Fleetwood Town vs Liverpool. Friendly Match.
Highbury Stadium.
Thursday 14 July 2016 17:58, UK
Marko Grujic scored on his debut for Liverpool as they sealed a 5-0 victory over Fleetwood in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday evening.
Ben Woodburn, 16, doubled the lead just after half-time, before Lucas and a Roberto Firmino double gave the Reds a solid win.
Danny Ings also missed a first-half penalty with Saido Mane once again impressing alongside youngster Ryan Kent.
Liverpool face Wigan next on Sunday before travelling to Huddersfield, then heading to California to take part in the International Champions Cup.
Fleetwood started well and had the first attack as Akil Wright crossed in for David Ball, but Dejan Lovren cleared the danger before the striker could sort out his feet. Grujic then showed his talent as Jon Flanagan played in a cross from the left that he just headed wide of the post.
Liverpool were awarded the penalty just after the ten-minute mark and it was Grujic, on debut, who won it, barging Jimmy Ryan off the ball before being fouled by Wright in the box. After a hesitant run-up, Ings had his effort saved by Chris Neal, who went the right way to keep the scores level.
But it only took five minutes for the Reds to take the lead. Mane and Alberto Moreno linked up brilliantly throughout the first half and it lead to the goal as the new signing fed in his team-mate, whose ball across the face of goal found an unmarked Grujic in the right corner and he fired home to scenes of wild celebration.
Liverpool began to turn the screw after going ahead with Mane and Grujic both hitting the woodwork in quick succession, before Lovren had a back-post header saved by Neal, while Ryan fired a shot high over the bar for Fleetwood.
Grujic nearly nabbed a second just before the break as Trent Alex-Arnold's cross found him at the top of the box. But his effort was saved. Bobby Grant nearly slid a David Ball cross past Loris Karius at the back post but couldn't quite connect.
Both sides made 11 changes at half-time, and it was Liverpool who added a second goal seven minutes after the break. Lucas played a delightful ball into Kent on the right of the box, who crossed to Woodburn at the back post as the teenager home to double the visitors' lead.
The duo could both have added a third not long after, with Kent firing with aplomb from the right before he played in Woodburn in acres of space on the left of the box but both shots were well saved by second-half goalkeeper Alex Cairns.
The remaining goals didn't take long to come to fruition, and it was Lucas who netted the third as Firmino played in Kent on the right of the box and his cross found the long-serving midfielder who coolly put the ball into the back of the net.
And the Brazilian playmaker wasn't far behind with around a minute between each goal, as Oviemuno Ejaria fired a ball to Woodburn in the box and with Cairns off his line to smother his shot, the ball fell into the path of Firmino who fired home the fourth.
A fifth looked on the cards before full-time and almost on the strike of the whistle, Woodburn took a great touch to control the ball on the left of the box and passed into the path of the oncoming Firmino who bundled it past Cairns to complete the Reds' victory.
The only place to watch all of Liverpool FC's pre-season games is LFCTV: www.liverpoolfc.com/watch
