football.co.uk web
skip to content
Liverpool take all three points despite a below par performance from the Reds against a battling Sunderland side, Torres strike seperating the sides.
The fourth official indicates there will be three minutes of added on time, Sunderland don't look like salvaging something at the moment.
Nabil El Zhar gets a yellow card after hauling Phil Bardsley to the floor, needless booking.
Kuyt with a chance to seal it for Liverpool but tries to square it for Alonso instead whose effort is blocked by Nosworthy as Sunderland eventually get it away.
Torres gives Liverpool the lead with a simply brilliant strike from 20 yards, turning and blasting it past Gordon into the bottom right hand corner.
Liverpool make another change with Yossi Benayoun going off to be replaced by Fabio Aurelio.
Sunderland make their last change of the game with El Hadji Diouf going off and Michael Chopra coming on.
Alonso tries something very special from way inside his own half and it nearly dips under the crossbar but doesn't come down in time and Gordon breaths a sigh of relief.
El Zhar is straight into the action with a decent cross looking for the grey shirts in the box but can only find Gordon.
Liverpool make their first change with Robbie Keane going off to be replaced by Nabil El Zhar.
Bardsley gets in a good cross for Sunderland which looks to be heading for Murphy only for Reina to pluck it out of the air at the last moment.
Sunderland make another change with Steed Malbranque going off and Carlos Edwards entering the fray.
From the rebound Alonso drives an effort back in which Collins deflects forcing Gordon to palm t shot away which Torres follows up and looks certain to tap in only for Keane to block it, poor communication between the strikers.
Chimbonda gives away a freekick right on the edge of the penalty area and again Gerrards effort is blocked by the wall which wasn't 10 yards.
Gerrard with another corner for Liverpool which is only half cleared, the clearance falling to Benayoun whose own header is plucked out of the air by Gordon.
Liverpool work the ball well on the edge of the penalty area, the ball eventually coming to Torres whose effort is blocked by Collins as the visitors begin to dominant the match.
Liverpool with a good chance, Benayoun slipping in Gerrard who beats the goalkeeper but its hacked away by Collins before it can trickle in.
Sunderland make the first change of the match with club captain Dean Whitehead coming on for Teemu Tainio.
From Liverpool's failed corner Richardson comes away but is pulled back by Arebloa who is given a booking for his challenge.
Gerrard takes the corner, again in to the near post where Nosworthy gets to it first to head it away.
Benayoun has a decent effort from just outside the box which forces Gordon to palm it away nearly into the path of Keane who can't reach it and lets it go out for a corner.
Great chance for Sunderland, Murphy putting in a great low ball to find Diouf who manages to turn in the box but then scuffs his shot straight at Reina who has no problem saving it.
Gerrard tries his luck from 25 yards but its a poor effort by his standards and bobbles wide of Gordon's goal.
The game has picked up where it left off in the first half with neither side making a breakthrough which is making for a boring spectacle.
Liverpool make a change at the break with Xabi Alonso coming on for Damien Plessis, who has an injury.
Liverpool get the second half underway knowing they must improve on their second half performance if they want to get something out of this game.
All square at the break after a dissapointing first half where Murphy's header for Sunderland although Liverpool could have had a penalty when Benayoun went down.
One minute of added on time indicated by the fourth official.
Keane shows why Liverpool paid £19m for him by bringing the ball under control on the edge of the D, surrounded by red and white shirts before squezzing in a shot just wide of Gordon's post.
Gerrard takes yet another corner for Liverpool but again its a poor one in towards the near post where Diouf heads it away.
Bardsley floats in a nice looking cross, sending it towards the far post where Diouf is arriving but it doesn't find the forward and drifts out for a goal kick.
Liverpooll win yet another corner which Gerrard takes but yet again its dealt with by Sunderland, Chimbonda heading it away.
Gerrard takes another corner for Liverpool which fails to find a grey shirt and its headed away by Nosworthy.
Liverpool win a freekick just a few yards outside the box, Keane rolling it to Gerrard whose strike is blocked by a number of red and white shirts.
Sunderland win their first coner of the game which Malbranque takes, sending it towards the near post where a combination of Kuyt and Plessis get it away.
