Liverpool pre-season schedule: Who did they play? How can I watch? Did new signings Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike impress?

In an emotionally charged first game back since the devastating deaths of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, Premier League champions Liverpool kicked off their pre-season period with professionalism and panache at Preston North End.

Arne Slot took his crop to Deepdale on the afternoon of July 13, where touching tributes to the brothers preceded kickoff, and a makeshift lineup comprising established regulars and embryonic talents alike marched to a 3-1 triumph against the Championship side, as Conor Bradley crashed home at the back post to bag Liverpool's first pre-season strike.

Darwin Nunez also got in on the act and paid homage to Jota with his trademark gaming celebration, and even though Preston's Liam Lindsay pulled one back for the second-tier side, Cody Gakpo restored the Reds' two-goal cushion late on.

The Reds then played their second pre-season game against AC Milan in Hong Kong on July 26, though they suffered a 4-2 defeat despite Florian Wirtz making his debut and impressing.

The Merseysiders then travelled to Japan to face the J1 League's Yokohama F Marinos, and Hugo Ekitike made his debut in another 3-1 win that featured a first goal from Wirtz as well as standout performances from youngsters Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni.

Rounding out their pre-season schedule at Anfield, Slot's side won back-to-back clashes against Athletic Bilbao, with Ngumoha stealing the show in the first, before Ekitike, Wirtz, Gakpo and Mohamed Salah showed the home crowd how devastating they can be as a four-man attacking unit.

Here, Sports Mole provides an in-depth guide to the rest of Liverpool's pre-season period, including details on their opponents and how to tune into the matches.

Who did Liverpool play in pre-season?

As was the case in 2024, Liverpool kicked off their summer preparations against Championship outfit Preston, who prevailed 1-0 at the Reds' training ground this time last year.

However, the 2025 exhibition clash saw Liverpool gain revenge with a 3-1 triumph, and Slot's squad have since embarked on a brief tour of Asia.

The Reds' first stopover on the other side of the planet was Hong Kong, where they took on AC Milan in the Standard Chartered Trophy on July 26, losing 4-2.

Four days later, Liverpool travelled to Japan for the J. League World Challenge against Yokohama F Marinos, and became the third English team in a row to win the exhibition game after Manchester City in 2023 and Tottenham Hotspur in 2024 when they triumphed 3-1 at Nissan Stadium.

Back on home shores, Liverpool concluded their summer preparations with two matches in the space of a few hours, beating Athletic Bilbao 4-1 and 3-2 in a pair of Anfield contests at 5pm and 8pm on August 4.

Liverpool 2025-26 pre-season schedule:

July 13: Preston North End 1-3 Liverpool (3pm | Deepdale)

July 26: Liverpool 2-4 AC Milan (12.30pm | Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong)

July 30: Yokohama F. Marinos 1-3 Liverpool (11.30am | Nissan Stadium, Japan)

August 4: Liverpool 4-1 Athletic Bilbao (5pm | Anfield)

August 4: Liverpool 3-2 Athletic Bilbao (8pm | Anfield)

Can I watch Liverpool's pre-season matches?

All of Liverpool's pre-season fixtures will be available to watch on the club's official channel, which is available as part of television packages or as a standalone subscription.

Liverpool's ALL RED Video streaming service includes LFCTV and LFCTVGo, where the matches are broadcast, and is available on Apple, Android and Fire TV.

How did Liverpool's new signings Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz fare in pre-season?

Liverpool's summer spending spree has brought a whole host of new faces to the club, but fans were especially keen to see big-money acquisitions Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike in action during pre-season.

The former Bayer Leverkusen star made his debut against AC Milan in Hong Kong, and netted against Marinos in Yokohama, where the £79m ex- Eintracht Frankfurt striker pulled on the famous kit for the first time.

More signings are expected between now and the end of the transfer window, but the Reds' new-look forward line has looked extremely threatening, and the new players' linkup with Mohamed Salah has been positive, with Ekitike assisting the Egyptian winger against Bilbao on Monday evening.

Wirtz was seen linking the play across the pitch on his Anfield debut, and though Slot still needs to perfect his midfield's balance, he performed well just ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.