MVFC v LFC: Match Summary

Sports - Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Match Notes:

1st half notes:
 
MVFC kick off the game at the MCG.

20th minute: 1st chance on target falls to MVFC, Enrique's mistake, gives ball away to Nabbout who pulls a fine save out of Jones.

21st: Gerrard shot deflected & saved by Coe. The tempo has certainly gone up after a slow, comfortable start.

31:01min and the star skipper gets the breakthrough in the centre of the box, nice run, nice placement, comfy finish off Borini, 0-1.

Ibe & Sterling are producing a fine display, creating some good build-ups, unpredictable for the young MVFC side. LFC seem to have more control now, approaching half time.

LFC finish the half on top, enjoying more chances & a one-goal lead thanks to skipper Steven Gerrard. The young Melbourne side are holding on & making a fine match of it though. More to come of the second half, I'm sure.

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2nd half notes:

LFC kick off the second half at the MCG, no changes have been made by either side.

A flurry of corners for LFC at the start of this half. Suarez is warming up...

50th: A Johnson block leads to MVFC's first corner, blocked out by Jones, leads to another corner for the young Australian side, which is headed over by Geria.

56th: Pain pulls a corner out of Skrtel, headed away by Gerrard at the near-post. Changes are imminent...

60th: Borini hits a fine chance straight at keeper Coe, swift counter by MVFC, saved by Jones. They are certainly making a match of this!

62nd: Spectacular over-head-kick by Borini goes wide.

63rd: 1st LFC substitution: 21 Lucas on for 8 Gerrard.

64th: 1st free kick for LFC, ends in a high shot, nowhere near by Sterling. A line of players are warming up for LFC.

72nd: 2nd LFC substitution(s): 1 Jones  is replaced by 22 Mignolet, 2 Johnson by 34 Kelly, 37 Skrtel by 16 Coates, 47 Wisdom by 5 Agger, 3 Enrique by 38 Flanagan, 24 Allen by 19 Downing, 14 Henderson by 6 Alberto, 44 Ibe by 9 Aspas, 31 Sterling by the much anticipated 7 Suarez and 29 Borini by Spearing.

75th: Downing takes a corner, straight to the keeper.

MVFC are keeping up the pressure, just one goal separating the two sides. They can be very proud of their performance here. LFC see plenty of chances blocked, great defending by skipper Leijer with under 10 minutes to go.

83rd: 1st change for MVFC: 17 Stella on for 13 Nabbott.

86th: 2nd change for MVFC: 27 Cristaldo on for 22 Makarounas.

2 minutes added on: LFC enjoying & dominating in possession, comfortably. A free kick from left outside the box is cleared easily, all eyes on Suarez, not much to reports. Coe's save leads to another LFC corner, which is taken short by Downing, to Suarez who dinks the ball onwards and sees it turned in by Aspas, 2-0. Tough on MVFC, especially for the skipper Leijer after all his hard work, but it is a comfortable win for LFC in the end thanks to a little bit of magic by none-other than Gerrard & Suarez!

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MVFC: 1 Coe; 4 Ansell, 23 Leijer (c), 24 Galloway, 30 Geria; 6 Broxham, 14 Celeski, 17 Jeggo; 13 Nabbout (17 Stella - 83rd), 19 Pain, 22 Makarounas (27 Cristaldo - 86th).
Coaches: Ange Postecoglou & Kevin Muscat

LFC Team: 1 Jones (22 Mignolet - 72nd); 2 Johnson (34 Kelly - 72nd), 37 Skrtel (16 Coates - 72nd), 47 Wisdom (5 Agger - 72nd), 3 Enrique (38 Flanagan - 72nd); 8 Gerrard (c) (21 Lucas - 63rd), 24 Allen (19 Downing - 72nd), 14 Henderson (6 Alberto - 72nd), 44 Ibe (9 Aspas - 72nd), 31 Sterling (7 Suarez - 72nd); 29 Borini (Spearing - 72nd).
Subs not used: 49 Robinson, 11 Assaidi.
Kolo Toure is out with tight calf & Philippe Coutinho with a training ground knock, neither are thought to be serious.

1st & 2nd half stats:
MVFC v LFC:
Attempts: 1-11 & 1-6
On target: 1-5 & 1-2
Offsides: 1-1 & 0-1
Corners: 0-3 & 3-6
Free kicks: 0-0 & 2-4

Referee: Jumpi Iida
At the MCG