Bradley Barcola’s Liverpool career is officially underway.

The French winger made his highly anticipated debut Friday night as Liverpool defeated Ipswich Town 2-0 at Portman Road, giving Andoni Iraola his first Premier League victory since taking charge of the Reds.

Barcola began the match on the bench after completing his blockbuster transfer from Paris Saint-Germain on Aug. 31. Iraola had indicated before the game that the winger was available but acknowledged that his lack of preseason minutes had to be considered when deciding how quickly to introduce him.

That resulted in Barcola being introduced during the second half rather than immediately entering the starting lineup.

The 23-year-old replaced Victor Muñoz in the 64th minute, taking his place on the left side of Liverpool’s attack and getting his first taste of Premier League football.

Barcola Gets First Liverpool Minutes After PSG Transfer

Liverpool completed Barcola’s signing after a prolonged pursuit during the summer transfer window.

The Reds officially announced his arrival from PSG on Aug. 31, with Barcola signing a long-term contract and taking the No. 29 shirt.

Liverpool did not officially disclose the transfer fee, although widespread reports have valued the deal at approximately £123 million.

Barcola arrived at Anfield after three seasons with PSG, where he developed into one of Europe’s most dangerous wide attackers.

He made 152 appearances for PSG, scoring 39 goals and providing 35 assists. His time in Paris included three consecutive Ligue 1 championships and back-to-back Champions League titles.

Barcola also entered his Liverpool career following an impressive 2026 World Cup with France. He scored three goals during the tournament as France finished fourth and has accumulated six goals in 28 senior international appearances.

His preparation for the new club, however, was unusual.

Barcola trained normally before completing his transfer but did not play any preseason matches. Iraola therefore resisted immediately putting him into the starting XI despite the size of Liverpool’s investment.

After three training sessions with Liverpool, his first competitive minutes arrived at Portman Road.

Alexander Isak Double Gives Barcola Comfortable Debut

Liverpool had already established control of the match long before Barcola entered.

Alexander Isak scored twice inside the opening nine minutes, with Cody Gakpo creating both goals. Isak struck in the sixth and ninth minutes, putting Liverpool 2-0 ahead before Ipswich had an opportunity to settle into the contest.

Isak thought he had completed his hat trick in the 33rd minute after finishing from Florian Wirtz’s pass, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Liverpool controlled the remainder of the match and protected the advantage after halftime.

Barcola’s introduction gave Iraola an opportunity to begin integrating his newest attacking weapon without asking him to change the game immediately.

Operating from the left, Barcola showed some of the qualities Liverpool invested heavily to acquire, particularly his willingness to receive the ball wide and attack defenders directly. His debut was ultimately about getting competitive minutes into his legs after his lack of preseason action.

Liverpool also recorded their first clean sheet of the season after opening the Premier League campaign with consecutive 2-2 draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.

The victory moved Liverpool to five points from three matches and provided Iraola with his first league win as manager.

For Barcola, the evening represented only the beginning.

After a £123 million move, three training sessions with his new teammates and no preseason match action, the French international finally stepped onto the field wearing Liverpool’s No. 29 shirt.

His first appearance lasted roughly half an hour. His Liverpool career has officially started.