Sturridge stars in Liverpool win in Sydney
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Liverpool shrugged off jetlag to master Australian A-League champions Sydney FC 3-0 yesterday just three days after finishing their English Premier League season. England striker Daniel Sturridge, fighting back from a hip injury, was outstanding-scoring the opening goal and setting up another for Brazilian Roberto Firmino.
The Reds, fresh from sealing their return to the Champions League and playing in front of a red-bedecked near-capacity crowd of 73,000 at Sydney’s Olympic stadium, scored all their goals in an irresistible first half.
Of the players that started their final Premier League game against Middlesbrough on Sunday only three were in the starting eleven against Sydney FC - Dejan Lovren, Firmino and Sturridge. Club legends Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Steve McManaman and Daniel Agger also pulled on the Red shirt once more, appearing for 45 minutes each. Sturridge turned defender Alex Wilkinson to beat goalkeeper Danny Vukovic in just the eighth minute. Ten minutes later Firmino dinked the ball into the path of Spaniard Alberto Moreno, who slammed home for 2-0. Fantastic footwork from Sturridge freed space for a cross that ricocheted off Firmino’s thigh and into the net for Liverpool’s third goal in the 39th minute.
“I enjoyed it a lot. Surprisingly good football and all the goals were brilliant,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said. “We love football and it is not easy after 30 hours of flying, but we still do it. “It has been a really long season and it is now over. We can start a holiday after my final press conference.” The Liverpool touring party only arrived in Sydney on the morning of the match and was rapturously received by the pro-Reds Australian crowd. Liverpool legend Gerrard, 36, played in the first half along with 39year-old ex-team-mate Carragher, while McManaman, now 45, made an appearance as a substitute in the second half. “It was interesting and very enjoyable considering we only got off the plane today,” McManaman said.
“I thought I was fit but I can’t keep up with the youngsters any more”. There was a minute’s silence before the kick-off to pay respects to the victims of the terror attack that killed 22 people in Manchester on Monday. — AFP