Lance Knight
08-10-2004, 08:55 PM
Quote:
Skipper Steven Gerrard provided both goals with two superb strikes, and he was unlucky not to have a hat-trick as a brilliant volleyed effort was harshly ruled out.
Rafa Benitez took charge of his first competitive match, as will be happy with the manner of the victory as his side controlled the game from start to finish - and could have had even more than their two-goal to take back to Anfield.
Liverpool went close in just the second minutes, when Sami Hyypia rose to head Steve Finnan's free kick goalwards, but Graz keeper Andreas Schranz pushed the ball away at full stretch.
Milan Baros then wriggled clear but got the ball stuck under his feet and his finish was saved by Schranz's foot.
Roland Kollmann showed why he was so prolific in the Austrian league as he powered forward after Gerrard's mistake, but he shot wide under pressure from Jamie Carragher.
The Reds got the breakthrough on 22 minutes when good work down the left from Harry Kewell found Dietmar Hamann who rolled the ball square inviting the shot for Gerrard - and he delivered with a stunning drive the arrowed into he top corner giving the keeper no chance.
Benitez's new side continued to press forward, and Djibril Cisse was inches away from scoring at the far post after Baros had dragged his shot across the face of goal.
Baros then nodded just over following Cisse's header from a corner, and roles were reversed as the Czech Republic star crossed for the £14 million Frenchman - but he was again just unable to connect with the ball.
Cisse stormed forward a minute after the interval but his well-struck shot was well saved low down by Schranz.
Liverpool were dominating and Schranz was forced to make a superb agile stop to fend off Hyypia's powerful header from a corner.
Gerrard struck the back of the net again on 66 minutes, when he executed a sweetly-struck volley from 25 yards that flew past the keeper - only for referee Alain Sars to rule out the strike, maybe for an earlier foul by Cisse.
Skipper Gerrard grabbed a deserved second when he started and finished a sweeping counter attacking move 12 minutes before the end.
Cisse broke forward again and held the ball up before slipping in Kewell, who turned and found Gerrard storming forward inside the box and he rifled clinically into the bottom corner to seal the game.
Gerrard was quickly replaced and saved for the opening Premiership match against Tottenham, but the one worrying note for Reds fans was the absence of Michael Owen, who did not move off the bench in the match - casting his Anfield future into further doubt.
Nevertheless, it was a promising first competitive match for Benitez who saw his side control what could have been a tricky away tie and are now well on the way into the lucrative Champions League
Skipper Steven Gerrard provided both goals with two superb strikes, and he was unlucky not to have a hat-trick as a brilliant volleyed effort was harshly ruled out.
Rafa Benitez took charge of his first competitive match, as will be happy with the manner of the victory as his side controlled the game from start to finish - and could have had even more than their two-goal to take back to Anfield.
Liverpool went close in just the second minutes, when Sami Hyypia rose to head Steve Finnan's free kick goalwards, but Graz keeper Andreas Schranz pushed the ball away at full stretch.
Milan Baros then wriggled clear but got the ball stuck under his feet and his finish was saved by Schranz's foot.
Roland Kollmann showed why he was so prolific in the Austrian league as he powered forward after Gerrard's mistake, but he shot wide under pressure from Jamie Carragher.
The Reds got the breakthrough on 22 minutes when good work down the left from Harry Kewell found Dietmar Hamann who rolled the ball square inviting the shot for Gerrard - and he delivered with a stunning drive the arrowed into he top corner giving the keeper no chance.
Benitez's new side continued to press forward, and Djibril Cisse was inches away from scoring at the far post after Baros had dragged his shot across the face of goal.
Baros then nodded just over following Cisse's header from a corner, and roles were reversed as the Czech Republic star crossed for the £14 million Frenchman - but he was again just unable to connect with the ball.
Cisse stormed forward a minute after the interval but his well-struck shot was well saved low down by Schranz.
Liverpool were dominating and Schranz was forced to make a superb agile stop to fend off Hyypia's powerful header from a corner.
Gerrard struck the back of the net again on 66 minutes, when he executed a sweetly-struck volley from 25 yards that flew past the keeper - only for referee Alain Sars to rule out the strike, maybe for an earlier foul by Cisse.
Skipper Gerrard grabbed a deserved second when he started and finished a sweeping counter attacking move 12 minutes before the end.
Cisse broke forward again and held the ball up before slipping in Kewell, who turned and found Gerrard storming forward inside the box and he rifled clinically into the bottom corner to seal the game.
Gerrard was quickly replaced and saved for the opening Premiership match against Tottenham, but the one worrying note for Reds fans was the absence of Michael Owen, who did not move off the bench in the match - casting his Anfield future into further doubt.
Nevertheless, it was a promising first competitive match for Benitez who saw his side control what could have been a tricky away tie and are now well on the way into the lucrative Champions League