Match Summary
Liverpool ended their pre-season campaign on a high note on Sunday afternoon as they comfortably beat German side Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 at Anfield.
Bayer were lead out by former Kop favourite Sami Hyypia, now the first team coach at the Bundesliga outfit. The giant Finn was given a heroes welcome back to Anfield.
In their final warm-up for the new Premier League season, which begins with a trip to West Brom next Saturday 18th August, the Reds looked sharp and playing positive football.
Youngster Raheem Sterling gave the Reds an early lead with a fine solo goal, cutting in from the left wing to finish with a beautiful right-foot finish across goal from the egde of the area.
The lead was doubled when a sly free kick move from Luis Suarez and co. lead to the ball falling to Lucas Leiva‘s feet just a few yards from goals. The Brazilian tapped home for the simplest of finishes.
There were a few nervy moments for Liverpool’s makeshift defence which included Jamie Carragher, Martin Kelly and Sebastian Coates during the first half, but nothing came of Bayer’s chances.
Half-time substitute Andy Carroll fired home a strong low left-foot shot from 30 yards out which crept through the visitors’ keeper for Liverpool’s third twenty minutes into the second half.
But fifteen minutes from time, Bayer pulled one back when Karim Bellarabi beat Carragher for pace on the edge of the box and fired a vicious shot past Reina, much to the admiration of the home crowd.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina; Kelly, Carragher, Coates, Enrique (Robinson 46); Lucas (Spearing 46), Shelvey; Downing (Henderson 46), Gerrard (Adam 46), Sterling; Suarez (Carroll 46).
Subs not used: Jones
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Raheem Sterling 1-0
Lucas Leiva 2-0
Andy Carroll 3-0
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