Tranmere Rovers vs Liverpool. Friendly Match.
Prenton Park.
Monday 11 July 2016 09:18, UK
Danny Ings scored the only goal of the game as Liverpool began their preparations for the new season with a 1-0 victory against Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park.
The 23-year-old, who missed a large part of last season with a cruciate ligament injury, came off the bench at half-time as one of 11 changes made Jurgen Klopp to break the deadlock and hand Liverpool victory in their opening pre-season clash.
Liverpool's pre-season continues on Wednesday when they travel to Highbury to face Fleetwood Town, before playing Wigan at the DW Stadium on July 17.
On a day when Jurgen Klopp signed a new long-term contract at the club, the Liverpool boss handed debuts to three of his summer signings with goalkeeper Loris Karius, defender Joel Matip and £36m signing Sadio Mane in the starting line-up.
However, it was academy star Ryan Kent who went closest for the visitors in the opening stages, forcing a smart save from Tranmere goalkeeper Scott Davies in the sixth minute, before curling a shot wide of the far post a minute later.
Liverpool threatened again in the 20th minute as Mane's through ball released Roberto Firmino, but the Brazilian's first touch was heavy, allowing Davies to clear. However, he could only find Cameron Branaggan, but with the goal gaping the 20-year-old failed to hit the target.
Despite their dominance, Liverpool, who learned Mamadou Sakho will not face any further action in relation to an anti-doping violation during the first-half, were nearly behind in the 24th minute when Steve McNulty rose highest to head against the post, but the visitors regained their composure to finish the first-half strongly, with Mane largely involved.
The former Southampton forward played in Kent, who saw his shot saved by Davies in the 33rd minute before Mane curled an effort of his own wide of the far post.
Mane was denied again just before the break with Davies making another superb to keep the scores level going into the break.
As expected, Klopp rung the changes at the break, making 11 substitutions as Ings and Lazar Markovic returned to the fold.
And the pair nearly combined in the 50th minute with Markovic, who spent last season on loan at Fenerbahce, fizzing a cross just out of the reach of his team-mate.
Liverpool continued to dominate against a Tranmere side that also made 11 changes at the break and Markovic should have opened the scoring himself in the 63rd minute when picked out by Connor Randall, but he fired over from 12 yards
Another chance went begging for the visitors four minutes later when Ings was denied by Iain Turner, before Markovic, with the goal unguarded, hit the outside of the post with the rebound.
Klopp would have been forgiven in thinking it wasn't to be his side's day when Ben Woodburn's effort was cleared off the line before Ings fired wide with an acrobatic overhead kick.
But Liverpool finally made the breakthrough with 11 minutes remaining as Trent Alexander-Arnold released Ings and the striker made no mistake, powering the ball past Turner at his near post to hand Klopp's side an opening pre-season victory.
The only place to watch all of Liverpool FC's pre-season games is LFCTV: www.liverpoolfc.com/watch