Malbranque feeds Diouf on the right hand side of the box, the former Bolton man then cuts in and tries to bend it into the top corner but can't only send it over the bar.
Liverpool win their first corner of the game which Gerrard will take, sending it towards the far post looking for Hyypia who can't reach it as Nosworthy heads it away.
Malbranque whips in a cross from a freekick on the left hand side but its easily dealt with by Carragher who heads it away.
Bardsley tries to get a cross into the box but its powerfully headed away by Hyypia as Sunderland continue to come forward.
Gerrard is given alot of time and space 30 yards from goal and tries his luck he is quickly closed down by two red and white shirts to block the effort.
Diouf carves out a great chance, chipping the ball into the box finding Murphy whose header is straight at Reina from six yards out, great chance to open the scoring.
Richardson has the first shot of the game from around 28 yards out, but its a poor effort and flies well wide of Reina's goal.
Gerrard has two attempts at a cross on the right hand side, the first one finds Keane who lays it back and the second Colins does well to stoop low and head away.
Sunderland are hounding Liverpool every time they have the ball and win in back in a decent position only for Diouf to waste possession with an attempted cross straight to Reina.
Hyypia's attempted back header drops at the feet of Diouf who takes a touch which allows Carragher to slide in and block the shot, decent chance for Sunderland.
Steed Malbranque plays a long ball over the top with Murphy trying to latch onto it but there is just too much on the pass and it rolls through to Reina to give him his first touch of the ball.
Today's referee Alan Wiley gets the game underway here at the Stadium of Light with Liverpool hoping to make a strong start to the season and not be forced to play catch up early on.
Liverpool XI: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Dossena, Kuyt, Gerrard, Plessis, Benayoun, Keane, Torres
Liverpool gives starts to Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena whilst Steven Gerrard comes back into the side after missing the Champions League qualifier in mid- week. The Reds will be hoping to improve on that performance after scrapping a draw.
Sunderland XI: Gordon, Chimbonda, Nosworthy, Collins, Bardsley, Malbranque, Tainio, Reid, Richardson, Diouf, Murphy
Sunderland hand debuts to four of their new signings with Chimbonda, Malbranque, Tainio and Diouf all getting a start but the Black Cats will be without Kenwyne Jones who is out with a knee injury.
A moment of magic from Fernando Torres gave Liverpool an opening-day victory in a hard-fought battle at the Stadium of Light. Hosts Sunderland made life difficult for the Reds for much of the encounter, but their resilience finally cracked as Torres fired home from outside the area on 83 minutes. It was sheer joy for Liverpool but met with despair by Sunderland as their grit and determination came to nothing. To be fair, the warning signs were there before the Spanish striker made the telling breakthrough as Rafa Benitez's side pushed forward time after time in the closing minutes. The Merseysiders had shown the same sort of attack-minded resolve towards the end of the opening 45 minutes, but drew a blank as the Black Cats' rearguard stood firm. It wasn't all one-way traffic, however, with the Wearsiders starting the brighter of the two sides. Whether Benitez's men were still suffering from a Champions League hangover remains open to debate, but their was no question about who came out of the starting blocks quickest. In fact the Reds could have found themselves a goal down early on had Daryl Murphy managed to get any power behind his header. The Irishman got up highest to meet El Hadji Diouf's cross, but it was straight at Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal, although the Spaniard needed two takes to get hold of the ball. Diouf in particular was a thorn in Liverpool's side in the early stages of the clash, but neither he or his team-mates were able to really threaten the visitors' goal. To be fair, Liverpool were never that much of a threat themselves in the opening period, being restricted to a couple of long-range efforts from Steven Gerrard which were wide of the mark. After the break, both sides continued to muster up graft without any real craft and the stalemate looked on the cards. Questions over the new partnership between Torres and Robbie Keane were left unanswered as the duo seemed the follow each other into space far too often. One moment in particular highlighted that the understanding between the duo was not quite at full strength. Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon made a great save from Dirk Kuyt, only for the ball to bounce into the path of Torres who looked certain to score. However, the striker fired the ball off Keane who had run across his path and the effort deflected wide of the goal. Luckily it didn't prove costly and the Reds' blushes were spared as Torres came up with the goods to seal a victory and send his side home with the points.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
advertisement
football.co.uk