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Thursday 8 August 2013

News Media Watch from Liverpool FC: Echo: Reds stroll to comprehensive victory

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Echo: Reds stroll to comprehensive victory
Aug 8th 2013, 08:24

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Reds' principal owner John Henry, attending a game for the first time since the club were in Boston last July, watched from the stand as Brendan Rodgers' side comprehensively outclassed Valerenga at Oslo's Ullevaal Stadium.

The Luis Suarez saga may have dominated the agenda throughout pre-season but to their credit Liverpool's players haven't allowed the cloud of uncertainty to distract them from the task in hand.

Six games, six wins, 17 goals scored and just one conceded - even without last season's 30-goal top scorer the Reds look in decent shape ahead of the serious business of Premier League action.

After the packed crowds Liverpool have played to on their global tour there was a sense of anti-climax attached to appearing in front of a half empty stadium in the Norwegian capital. Tickets costing in excess of £60 explained that.

Yet those who did turn up couldn't complain about a lack of entertainment as Rodgers' side won with a swagger.

But for the heroics of keeper Gudmund Kongshavn it would have been a cricket score.

Luis Alberto opened the deadlock in style with his first goal for the club. Giancarlo Gonzalez swiftly restored parity but the impressive Iago Aspas fired Liverpool back in front before the break.

In the second half Martin Kelly and Raheem Sterling ensured the visitors made their superiority in all departments count.

Having left Suarez, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Glen Johnson back on Merseyside, Rodgers opted to start with essentially a second string side.

Brad Jones played behind a makeshift back four which included Jay Spearing at right-back. Aspas was part of a three-pronged attack with Jordon Ibe and Stewart Downing either side of him.

Having been left out of the two previous friendlies, Downing began like a player with a point to prove as he burst down the right and delivered an inviting cross which Valerengaunconvincingly hacked away.

Jordan Henderson, captaining Liverpool for the first time, curled a 25-yard free-kick over before Joe Allen lashed wide from the edge of the box.

Liverpool were dominant against a Valerenga side who recently marked their 100 anniversary with a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Barcelona.

Kjetil Rekdal's men are struggling in seventh place in Norwegian Tippeligaen, 20 points adrift of leaders Rosenborg, and they showed why as they were overrun by a depleted Reds line up.

Ibe showed flashes of his exciting talent as he repeatedly got in behind Simon Larsen but after skipping inside he blazed high and wide.

The chances kept on coming with the home side indebted to the over-worked Kongshavn. Downing's turn of pace and neat pass released Aspas, whose shot was blocked by the onrushing keeper.

Aspas' frustration continued as another strike deflected inches wide and then Kongshavn denied him with a fine save.

Midway through the first half the vision of Alberto set Ibe clear but the teenager's touch let him down and the shot-stopper was able to smother the ball behind.

Kongshavn produced an inspired reflex save to somehow keep out Downing's point-blank volley from Jon Flanagan's cross.

However, in the 31 minute he was finally beaten. Aspas' classy chip bounced back off the bar and Nicolai Hogh could only nod it out as far as Alberto, who clinically dispatched a volley into the bottom corner.

Valerenga had barely got out of their own half but within four minutes they were level.

Henderson lost who he was marking from Diego Calvo's corner and got punished as Gonzalez headed home from six yards. It was the first goal Liverpool had conceded in 485 minutes of pre-season action.

They responded positively. Aspas had appeals for a nailed on penalty waved away before the Spaniard attempted to go around Kongshavn, who made a sprawling save at his feet.

On the stroke of half-time the Reds restored their advantage. Downing was the creator as he intelligently delayed the cross and then provided Aspas with a simple tap-in from close range.

Rodgers made 10 changes at the break with Steven Gerrard, Simon Mignolet, Kolo Toure, Lucas Leiva and Philippe Coutinho among those introduced. Wisdom was the only player not relieved of his duties.

The injection of quality had the desired impact with Oussama Assaidi and Coutinho going close before the Reds added a third goal in the 54 minute. Toure rose to meet Coutinho's corner and Kelly forced it over the line.

Toure demonstrated his threat from set-pieces once again soon after as he sent a header crashing against the woodwork.

The free transfer from Manchester City was signed primarily as a squad player but his rock solid form in pre-season has been such that he appears destined to start in the Premier League opener against Stoke City.

Wisdom impressed alongside him in the central defensive role which he will surely fill for the club in the longer term.

Fabio Borini is on a mission to put the misery of last season behind him and try to justify his £10.5million price tag.

The Italian went agonisingly close to extending the Reds' lead as he got the better of Kongshavn but from the tightest of angles he failed to hit the target.

Borini's movement was good and he got in behind Valerenga again thanks to Sterling's pass.

This time his first-time effort was clawed behind by the keeper, who was relieved to see another effort from the striker clip the bar.

Valerenga substitute Mathias Blarud should have halved the deficit but he blazed over from close range.

Liverpool had the final word late on when Sterling slotted home after some slick build up play involving both Coutinho and Assaidi. By then the Norwegians were chasing shadows.

Valerenga (4-1-4-1): Kongshavn, Larsen, Gonzalez, Hogh, Lecjaks, Ogude, Zajic, Holm, Fellah, Berre, Calvo.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Jones (Mignolet 45), Spearing (Kelly 45), Coates (Toure 45), Wisdom, Flanagan (Enrique 45), Allen (Lucas 45), Henderson (Gerrard 45), Downing (Sterling 45), Alberto (Coutinho 45), Ibe (Assaidi 45), Aspas (Borini 45).

Source: Liverpool Echo

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

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