OjosMágicos |
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| Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling's composed finishes secured a comfortable 2-0 victory for Liverpool against an Indonesia XI at the GBK stadium in the Reds' first clash of their three-match pre-season tour.
The Brazilian's goal in the 10th minute was the catalyst for Brendan Rodgers' side easing to a win in Jakarta ahead of the Reds embarking on trips to Melbourne and Thailand for the remainder of their summer tour.
Sterling confirmed the victory for Liverpool after a succession of attempts that came painfully close to getting the goal he craved late into the match.
Reminiscent of the Reds' recent friendly win over Preston North End, it was Coutinho who sent Rodgers' side in front early on.
The Brazilian's attempted pass to Luis Alberto ricocheted back into his path, allowing the 21-year-old to surge into the box and slide the ball under the diving Kurnia Meiga.
As the half-hour mark approached, Liverpool came agonisingly close to extending their lead on two occasions, the first of which came when Stewart Downing met a Jose Enrique cross with a side-footed half-volley that Meiga did well to smother.
Minutes later, the Indonesian custodian was helpless to prevent Luis Alberto but was saved by the woodwork.
After receiving a pass on the edge of the box from fellow Spaniard Iago Aspas, the 20-year-old shifted the ball across before sending it crashing off the top of the crossbar.
Despite growing pressure from the Reds, the hosts nearly found themselves on level terms when Sergio Van Dijk's audacious strike tested Simon Mignolet.
The forward drilled a 30-yard shot that allowed the goalkeeper to display his undoubted talent as he dived across and glanced the troubling effort wide.
Aspas was unfortunate not to hit Liverpool's second 10 minutes after the restart, following some good movement from the 25-year-old. The lone frontman raced clear of the Indonesian backline and rounded Meiga before being foiled by the ball bobbling up, ensuring that his shot flew high and wide through no fault of his own.
Just before the hour mark, Aspas was the provider as Coutinho was unlucky not to double his tally for the encounter. The energetic forward freed space around the box for Coutinho before laying the ball across to the Brazilian, who failed to display the same composure that drew the opener as he scooped it over the crossbar.
After wholesale changes were made with just under 25 minutes remaining, Sterling made an immediate impression when he came within inches of finding the net in stunning circumstances. With his first touches in the game, the youngster effortlessly skipped past a challenge before slamming an ambitious 30-yard drive that soared just wide.
Sterling rendered the Indonesian defence even more helpless moments later when he became the second player to hit the crossbar in the clash.
Substitute Fabio Borini initially failed to make contact when swinging his boot at Oussama Assaidi's cross, which allowed the ball to find Sterling, who was lurking behind the Italian.
The winger impressively adjusted his body in a short space of time before powerfully driving the ball off the tip of the crossbar.
That was not to be the only occasion when Sterling troubled Meiga. The 18-year-old received the ball in behind the defence before firing the bouncing ball into the side-netting.
The winger's continued efforts paid dividends in the 88th minute when Assaidi teed him up for the goal he deserved. After finding themselves with only Meiga to beat following good work by Jordon Ibe, the Moroccan selflessly laid the ball across to Sterling, who calmly tucked into the gaping net.
The straightforward victory sets the Reds up nicely for the remainder of their summer tour. They will now depart for Australia on Sunday, where they will face Melbourne Victory on Wednesday.
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