Liverpool brush champions aside 4-1

Sports - Football - Premier League - LFC 4:1 LCFC

The new expanded Anfield enjoyed their team outplay and easily beat Premier League champions Leicester 4-1 in the first home game of the season for the Reds.

It was nearly perfect for Jürgen Klopp's men, a strong, dominant and in control performance, except for Lucas Leiva's giveaway to Jamie Vardy just seven minutes before the break. It was a shocker.

Before that muck up, Roberto Firmino had opened the scoring off James Milner's pass, stepping inside Robert Huth before netting the ball into the bottom corner.

Skipper Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge combined well, the latter's heel cheekily finding Sadio Mané to score on his home debut and make it 2-0 with just over half an hour gone.

The team and crowd were on fire, to be quenched by Lucas' inexplicable blooper of a pass, intended for keeper Simon Mignolet, but ending up perfectly across goal, fit for Vardy, an easy tap in for the profound striker.

This gave Claudio Ranieri's men hope and a breath of fresh air, however, Liverpool got their act together again in the second half, Adam Lallana making it 3-1, firing a shot into the top corner.

And to wrap up the win, Firmino doubled his score and made it 4-1 thanks to an unselfish Mané, who rounded an oncoming Kasper Schmeichel, to pass the ball to the Brazilian, who made no mistake of beating the Leicester defence to steer it in.

The score is harsh in the Danish stopper who made seven saves in an otherwise strong performance, but shows how crushing the Reds were, wearing and tearing down their opposition. So much so, Klopp lost his glasses in all the excitement, once again. Someone contact his optician/insurance/provider...

Liverpool Goals: Firmino 13' & 89', Mané 31' and Lallana 56'.

Leicester Goal: Vardy 38'.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 20 Clyne, 32 Matip, 21 Lucas, 7 Milner; 20 Lallana, 14 Henderson (c) (booked 44'), 5 Wijnaldum (35 Stewart 76'), 19 Mané (18 Moreno 90'+3'); 15 Sturridge (10 Coutinho 76', 11 Firmino. 4-4-2
Subs not used: 1 Karius, 16 Grujic, 17 Klavan, 27 Origi.

Leicester Team: 1 Schmeichel; 17 Simpson (2 Hernandez 34'), 5 Morgan, 6 Huth (booked 82'), 28 Fuchs; 26 Mahrez, 13 Amartey (booked 28'), 4 Drinkwater, 11 Albrighton (23 Ulloa 65'); 20 Okazaki (7 Musa 45'), 9 Vardy. 4-4-2
Subs not used: 3 Chilwell, 10 King, 21 Zieler, 22 Gray.

Match Stats: Liverpool-Leicester
Attempts: 17-12
On target: 11-3
Corners: 1-7
Fouls: 4-8
Bookings: 1-2
Possession: 62%-38%

Referee: Craig Pawson
Man of the match: Roberto Firmino
Attendance: 51,232

Pictures taken from BBC match report

Click here for my previous LFC match report

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

Reds frustrate Gunners to an injury time draw

Sports - Football - Premier League - Arsenal 1:1 Liverpool

What a turnaround of a turnaround with all the twists and turns happening after the 90 minutes of regular play.

Throughout the regular time of play, Arsenal dominated possession, creating chances with most being wasted but some pulling out great saves and stops by Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher and Marting Skrtel.

Youngster John Flanagan and Lucas Leiva also impressed with their dedication and impact on the team and play, denying and seeing Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere and Robin van Persie getting more and more frustrated and innocuous.

Injuries didn't help Liverpool, all in the back line, first Fabio Aurelio (replaced by Reds youngest league debutant Jack Robinson) and then the more worrying Carragher who was knocked out cold by his own player Flanagan and had to be replaced by Sotirios Kyrgiakos.

Knowing it could not stay goalless from past experience, I was proven right on 97 when Jay Spearing was harshly penalised for seemingly bringing down Fabregas in the box. Van Persie netted the resulting penalty and celebrated three points he looked to have netted for his side.

But that was not all - because of the long delays and hold-up through Carragher's injury, the Arsenal penalty and goal celebrations, the game still had five minutes in it, five minutes for Emmanuel Eboue to foul Lucas in the box and Dirk Kuyt to net the resulting spot kick and grab an equaliser and a point for the Reds (102).

