Pre-Season Friendly Match Report: St. Gallen 0-0 Liverpool

Sports - Football - Pre-Season Friendly - St. Gallen 0:0 Liverpool

It was nice and refreshing to see the new and young faces of Liverpool in action, in preparation to a new season full of expectations on Merseyside.

Glen Johnson made an impressive debut. The £17.5 million signing came on in the second half as part of a full new line-up of the Reds which took over most of the possession and territory. The right-back from Portsmouth put a chance wide just a couple of minutes later. Daniel Pacheco and Yossi Benayoun impressed, pressing through and creating room to take advantage from on numerous occasions throughout the second half.

But the stubborn Swiss side St. Gallen never gave way and put a couple of good chances wide themselves. They enjoyed most of the action and chances in the first half, hitting the post on one occasion and not being tested themselves at all in the first 40 minutes.

Liverpool youngster Jay Spearing impressed though, saw a lot of the ball and burst through the middle a few times. Mikel San José Dominguez learnt by the minute and backed up the Scouser Spearing very well.

It was a highly competitive match, both sides not giving anything away and refreshing their line-ups at half time. Both goalkeepers had hardly a save to make - until the last minute when Benayoun had a good chance saved by St. Gallen's goalkeeper Reto Bolli. Bolli maybe had that bit more to do, especially in the second half, but never looked worried, really.

Overall, Rafael Benítez can be happy with the first runout of his sides, using every player and substitution he had on hand, as always. It would have been cruel for either side to concede and lose out - eventhough it was only a friendly.

St. Gallen Bolli, Fernando (46 Hämmerli), Schenkel (46 Lang), Koubsky (46 Frrokaj), Zellweger (46 Oehri); Nushi (46 Pa Modou), Frei (64 Graf), Costanzo (46 Ciccone), Zé Vitor (46 Martic); Merenda (46 Abegglen), Cáceres (64 Frick).

Liverpool Cavalieri (46 Martin, 80 Gulacsi); Insua (46 Johnson), San José (46 Skrtel), Carragher (46 Kelly, 80 Ayala), Spearing (46 Darby); Babel (46 Benayoun), Voronin (46 Leiva), Gerrard (46 Plessis), Degen (46 Kuyt); Nemeth (46 Ngog), El Zhar (46 Pacheco).

1st half stats: St. Gallen-Liverpool
Attempts: 4-1
On target: 0-1
Offsides: 1-1
Corners: 5-3
Free kicks: 2-2

2nd half stats: St. Gallen-Liverpool
Attempts: 1-7
On target: 0-2
Offsides: 0-1
Corners: 0-4
Free kicks: 1-3

Referee: SR Zimmermann