Friendly: Liverpool 3 Bayer Leverkusen 1

It was always going to be a celebration with the ‘return home’ of one of Liverpool Football Club’s favourites sons Sami Hyypia (464 games for LFC).  The resounding choruses of O’ Sami Hyypia sung before, during and after the game showed just how much feeling there is for this man mountain there is and how in awe the beloved faithful are of this true Anfield great.

His partner for most of the decade Carragher started the game alongside the Uruguayan Coates with speculation still in the air that Daniel Agger’s mooted move to Man City may still be alive.  On the same theme, speculation about Charlie Adam moving on was also doing the rounds in the morning papers and will probably grow legs given his failure to start this game after Joe Allen’s protracted transfer has finally been given the green light and Shelvey’s stunning pre-season form.

With Rodgers striving to implement his methods though his 4-3-3 formation it was interesting to note that the exciting Sterling started in tandem with Downing either side of the ubiquitous Suarez with Gerrard, Shelvey and Lucas in  midfield with Enrique and Kelly in the full-back positions.  Joe Allen was absent due to Swansea’s refusal to provide clearance.

The early skirmishes saw the players trying to adapt to the new/old Liverpool philosophy, keeping the ball on the ground and moving the ball around with a quick tempo.  In the second minute came a moment of beauty with Enrique playing a ball inside the right-back and Sterling nippily breaking in behind the full back  showing good body strength, before cutting in past the defender in and curling an imperious shot inside the far post.  He celebration was joyous as was the execution impudent and confident.

As with any team employing this system, Liverpool work extremely hard to win the ball back and the return of Lucas Leiva is intrinsic to maintaining the level of pressurising required and the younger legs of Jonjo Shelvey who has been extremely impressive during pre-season is equally as important – these two give Gerrard licence to roam and act and link-up with the front three and in the long run my just hold off old father time for a little while yet.

Leverkusen showed enough in the opening twenty minutes with their movement and quick interchange to make sure Liverpool’s concentration levels remain focussed.

With almost half gone, Liverpool broke quickly turning defence into attack from a great first time passing move between Shelvey, Suarez and Downing, with the last named putting Suarez through before he was crudely brought down by the covering Daniel Schwaab.  The resultant free-kick was ingenuity itself with Downing shaping as if to drive in a shot, sneaking a pass through to Suarez level with the penalty area spot, who miscontrolled, but unfortunately for Sami and Leverkussen the ball was defensively fly-hacked into the path of Lucas who gratefully rolled the ball into the empty net.
 


Downing: Liverpool career reaching crising point

Although the game lacked intensity, there was some quality moments with the Leverkusen front line combining superbly just before the break, with the before failing to show the required composure not for the first time.  In the same vain some of Liverpool’s pass and move was a delight and hopefully a sign of things to come.

The interim saw the introduction of Andy Carroll, Jay Spearing, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Jack Robinson for Gerrard, Enrique, Lucas, Downing and Suarez. Leverkusen made four changes as expected.  Interestingly, Liverpool kept the same formation with Andy Carroll leading the line.  The big man in the first five minutes showed twice in quick succession his value in defensive areas, heading out twice from set pieces.

Liverpool continued to play in the same vain with Carroll dropping deep to pick up a Carragher pass and play a delicious ball inside the right full-back for Sterling to speed past his man and cut the ball for Adam, whose short curled pass was just out of the reach of the marauding Henderson.  Sterling tracking back down the right won the ball back and before passing inside to Adam driving forward, who surprisingly refrained from shooting with his weaker right foot, passed out wide to Shelvey, whose floated cross was headed just wide of the near post by Carroll.  The big man was not to be denied.  Turning expertly onto a Adam flick, his drive squirmed under the Leverkusen goalkeeper, Leno.

Sidney Sam brilliantly rode Carragher’s tackle unleashing a spectacular shot into the corner of Reina’s net with 15 minutes to go.  It was nothing more than Levrkusen deserved for some excellent play in the final third.  Jamie Carragher with 4 goals from 701 first team starts, unleashed a ferocious drive from 25 yards just over the bar obviously having read the Steven Gerrard text book on shooting.

In a second-half where Liverpool eased off the pedal after their goal, the home side could be pleased in still trying to play with the same style, although with less intensity which allowed Leverkusen to apply more pressure to the back line.  Sterling showed with his goal and in flashes, although fleetingly as Liverpool failed to provide enough ball, that Liverpool have increasingly missed that type of player the last decade.

It will be interesting if Rodgers can set the team up to play with Carroll offering a different option, as it’s becoming increasingly obvious that he is developing as a football who’s becoming more confident with his own play on the floor and should he stay, surely that can only be good for the flexibility and potency of the team going forward.

Man of the Man:  Sami Hyypia – Always a class act and will never walk alone.  Hyypia coming home makes one reflect on just how important it is to keep Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger.