Match reportLiverpool kick off Athletic Club double-header at Anfield with 4-1 win
Liverpool defeated Athletic Club 4-1 in the first of their two pre-season meetings at Anfield on Monday.
Rio Ngumoha, who only turns 17 at the end of the month, opened the scoring with a terrific solo effort and assisted Darwin Nunez to put the Reds two goals up inside five minutes.
Ben Doak netted the hosts’ third just prior to half-time and was joined on the scoresheet by Harvey Elliott later on, with Gorka Guruzeta claiming a consolation.
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Team
Alexis Mac Allister made his first start of Liverpool’s pre-season programme and Andy Robertson took the captain’s armband.
Liverpool: Woodman (Pecsi, 46), Nunez (Koumas, 80), Mac Allister (Lucky, 56), Jones (Laffey, 85), Elliott, Tsimikas, Robertson, Nyoni (Pilling, 67), Doak (Danns, 56), Ngumoha (Kone-Doherty, 67), Stephenson.
First half
Eighty-seven seconds were on the clock when Ngumoha was wheeling away celebrating his first goal at Anfield.
The forward pounced on a free ball near the halfway line and turned on his jets by driving towards the Kop-end net. The intentful run ended with a curling finish into the bottom right corner, beating the full-stretch Alex Padilla.
Three minutes later, Ngumoha teed up Nunez to cap off a blistering start from the Reds and the teenager himself.
A Doak cross from the right was delivered into the box and met by his fellow winger, with Nunez alert to sweep home the nod forward.
The game paused in the 20th minute as both teams joined in the tributes to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, sparking loud renditions of the former’s chant.
As the first half reached its midway point, Doak was close to catching out Padilla with a cross-turned-shot and Nico Serrano’s volley nearly halved Athletic’s deficit.
Trey Nyoni was operating as a centre-half for Liverpool in the opening period and brilliantly cut out Alex Berenguer’s intended square that would have allowed Serrano a great chance in front of goal.
The Reds’ deserved lead would be three when they entered the break.
A few moments after having a 25-yarder palmed away by Padilla, Doak charged down the right, beat Peio Canales and fired low past the visiting goalkeeper on this occasion.
Second half
Armin Pecsi for Freddie Woodman was Liverpool’s only change for the restart, and the young stopper came out on top in an early one-on-one with Guruzeta.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Elliott poked a finish past Padilla to make it 4-0 after Kostas Tsimikas carried possession upfield and found Nunez inside the area.
Guruzeta, however, beat Pecsi on his next sighting of goal to pull one back for the La Liga visitors entering the final quarter of an hour, heading in from close range.
Substitute Lewis Koumas forced a save with the Reds’ last opportunity as attention immediately turned towards the second clash when the final whistle blew.
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