|
 | Liverpool 1 - 0 Standard Liege (AET) (1727)
27/08/2008
(Agg. 1-0) (Champions League, August 27, 2008) Liverpool played out a frustrating first half with Standard Liege (highlights here) heading into the break in deadlock. The second half was much better, Robbie Keane was replaced by Nabil El Zhar as the Reds still looked toothless up front. The game headed into extra time, but just as it looked like penalties were imminent, Dirk Kuyt relieved the anxiety at Anfield by getting on the end of Ryan Babel’s cross to direct the ball into the net from three yards. It wasn’t pretty but Liverpool are through. |
|  | Liverpool 2 - 1 Middlesbrough (2921)
23/08/2008
Boro put up stern resistance against Liverpool, having the best chance in the opening exchanges when Reina was forced to tip over Taylor’s snap-shot. For Liverpool, Gerrard came close with a right footer and Fernando Torres should have done better when teed up by Robbie Keane. Downing then showed excellent control to cut inside from the left, but he skewed his right-foot shot badly. In the second half Boro continued to impress, and Tuncay almost scored a spectacular goal but his shot went straight at Reina. Back came the Reds with a long shot from Torres, but the deadlock was eventually broken with a fabulous strike from Mido who hit a left footed rocket into the bottom corner. To their credit, Liverpool kept belief even though they were being outplayed, and Jamie Carragher equalised with a deflected shot (accredited to Pogatetz) that flew into the goal. Incredibly captain Steven Gerrard stole the points in the 94th minute, blasting home a winner which the Reds barely deserved. |
|
 | Sunderland 0 - 1 Liverpool (2384)
16/08/2008
Fernando Torres struck with a quality finish from 25-yards out in the 85th minute to get Liverpool’s season off to a great start. |
|  | Standard Liege 0 - 0 Liverpool (1696)
13/08/2008
Pepe Reina saved a penalty from Dante Bonfim in the first-half. (Analysis of both the first-half and the whole game after full time can be seen on this video.) |
|
 | Liverpool 1 - 0 Lazio (278)
08/08/2008
Andriy Voronin was in the right place at the right time to secure Liverpool the win in their eighth pre-season game as he volleyed home from Jay Spearing’s pass in injury-time. |
|  | Valerenga Oslo 1 - 4 Liverpool (1582)
05/08/2008
Xabi Alonso scored the opener in the 20th minute from long-range after a nice lay-off from Robbie Keane. Bojan Zajic levelled in the 48th minute, with the Serbian slotting home a left-footed strike. Liverpool replied within a couple of minutes, with Fernando Torres slotting the ball between the keeper’s legs. Yossi Benayoun made it 3-1 to Liverpool on the hour-mark, running across the Valerenga defence and deftly chipping the ball back across the keeper into the far corner, and David N’Gog scored his second goal for the Reds, firing home a left-footed strike to seal the win. |
|
|  | Rangers 0 - 4 Liverpool (748)
02/08/2008
Fernando Torres grabbed the first from close range. David N’gog scored the second with a fine run and shot from the former PSG striker. Yossi Benayoun scored the third at the back post just before the hour mark. Xabi Alonso scored the fourth from the penalty spot. |
|
 | Villareal 0 - 0 Liverpool (1174)
30/07/2008
With Robbie Keane making his debut, Liverpool’s best chance of the half fell to fellow new-boy David Ngog following Yossi Benayoun’s clever run and pass but the Frenchman’s snapshot was weak and easily gathered. The Yellow Submarine went close to breaking the deadlock as Ariel Ibagaza struck the post, before Liverpool’s Stephen Darby got in a fine block to deflect the ball over on the rebound. |
| |
 | Luzern 1 - 2 Liverpool (444)
16/07/2008
Rafa Benitez handed starts to Diego Cavalieri, Philipp Degen and Spaniard Danny Pacheco, and it was Pacheco was the architect of the 10th-minute opener, combining well with Lucas before the Brazilian slotted home coolly to round off the move. Liverpool were pegged back soon after when Degen failed to win a far-post header, allowing the ball to break to Gavranovic who converted an uncontested header. But forgotten-man Andriy Voronin put the Reds back in front, controlling the ball 16 yards from goal before producing a sweetly-hit lob for the winner. |
|  | Tranmere 0 - 1 Liverpool (2577)
12/07/2008
Liverpool won their first pre-season match of the summer thanks to a fine curling shot from Yossi Benayoun which sailed into the top corner, two minutes before the interval. Daniel Agger made a long awaited return for Liverpool, while new signings Diego Cavalieri and Philipp Degan got a run-out in the second half. |
|
 | Denmark Legends 3 - 2 Liverpool Legends (540)
10/07/2008
