Liverpool 3 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen

By EddieC, Mon 13/08/12 at 17:22

Liverpool FC completed their pre-season programme in style as goals from Raheem Sterling, Lucas Leiva and Andy Carroll gave them a 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield.

Reds fans paid tribute to former star Sami Hyypia, the German side's manager, who made his first return to Merseyside since leaving the club in 2009.

Brendan Rodgers, his Anfield counterpart, named a strong line-up for the visit of the Bundesliga outfit, with the new Premier League season less than a week away.

Seven of Liverpool’s side had started the 3-0 Europa League win over FC Gomel on Thursday, with Sebastian Coates, Martin Kelly, Jamie Carragher and the teenager Raheem Sterling the four new faces.

The 17-year-old Sterling is one of the Reds’ brightest young talents, and he needed less than three minutes to illustrate exactly why, as he marked his first senior Anfield start with a terrific goal.

Jose Enrique slid a fine pass inside Daniel Schwaab, and Sterling held off the full-back’s challenge, cut inside Philipp Wollscheid and bent a fine strike around goalkeeper Bernd Leno from the edge of the box.

Leverkusen may have levelled soon after as Stefan Kiessling was afforded a free header from Michal Kadlec’s free-kick, only to direct it straight into Pepe Reina’s arms, while Andre Schurrle curled an effort well wide in what was otherwise a low-key opening 20 minutes.

Kiessling then shanked a good chance into the Kop after being played in by Lars Bender, but it would be Liverpool who increased their lead on the half-hour mark.

Stewart Downing worked a short free-kick into the feet of Luis Suarez in the box, and when the Uruguayan was tackled by Kadlec, the Czech defender inexplicably scuffed his attempted clearance to the feet of Lucas Leiva, who tapped into an empty net.

Rodgers made five changes at half-time, with Andy Carroll’s introduction the most notable.

The England striker, linked with a move away from Anfield throughout pre-season, had a chance to get on the scoresheet on the hour mark, but headed wide from Jonjo Shelvey’s cross.

Unperturbed, Carroll did grab himself a goal six minutes later, collecting Charlie Adam’s neat pass on the turn, spinning away from Wollscheid and drilling a 25-yard strike that Leno really should have kept out, but which squirmed beneath his dive and nestled in the net.

Leverkusen, who themselves made a raft of changes in the second period, pulled a goal back 15 minutes from time as substitute Sidney Sam held off a challenge from Carragher and lashed an unstoppable left-foot strike across Reina into the bottom left hand corner of the net from 25 yards.

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