Liverpool have entered the international break knowing they got the better of one of their biggest rivals earlier this month. The Reds have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season across all competitions under Andoni Iraola, sitting sixth in the Premier League with two wins and three draws in their opening five games.
The Spaniard led his side to a 1-0 win against his former club Bournemouth in their last game before the break. The victory marked their third clean sheet in a row - a feat that had not been achieved since their title-winning 24/25 campaign.
Barcola price slammed
Teething problems remain at Anfield as Iraola seeks to mould the squad in his image. Bradley Barcola is taking time to adjust following his £123million move and has faced criticism from a former France star. Barcola has yet to score or assist for Liverpool since becoming the second-most expensive player in the club's history. The 24-year-old hasn't played a full 90 minutes for the Reds and has been told that he's not worth his £123m price tag by former France and Chelsea defender Frank Lebouef.
The pundit said: "Bradley Barcola wasn’t worth that money because nobody is, transfer fees have become astronomical across the board. That said, it's a great opportunity for Barcola to play for clubs like Lyon, PSG and now Liverpool."
Leboeuf, 58, did insist that fans will need to be patient with Barcola. He explained: "However, he needs time to adapt because the Premier League is different. He will get less space than he had at PSG under Luis Enrique. He joined a team undergoing significant changes after a difficult transition. Liverpool signed Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz and new full-backs and the team is still finding its rhythm."
Real Madrid transfer fight
Liverpool's capture of goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans was a double victory, given they reportedly fought off competition from Real Madrid to land the highly-rated Belgian. The 18-year-old signed for the Reds on transfer deadline day in a £30m deal before being sent back to Genk for the rest of the season.
The staggering fee made Brughmans the most expensive teenage goalkeeper in football history, who is expected by many to be the long-term replacement for Alisson Becker, whose contract at Liverpool expires next summer.
According to the Mail, the Belgian youth international had visited Madrid and was seemingly expected to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Thibaut Courtois. However, the Reds quickly made their offer to Genk a day before the deadline and had him travel to Merseyside the following morning to ink his deal.
