IPSWICH — Manager Andoni Iraola secured his first competitive victory in charge of Liverpool on Friday night, as a stunning early brace from Alexander Isak propelled the Reds to a comfortable 2–0 victory over Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
After kicking off the 2026/27 Premier League campaign with consecutive draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, Liverpool wasted no time stamping their authority on proceedings in Suffolk, effectively putting the match to bed inside the opening ten minutes.
Isak Capitalizes on Gakpo’s Brilliance
Liverpool struggled to find early momentum in their previous outings, but a rampant start on Friday completely changed the narrative. Cody Gakpo threaded a sublime defense-splitting pass into the path of Alexander Isak, whose thumping finish proved too powerful for Ipswich goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen to keep out. Just three minutes later, Gakpo struck again with a brilliant outside-of-the-foot through ball. Isak raced onto it, maneuvered past defender Jacob Greaves, and slotted low past Scherpen to double the advantage.
The Swedish striker nearly secured a first-half hat-trick when he turned in Florian Wirtz’s cross at the back post, only for the offside flag to intervene.
Managing the Contest & Barcola’s Debut
To their credit, Ipswich Town gathered their composure after the early shock, growing into the contest and testing Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker through Julio Enciso’s curling effort. However, the Tractor Boys struggled to break down a resolute Reds backline anchored by Virgil van Dijk.
The second half offered further encouragement for the visitors as record summer signing Bradley Barcola entered from the bench in the 64th minute to make his Premier League debut. Liverpool professionally navigated the remaining minutes to secure a valuable clean sheet and climb to fifth in the early league standings.