All the drama made up for the relatively even, flat, eventless game, so, I don't know what Arsene Wenger was moaning about! :-P

My thoughts: With everything that happened = injuries, substitutions, penalties, celebrations, hold-ups, etc., 12 minutes added on time was about right + if Arsenal's was a penalty, Liverpool's was double that! I rest my case, the results, stats and facts say it all!

Arsenal: Szczesny; Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy, Eboue (booked 100); Diaby (Song 81), Fabregas, Nasri, Walcott (Arshavin 72); Wilshere (Bendtner 72), van Persie (booked 98).
Subs not used: Lehamnn, Squillaci, Gibbs, Chamakh.

Liverpool: Reina; Aurelio (Robinson 21), Carragher (Kyrgiakos 62), Skrtel (booked 34), Flanagan (booked 30); Meireles, Lucas (booked 100), Spearing, Suarez; Carroll (Shelvey 70, booked 76), Kuyt.
Subs not used: Gulacsi, Cole, Maxi, Ngog.

BBC Stats:
Arsenal-Liverpool
Attempts: 12-9
On target: 6-5
Corners: 10-3
Free kicks: 13-13
Possession: 57%-43%

Sky Sports stats:
Arsenal-Liverpool
Attempts: 11-9
On target: 5-5
Offsides: 1-2
Corners: 10-3
Free kicks: 12-12
Possession: 62.4%-37.6%
Passing Success: 83.1%-71.8%
Tackles/Success: 15/73.3%-22/45.5%
Territorial Advantage: 58.9%-41.1%

Referee: Andre Marriner
Man of the match: Lucas Leiva

All fo(u)r joy at Anfield ahead of big clash

Sports - Football - Europa League - Liverpool 4:1 Steaua Bucharest

After one weak display after another, Liverpool knew they they had to boost their form and determination in preparation for their big Premier League Super Sunday clash ahead against their Northern rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.

They couldn't have wished for a better start when Joe Cole swooped in on an ugly clumsy backpass by Octavian Abrudan to make it 1-0 after just 26 seconds of play.

But the red storm didn't last long, with the all too familiar clumsiness and carelessness sneaking into their game again, giving their Romanian opposition less to worry about, less pressure to work against.

With eight changes made to the side that drew against Birmingham on Sunday with a lacklustre display and lack of passion, Jay Spearing was one of the youngsters given the chance to impress and so he did.

But in one of thos moments-to-forget, he slipped and to let Bogdan Stancu through to slid a pass to Cristian Tanase who was too quick and broke through between Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Martin Kelly and put the ball up, over, and past a helpless Pepe Reina.

Steaua kept solid and Liverpool more and more frustrated to take them through to half time all square at 1-1.

It took a controversial twist in the second half to turn the game around for Liverpool. Kyrgiakos staged a dramatic tumble onto the ground although replays showed Pantelis Kapetanos hardly touched him - the latter seeing yellow and the prior winning a penalty for his dramatic improvisation for David Ngog to net it comfortably and give the Reds a lucky lead.

But this lucky turn of events seemed to have put Liverpool into gear - finally! Steaua fought hard, not breaking down easily even after the game turned against them. But even their stubbornness and bullishness couldn't stop sub Lucas Leiva's superb right-footed strike from outside the box into the bottm right-hand corner to make it 3-1.

And to put salt onto the Romanians' wound, in injury time, Ngog squeezed between four yellow shirts in the box, looking like he was going to cock it up and waste it, but put a quick solid right-foot shot into the left corner of the net instead, his second goal of the match and sixth of the season - a promising trend in comparison to his eight in total last season.

Let's hope this 4-1 win will also be a promising indication of what is to come and what Liverpool side will turn up at Old Trafford on Sunday...

Liverpool: Reina; Kelly, Kyrgiakos, Agger, Konchesky; Spearing, Meireles, Maxi (booked 63, Pacheco 85), Cole (goal 1, Eccleston 88); Babel (Lucas 78 goal 82), Ngog (goal 55 & 91). 4-5-1
Subs not used: Jones, Johnson, Carragher, Shelvey.

Steaua Bucharest: Tatarusanu; Emeghara (Nicolita 20), Abrudan (booked 44), Geraldo, Latovlevici; Radut (Surdu 73), Angelov (Eder 52 booked 90), Bicfalvi, Tanase (goal 13), Stancu, Kapetanos (booked 55). 4-5-1
Subs not used: Lungu, Gardos, Gomes, Apostol.

