Liverpool end pre-season on a 3-1 high

Sports - Football - Pre-Season Friendly

Liverpool 3:1 Bayer Leverkusen

Liverpool completed their season preparations in style, beating German opposition Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 at Anfield, keeping new manager Brendan Rodgers' home record 100% successful with two wins out of two games.

Raheem Sterling curled in a beauty of a shot just a couple of minutes into the match, a magnificent right-footed curl-shot into the corner of the net after cutting in nicely. A gold-medal start for the young winger and the Reds.

The home side continued dominating the field and possession and doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark thanks to Lucas Leiva's tap in connecting to a give-away by Luis Suarez after Leverkusen's defence just fell asleep.

So, the Reds took a comfortable 2-0 lead into the break and the visitors did not form much of a thret at the start of the second half either, the game noticeably slowing down as a consequence.

On 65, Andy Carroll saw his left-footed drive skiddle past the goalkeeper Bernd Leno's leghs, the German keeper not happy with letting that one in but it was clever play by Charlie Adam leading up to the goal plus one happy Carroll to be on the scoresheet and underline his will to stay in the side that lead Liverpool ahead 3-0.

Leverkusen's number 18 Sidney Sam hit a rocket left-footer, diagonal from outside the box, past Pepe Reina, to make it 3-1, no chance for the Spanish keeper. But Super Sam's strike was just a consolation goal for Sami Hyypiä's men, the last quarter of an hour passing ny with the home side in comfortable control and neither goalkeeper being challenged.

This was a nice win for Rodgers' Reds, a good note to end the pre-season and see more names on the scoreboard. All eyes are now on the remaining weeks of the transfer window and kick-off to the new Premier League season next weekend.
I hope and think the Reds are just warming up on both notes!

Liverpool 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen (HT 2-0) at Anfield

Liverpool Goals: 1: 2:08 min Raheem Sterling (31), 2: 28:54 min Lucas Leiva (21), 3: 64:51 min Andy Carroll (9).

Leverkusen Goals: 1: 74:54 min Sidney Sam (18).

Liverpool 1st half: 25 Reina; 3 Enrique, 10 Coates, 23 Carragher, 34 Kelly; 33 Shelvey, 21 Lucas, 8 Gerrard (c), 19 Downing, 31 Sterling; 7 Suarez. 4-5-1
2nd half Subs: All HT: ON: 9 Carroll, 14 Henderson, 20 Spearing, 26 Adam, 49 Robinson. OFF:  7, 19, 21, 8, 3.
Subs not used: 1 Jones.

Leverkusen 1st half: 1 Leno; 24 Kadlec, 3 Reinartz, 4 Wollscheid, 2 Schwaab; 8 Bender, 6 Rolfes (c), 21 Toprak; 38 Bellarabi, 9 Schurrle, 11 Kießling. 4-3-3
2nd half Subs: HT: ON: 5 Friedrich, 14 Hosogai, 18 Sam, 27 Castro. OFF: 21, 9, 38, 24. 68.: ON: 13 Hegeler, 20 Carvajal. OFF:  8, 2. 70.: ON: 7 Fernandes. OFF: 11.
Subs not used: 23 Carlinhos, 22 Yelldell.

1st & 2nd half stats: Liverpool-Leverkusen
Attempts: 4-5 & 5-3
On target: 2-1 & 1-1
Offsides: 0-0 & 1-0
Corners: 1-1 & 1-3
Free kicks: 1-1 & 5-1
Possession: 66%-34% (23.)
Passing Stats: Reina 55 (Accuracy 80%) => his best since 40 v Aston Villa (A) last season, Sterling 19 (94.74%), Coates 64 (96.9%), Kelly 61 (90.2%), Shelvey 59 (84.8%), Carragher 77 (94.8%); 1st half: Downing 34 (85.29%), Suarez 12 (75%), Enrique 21 (80.95%), Gerrard 32 (87.5%), Lucas 46 (91.3%); 2nd half: Carroll 6 (66.7%), Adam 23 (87%), Robinson 30 (94.59%), Henderson 37 (97.3%). 1st half: Coates 29 (100%), Lucas 46 (91.3%).
Referee: Martin Atkinson