Paul Walsh and Mike Marsh were on target for the Reds, both goals being scored after John Durnin had struck the woodwork. Denmark were reduced to ten men late on when former Chelsea player Bjarne Goldbaek was sent off for a rash challenge on Howard Gayle. |
|  | Tottenham 0 - 2 Liverpool (3431)
11/05/2008
The deadlock was broken 21 minutes from time when Alvaro Arbeloa angled a long ball from right to left towards the penalty area. Torres flicked on with his head and Voronin poked past Cerny. Torres added a second in the 74th minute, twisting and turning past Dawson and slotting past Cerny. |
|
|  | Liverpool 1 - 0 Manchester City (855)
04/05/2008
In a poor opening, Ryan Babel failed to direct his header on target to test Joe Hart in the Man City goal. Hart did earn his money on the half hour, tipping Gerrard’s curling shot round the post. Early in the second half, Fernando Torres shot wide of the post after being played in by a great ball from Gerrard with the outside of his foot. And minutes later Elano came so close to giving City the lead when his free-kick hit the post. But just before the hour mark Fernando Torres did get the opener, taking on Dunne and beating Hart at his far post. Minutes later Dirk Kuyt headed against the bar. |
|
 | Chelsea 3 - 2 Liverpool (1151)
30/04/2008
(Agg. 4-3) There were chances for both sides in a frenetic opening at the Bridge, Essien blazed over the bar, Cech smothered an effort from Torres after the Spaniard had been played in by Gerrard and Drogba sidefooted wide after a fine move by the Blues. Just after the half hour Didier Drogba did break the deadlock, firing the ball home after Reina had saved from Kalou. Towards the end of the half Gerrard pushed over Avram Grant as they battled for control of a ball out of play. (First-half highlights here.) Early in the second half Cech denied Kuyt with a fine save and Liverpool’s improved performance was rewarded when Fernando Torres produced a classy finish after an impressive run from Benayoun. With just under fifteen to go, Essien hit the side netting after a storming run down the right. (Second-half highlights here.) Early in extra-time Essien saw a goal ruled out for offside but in the 96th minute Chelsea did re-take the lead - Frank Lampard scored from the penalty spot after Ballack had been felled by Hyypia. Seconds before half-time in extra-time, Didier Drogba put Chelsea in touching distance of Moscow scoring the third from close range after good work by Anelka. Liverpool showed that you can naver write them off as Ryan Babel pulled one back with three minutes to go - Cech probably should have done better with the long range shot from the Dutchman. |
|  | Birmingham 2 - 2 Liverpool (630)
26/04/2008
Poor John Arne Riise once again came up short, James McFadden beat the full-back down the line before crossing to Forssell, and the striker controlled and finished expertly. It got better for Alex McLeish’s side when Sebastian Larsson curled home a tremendous free-kick on 55 minutes, but Peter Crouch halved the deficit when he drove home the ball from the edge of the area. The Liverpool comeback was then completed just over ten minutes later when Yossi Benayoun headed home Lucas’ cross via the aid of a cruel deflection off Radhi Jaidi. |
|
 | Liverpool 1 - 1 Chelsea (2177)
22/04/2008
In the early exchanges Torres came close with a toe-poke past the post. On the half-hour Gerrard played a perfect first time pass into Torres, but Petr Cech stood firm, and the Spaniard was denied when he should have done better. Dirk Kuyt then sent the Kop into raptures when his industrious work produced the opener. Kuyt received Alonso’s quick free-kick, retrieved his poor cross off Lampard, before meeting Mascherano’s looping pass in the box and firing home through Cech. (First half highlights here.) Chelsea were anonymous at the start of the second half, but the Reds couldn’t capitalise, Babel striking a shot past the post. Chelsea stirred in the later stages, Malouda was guilty of missing a golden opportunity. Liverpool kept on searching for the crucial second and a piece of individual brilliance from Gerrard, firing a shot into the top corner, forced Cech yet again to save expertly. Cech produced another wonderful save to stop Torres from a corner in injury-time, but in the 94th minute Avram Grant was handed a huge slice of luck, Riise got himself into horrendous trouble trying to head out Kalou’s cross (he truly has no right foot!) and the full-back headed a bullet past Reina, gifting the all important away goal for Chelsea. |
|  | Fulham 0 - 2 Liverpool (693)
19/04/2008
Jermaine Pennant rifled a weakened Liverpool side into the lead at Craven Cottage. Peter Crouch bagged the second with twenty minutes to go, to leave Fulham deep in the relegation mire. |
|
