Liverpool kept their flawless start to the Andoni Iraola era alive with a narrow 1-0 triumph over Wrexham in their second pre‑season fixture ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. After a 2-0 win against Sunderland in Nashville, the Reds travelled across the Atlantic to Yankee Stadium, where they faced a Wrexham side that had recently upset both Manchester United and Leeds United in their own warm‑up matches. The match began with Liverpool forced to reshuffle their back line when Joe Gomez picked up an injury against Sunderland. Stand‑in captain Dominik Szoboszlai was deployed as a centre‑back, a position he handled with composure despite it being outside his usual midfield role.
Szoboszlai was still influential in attack, delivering a well‑timed pass to Harvey Elliott in the first half. Elliott, in turn, set up Josh Abe for a close‑range effort that was comfortably saved by former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward, who now guards the posts for Wrexham. At halftime, Iraola made four changes, one of which introduced the teenage prospect Rio Ngumoha. Ngumoha quickly made his presence felt, charging into the heart of the Wrexham defence.
His effort was deflected but still managed to loop over the goalkeeper and into the net with fifteen minutes remaining, providing the only goal of the evening and sealing the win for Liverpool. Wrexham had a chance to equalise late on when striker Kieffer Moore found space inside the box, but his attempt was poorly struck and went wide, allowing the Reds to hold on for a second consecutive victory on American soil. The win puts Liverpool on a two‑for‑two record in the United States, and the squad will now head to Chicago for their final pre‑season encounter against Leeds United on Sunday.
That match is expected to feature the first pre‑season minutes for several high‑profile signings and loanees, including German international Florian Wirtz, Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and Swedish forward Alexander Isak, all of whom have been training in Chicago following early exits from the World Cup. After the game, Iraola spoke to the club's media, acknowledging that his side still has work to do to fully adapt to his tactical philosophy. "Overall we were more solid than the other day," he said.
"The pitch was narrow and there weren’t many spaces, but we showed good spells of play. Even though we scored more goals against Sunderland, today we were more cohesive as a team." He added that the squad was not yet at the level he desires, noting occasional lateness in transitions.
"We sometimes arrive too late, but it's a step forward, especially compared with the first half against Sunderland. Slowly, I hope each game we get closer to the ideal performance.
We're integrating many young players now, and the senior players who have just started training with us need to be added to reach a strong start to the season." Iraola also confirmed that several of the club's marquee signings will feature against Leeds. He said, "My idea is for Ryan, Florian, Alex and even new signing Jeremy Jacquet to have their first minutes against Leeds. We'll see how many minutes they can play, but we need to start slowly integrating the senior players who have had fewer training sessions. They should be ready for the weekend to get their first minutes." The upcoming schedule for Liverpool's pre‑season tour includes: - August 2: Liverpool vs Leeds United in Chicago, 9 pm local time - August 9: Liverpool vs Monaco at Anfield, 2.30 pm - August 16: Liverpool vs Como at Anfield, 6 pm These fixtures will give manager Iraola the opportunity to fine‑tune his tactics, assess the fitness of both new arrivals and academy graduates, and build the collective understanding needed for a successful campaign.
The integration of players like Wirtz, Gravenberch, Isak, and Jacquet will be crucial, as they bring different styles and experiences that can complement the existing squad. Liverpool fans can look forward to seeing how the team evolves over the next few weeks, as the manager balances the need for competitive intensity with the necessity of giving playing time to a broad pool of talent. The American tour not only provides a platform for on‑field preparation but also serves as a marketing showcase, expanding the club's global brand while offering supporters in the United States a chance to watch their team live. In summary, Liverpool's 1‑0 win over Wrexham was a tightly contested affair that highlighted the team's defensive solidity, the impact of youthful energy from Rio Ngumoha, and the ongoing adaptation to Iraola's vision.
With more high‑profile opponents on the horizon, the Reds aim to continue their unbeaten run and finish the pre‑season on a high note, ready to launch into the new Premier League season with confidence.