Pre-Season Friendly Match Report: Rapid Vienna 1-0 Liverpool

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Rapid Vienna 1:0 Liverpool

Liverpool were certainly tested by a ruthless and aggressive Rapid Vienna. Jamie Carragher and Daniel Sanchez Ayala had to intercept the fast-pushing attack led by Erwin Hoffer and a superb Steffen Hofmann on a couple of occasions, everything else but softly and comfortably.

Dirk Kuyt had just as much to do in the second half, hardly getting to attack and ending up giving away a free kick just outside the box which Hofmann converted comfortably, confidently and deservedly so - although Peter Gulacsi was late and should have held it, no discredit to Hofmann though.

All in all, Liverpool coped better in the second half though, catching out the Austrian side more and keeping them back much better. Rapid had more direct chances and a goal disallowed offside in the first half, whilst Mikel San José Dominguez, Daniel Pacheco and Jay Spearing coped better and impressed again for the Reds, like in the first friendly, and finally put some pressure on Rapid, too.

But the homeside were ruthlessly brutal, not letting anything leak, giving Liverpool just a couple of close shouts. Yossi Benayoun, who enjoyed a couple of good chances himself, went down hurt late on in the match to another brutal tackle, but seemed to have recovered fine just before the full time whistle.

Again, it was a good and very competitive runout for all players. Glen Johnson was surprisingly not included; reports that Xabi Alonso has joined the squad at the training camp will be good news for the fans who do not want to lose their Spanish talisman.

Apart from that, Rafa Benítez stook to similar sides so far, wait and see if and how that will continue and show who he is going to keep for good and vest when the competitive season starts...

Rapid Vienna Payer (56 Hedl); Katzer, Eder, Patocka (46. Jovanovic), Dober (65 Thonhöfer); Drazan (89 Schrammel), Heikkinen (78 Kavlak), Pehlivan (61 Trimmel), Hofmann (78 Kulovits); Hoffer (56 Konrad), Jelavic (56 Maierhofer). Bookings 69 Jovanovic.

Liverpool Cavalieri (46 Gulacsi, 78 Martin); Insua (65 Mascherano), Carragher (46 Skrtel), Ayala (46 San Josè), Degen (65 Kelly); Babel (46 Pacheco), Gerrard (46 Lucas), Plessis (46 Spearing), El Zhar (46 Kuyt); Nemeth (46 Ngog), Voronin (46 Benayoun). Bookings 58 Kuyt.


1st half stats: Rapid Vienna-Liverpool
Attempts: 3-1
On target: 1-0
Offsides: 2-3
Corners: 3-2
Free kicks: 10-4

2nd half stats: Rapid Vienna-Liverpool
Attempts: 1-4
On target: 1-2
Offsides: 3-0
Corners: 2-0
Free kicks: 6-7

Referee: Gerhard Grobelich