Sea of Reds: Liverpool beat Sydney in front of 73,000 Down Under as old boy Steven Gerrard stars
Daniel Sturridge inspires 3-0 friendly victory in Australia just three days after the club finished their English Premier League season with tribute paid to victims of Manchester terror attack
Liverpool coasted to a 3-0 win over Australian A-League champions Sydney FC on Wednesday 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, 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.
Sturridge turned defender Alex Wilkinson to beat goalkeeper Danny Vukovic in just the eighth minute.
Ten minutes later Firmino chipped the ball into the path of Spaniard Alberto Moreno, who hammered 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.