Liverpool 5-0 Parma
Liverpool rounded off their pre-season preparations in fine style with a five star show against Parma at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds produced a magnificent 90 minute display to ensure confidence will be high going into next weekend’s Premiership opener with Bradford.
Both Nick Barmby and Gary McAllister netted on their Anfield debuts while there were also goals for Dietmar Hamann and Michael Owen (2).
Liverpool led by two goals at the break, but it could have been many more against a Parma side whose best opportunity fell to former Aston Villa striker Savo Milosevic in the fourth minute. His crisp low volley looked goalbound before Sander Westerveld pulled off a terrific save to deny him low down.
After that the Reds were in total control with Emile Heskey, Nick Barmby and Vladimir Smicer all trying their luck without any success. It was always going to be a matter of time though before the elusive first goal arrived.
Dietmar Hamann eventually broke the deadlock with a blistering free kick from outside the penalty area, and from then on it was all one way traffic towards the Parma goal.
The Italians were strangely lacking in ideas for a side rated one of the best in Italy, and their coach later admitted he was disappointed at the reaction of his side to losing the first goal.
They offered nothing in response as Liverpool launched attack after attack, and it came as little surprise when Nick Barmby scooped home the second after excellent work by Djimi Traore, Michael Owen and Vladimir Smicer.
Five minutes before the break Owen could have added the third, but Guardelman in the Parma goal performed a terrific flying save to turn the ball to safety.
Liverpool’s third on the hour mark was an absolute beauty. Steven Gerrard fed Gary McAllister with a short free kick and the former Scottish international then played Barmby in before receiving the return pass and blasting the ball low into the Kop net.
Michael Owen added the fourth from the penalty spot after 69 minutes after he had been sent crashing inside the area following a long clearence from Westerveld Owen raced to the ball before Thaurm tripped him, and five minutes from time Emile Heskey – who was a constant threat for the home side – saw his low shot only partially cleared after skipping past Fabio Cannavaro but Owen was on hand to head home his second and Liverpool’s fifth.
The Reds received a well deserved ovation from the big Anfield crowd on the final whistle – and if the performance next weekend against Bradford is anything as good as this one then three points will surely be in the bag at the end of the first 90 minutes of the new season.
Liverpool : Westerveld, Babbel (song), Hyypia (Carragher), Henchoz (Staunton), Traore (Matteo), Smicer, Barmby, Gerrard (Murphy), Hamann (McAllister), Heskey, Owen
Subs not used: Camara, Arphexad
Goals: Hamann 29, Barmby 38, McAllister 59, Owen 69 pen, 84
Cards : /