1st half stats
Liverpool-Steaua Bucharest
Attempts: 5-3
On target: 3-2
Offsides: 2-1
Corners: 2-1
Free kicks: 5-7

2nd half stats
Liverpool-Steaua Bucharest
Attempts: 9-2
On target: 6-1
Offsides: 1-0
Corners: 7-0
Free kicks: 4-9

Sky Stats
Liverpool-Steaua Bucharest
Possession: 54.8%-45.2%
Passing Success: 84.3%-77.6%
Tackles/Success: 22/81.8%-21/66.7%
Territorial Advantage: 59.9%-40.1%

Referee: Cesar Muniz Fernandez (Spain)
Man of the match: Joe Cole

Cole fails whilst Babel spares Reds' blushes

Sports - Football - Europa League - Liverpool 1:0 Trabzonspor

Liverpool should have left Anfield with a comfortable 3-goal cushion as least to take away to the second leg against the Turkish "Bordo-Mavillier" (Maroon Blues) at the Huseyin Ami Aker Stadium next week. But the Reds were denied one goal but the referee and Joe Cole missed a penalty to make things from bad to worse for the former Blue.

The first half didn't see much action worth mentioning apart from Pepe Reina's save of a Bulut Umut free kick in the opening minutes. With only seconds remaining of the first half, Cole on the break, put a fine cross through to David Ngog in the box who made it look easy to net it into the right hand-corner of the goal, a fine and skillful goal.

The second half had much more to show for it, Liverpool much more on the attack with Fernando Torres on for Ngog and making a direct impact, pulling a save out of Turkish keeper Onur Kivrak with his first touch of the match from far out on the left sideline.

Lucas Leiva then missed a sitter for Liverpool, heading the ball wide from a couple of yards out with all the space in the world. When Serkan Balci's clumsily felled Lucas down in the box, it gave Cole a chance to open his account for the Reds. He was keen to get off the mark but gave it a soft shit and Kivrak an easy save.

Then Dane Christian Poulsen thought he had opened his Liverpool account when he had bundled the ball over the line, just to be denied by the referee Thomas Einwaller who awarded the Turkish keeper a controversial free kick.

Roy Hodgson, who rested both Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard from midweek action, has admitted that Joe Cole has made a nightmare start to his Liverpool career, but remains confident he will pull through it and prove his worth. After being sent off in the Premier League season opener against Arsenal and missing a penalty in this match, Cole will be everything else but a happy red bunny.

Hodgson accepts the midfielder has made headlines for all the wrong reasons (including a speeding fine, points and a threat on losing his license), but believes Cole needs time to discover his best form for the club.

"He was so desperate to start his career here well and he hasn't done so," Hodgson said on Sky Sports News. "In the first game he managed to get sent off - albeit harshly. In the second he missed an penalty. It couldn't be a worse start for Joe Cole in his Liverpool career but starts are starts and finishes are finishes.

"We will judge Joe Cole on what he has done for Liverpool some time in the middle of May when the final ball this season has been kicked." - well, Roy, let's see if he will last that long...

Quotes taken from Sky Text page 251 on Saturday, 21st August 2010, 3.30pm.

Liverpool: Reina; Aurelio, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Kelly; Cole, Maxi (Ngog ,73.), Lucas, Poulsen; Jovanovic, Babale (Torres, HT).

Subs not used: Cavalieri, Wilson, Skrtel, Spearing, Pacheco.

Trabzonspor: Kivrak; Cale (booked 86.), Glowacki, Gulselam (booked 54.), Korkmaz (booked 79.); Inan, Yilmaz (Alanzinho, 56.), Balci (booked 51.), Teofilo Gutierrez; Bulut (Ibrahima Yattara, 86.), Colman (Kacar, 77.).

Subs not used: Zengin, Atas, Badur, Jaja.

BBC Stats

Liverpool-Trabzonspor

Attempts: 14-9

On target: 8-4

Corners: 6-5

Free kicks: 24-15

Possession: 53%-47%

Sky Stats

Liverpool-Trabzonspor

Attempts: 12-6

On target: 7-2

Offsides: 2-1

Corners: 6-5

Free kicks: 24-16

Possession: 51%-49%

Passing Success: 77.78%-79.37%

Tackles/Success: 21/76.19%-20/65%

Territorial Advantage: 50.67%-49.33%

Referee: Thomas Einwaller

Man of the match: Ryan Babel