[lfc-news] Olympiacos report - Official Site

Official LFC Website, 23 July 2005
REDS SMASH FOUR PAST GREEK CHAMPIONS
By Paul Rogers

Liverpool 4 Olympiacos 3

New signing Peter Crouch did more than enough to impress both his new
manager and his team-mates during a action-packed first 45 minutes of
his Liverpool career in Liechtenstein on Saturday night.

The latest addition to Rafael Benitez's rapidly expanding squad looked
sharp throughout and, despite only joining up with the rest of the
playing staff at their pre-season training camp in Switzerland on
Thursday, immediately seemed to strike up a promising strike partnership
with both Djibril Cisse and Luis Garcia, the latter of whom he set up to
score the opening goal of the game after 31 minutes.

When Cisse and Crouch combined with just two minutes on the clock, the
former Southampton striker might have grabbed his first goal in a red
shirt but for a good save from the Olympiacos goalkeeper Erwin Lemmens.
It was Cisse's burst of pace on the right wing which created the opening
and when he crossed the ball for the new No.15, the handful of fans
behind the Greek goal thought they might be about to witness history in
the making. It wasn't to be though as Crouch, despite a well-timed run
into the box, just failed to make contact with the ball.

Two minutes later the pair again linked up to create an identical
opening but once again Lemmens proved first to the ball.

Eager to prove that he's more than simply a target man for long balls
and high crosses, Crouch demonstrated he's just as dangerous outside the
box as he is in it when he connected with a Darren Potter cross to hit a
half-volley just wide of the post with 10 minutes on the clock.

Olympiacos, crowned Greek champions in May, weren't about to let one man
dominate proceedings however and twice went close through the
ever-dangerous Michalis Konstantinou, the second effort drawing a great
low save from Scott Carson.

With the game flowing from end to end, a goal never seemed far away and
in the 31st minute it finally arrived. Luis Garcia might have slotted
the ball beyond Lemmens but it was the run from Crouch into the box that
created the opening. Whether Crouch could actually claim an assist is
debateable as the ball seemed to ricochet off more than one player
before finding the Spaniard but Rafa won't be too worried about that.

Liverpool's lead would only last nine minutes however with Rivaldo
proving he's lost none of his class with an instinctive left-footed
finish beyond Carson with just five minutes of the first-half remaining.

If Crouch's arrival on Merseyside was supposed to spell the end of the
Anfield dream for Milan Baros, someone must have forgotten to tell the
Czech international.

While Crouch was the undisputed star of the first-half there was no
doubting Baros was the liveliest player on the pitch after the interval.

The Liverpool No.5, linked by the media with a move away from Anfield
all summer, entered the pitch after half-time with the scores level
after Rivaldo had cancelled out Garcia's opening goal on 40 minutes, and
then set about single-handedly taking the game to the Greeks.

Within minutes of being on the pitch, Baros had set Fernando Morientes
up to slot home Liverpool's second and then he got in on the act, twice
rounding the 'keeper to double our lead during the space of six
electrifying second-half minutes.

Liverpool's lead could have been extended further still when Baros again
found Morientes with a cross from the right only for Erwin Lemmens to
dive low to block the Spaniard's shot.

We've always known Milan Baros was capable of putting the ball in the
back of the net but tonight he demonstrated that maybe, just maybe, he's
now started to use his head a bit more and find his team-mates in space
rather than trying to beat the world on his own.

With both Djibril Cisse and Luis Garcia linking well with Crouch in the
first-half and Sissoko and Xabi Alonso impressing during the second
period, Liverpool are starting to look like they finally have a decent
squad to choose from with options in almost every position.

A penalty from Predrag Djordjevic on 76 minutes after Zak Whitbread was
adjudged to have brought down Yiannis Okkas and another well-taken goal
from the No.11 seven minutes later when he rounded Scott Carson might
have taken the shine off the night for Rafael Benitez but it's still
five wins out of five for the Reds this summer.

Scoring goals might have been a problem last season but after smashing
17 goals in five games, Rafa will no doubt be turning his attention away
from his strikers and onto his defence. Milan Baros, for one, will be
happy about that.

Rafael Benitez said he was pleased with his side's fitness and style of
play and declared himself highly satisfied with debutant Peter Crouch.

Benitez said: "Peter played well. He did very well for the first goal
and he is a clever player. He has a good touch and can bring other
players into the game. He knows what we want from him and he gives us
lots of options."

The Liverpool manager believes he has a better squad than the one he had
last season and said he is trying hard to bring in some more players in
the very near future.

One player already at the club who is hoping to enjoy an injury free run
in the team is Xabi Alonso. The Spanish midfield maestro played the
second half and displayed some of his trademark defence splitting passes
and Benitez said he is a very important player.

Benitez said: "I think we are strong in midfield. We have Steve, Xabi,
Didi, Momo Sissoko and we have lots of options. It means I can rest
players when they need to be and bring others in who will do a very good
job.

"Xabi is a very good player. He links the play and he opens up defences
with his passing and he is looking very sharp.

"I thought this was a good game for the supporters, seven goals and lots
of chances. There was two teams playing at a high level and we are in a
good physical condition and getting better. I thought we played some
good football and we are scoring goals which is good.

"We are trying to bring in some more players and this season we will
have a stronger and better squad than the last one."

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