin (September 6) or give him more time and the Prix de la Foret (October 4) could be an option – I wouldn’t be afraid to drop him back in distance.

“There is the QEII at the back-end and we know he can handle soft ground.”

Of the gallant runner-up, Burke said: “We always thought and hoped he would produce that sort of performance in a Group One. I think physically he’s improving and he showed that today.

“He quickened twice there – first time I thought we’d got it, then he got challenged and then he quickened again and I thought we’d got it and so did Cliff (Lee, jockey).

“The winner, fair play to him, has come and cut us down. Francis can do no wrong, can he?

“We’ll get him home and see how he is. It’s got to be discussed, but as a trainer I’m very hopeful he’ll stay in training next year and I think he’ll just continue improving physically and strengthening, so hopefully if he doesn’t win his Group One this year he’ll certainly get it next year.

“I’d say the race at Longchamp (Moulin) will probably come a bit quick for him, maybe we’ll wait for the QEII at Ascot.”

Ben Stokes and Durham were denied a spot in the 2026 Metro Bank One-Day Cup final as Middlesex pulled off a stunning comeback to clinch a first List-A final appearance for 36 years.

Middlesex appeared to be headed for a heavy defeat when reduced to 145-7 in the 31st over of their semi-final, chasing 255 to win – Colin Ackermann claiming 3-46 – but Luke Hollman’s magnificent, unbeaten 83 steered the home side to a memorable two-wicket win.

Hollman shared in a pivotal 79-run partnership with Tom Helm (40) for the eighth wicket, before Noah Cornwell (1no) hung around as Hollman ticked off the final 31 runs required to clinch victory with eight balls to spare.

Stokes’ impact on the semi-final victory was minimal, the former England captain contributing only six runs to Durham’s total of 254-7 after electing to bat first.

Will Rhodes hit 80 and Ackerman an unbeaten 71, while Hollman kick-started his superb all-round performance by claiming 3-53 with his leg spin. Zafar Gohar took 2-39, including the key wicket of Stokes, and Naavya Sharma 2-40.

Stokes took 1-40 from nine overs with the ball, claiming the wicket of Michael Atherton’s son Joshua de Caires (4) with only his third delivery, but he failed to make further inroads late on to wrestle the match back the visitors’ way.

Middlesex will play Leicestershire in the final on Sunday September 20 – live on Sky Sports – after they held on to defend 304 to beat Notts Outlaws by 23 runs in the other semi-final.

Hamza Shaikh, a former England U19s captain, hit 104 from 109 balls – his second hundred in the competition – as Leicestershire posted 303-7 after being inserted, Nick Kelly (53) also hitting fifty as part of a 117-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Dillon Pennington took 3-65.

Leicestershire’s 19-year-old pace bowler Alex Green then starred with the ball, taking 4-40 as the Outlaws were bowled out for 280 in reply.

Freddie McCann (64) and Haseeb Hameed (54) gave Notts hope of contesting next month’s final on their own ground but the innings lacked the big partnership that might have won it for them, with McCann’s run-out a key moment.