Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao Play Rare Double-Header Friendly

p>Liverpool and Athletic Club played not one, but two friendlies in a single day — first featuring their reserve squads, then their first teams. The back-to-back matches offered fans a rare double dose of international club football action.

The early fixture, featuring mostly fringe and youth players, was a one-sided affair. Liverpool dominated from start to finish, cruising to a commanding 4-1 victory. Among the scorers was Darwin Núñez, whose goal may be one of his last in a Reds shirt, with transfer speculation swirling around the Uruguayan striker this summer.

The main event, however, brought a much tighter contest. Both sides fielded near full-strength line-ups, and this time Liverpool edged out Athletic Bilbao in a thrilling 3-2 win at Anfield. It was a night of highs and lows for Dutch forward Cody Gakpo, who bagged a brace but also found himself on the wrong end of the scoresheet with an unfortunate own goal.

Another talking point came from none other than Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian talisman, usually clinical from the spot, missed a golden opportunity to extend Liverpool's lead — blasting his penalty well over the crossbar after a lengthy run-up.