Liverpool were unable to round off their pre-season campaign with a win as Atletico Madrid secured a 2-1 victory at Anfield.
First half strikes from Kun Aguero and Diego Forlan fired the Spaniards into a two goal lead before the break.
Lucas Leiva pulled a late goal back for the Reds but it wasn't to be with Rafa Benitez's side unable to find a leveller.
Liverpool displayed a positive intent in the opening exchanges and
Atletico goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo was forced to claw a dangerous Dirk
Kuyt to safety, with Fernando Torres lurking.
At the other end, Kun Aguero's turn and shot was tipped over the
bar by Pepe Reina, but the Argentinean front man's effort would not
have counted anyway as he was flagged for offside.
He did find the net seconds later as he ghosted into the six yard
box to head Antonio Lopez's cross into the Kop end net from close-range
on 15 minutes.
The Reds were down to ten men at this point as Jamie Carragher
underwent treatment on a knock at the side of the pitch. The
centre-back was deemed unable to return to the action and was replaced
by Mikel San Jose.
The home side were unfortunate not to draw level on 21 minutes when
Javier Mascherano's pass forward was deflected into the path of Torres.
The No.9 bore down on goal, but Asenjo smothered his attempt at close
quarters.
With the ball only half cleared, the home team worked it back into
the area and Torres had a strong penalty appeal waved away by referee
Phil Dowd after he appeared to be hauled down inside the box by Paulo
Assuncao.
Then, Steven Gerrard clipped a first-time strike into the side netting after good work by Glen Johnson.
But, as Atletico broke from a Liverpool corner, Aguero came close
to doubling the visitors' advantage just shy of the half hour mark when
he skipped beyond San Jose and burst into the area, only to be thwarted
by Reina.
The action quickly swung to the other end and Lopez diverted
Emiliano Insua's dangerous centre behind for a corner with Gerrard
ready to pull the trigger.
It proved a key intervention for the La Liga outfit as Atletico doubled their lead with a fine goal on 33 minutes.
A break forward saw Simao back heel the ball into the path of Diego
Forlan on the edge of the box and the Uruguayan forward beat Reina with
a sumptuous first time curling shot into the top corner.
He may have played for Manchester United in his past, but the
Anfield faithful were quick to recognise the quality of the strike as
they burst into applause.
Liverpool's response was almost instant and Gerrard sent Torres
through on goal. El Nino's shot beat Asenjo, but not the post as the
ball cannoned back off the woodwork and to safety for his former club.
Kuyt flashed a header over on the stroke of half-time as Atletico went into the break holding the lead.
Moments after the restart, Lucas nodded across the face of goal
from Benayoun's corner before Torres' aerial effort was plucked out of
the air by Asenjo.
Liverpool went closer still on 54 minutes when Gerrard turned Torres' cross inches the wrong side of the post on the stretch.
Simao dragged wide after Forlan attempted to return the favour for
his goal with a back heel of his own as Atletico threatened for the
first time after the break on the hour, moments prior to Reina
producing a routine stop from Aguero.
Torres was denied a wonder goal on 67 minutes when the 25-year-old
weaved his way past three defenders but was unable to drag the ball
past Asenjo to cap a magical run.
The striker was dangerous throughout and a downward header from
Emiliano Insua's cross produced another stop from the Atleti custodian.
Reina then blocked Forlan's angled drive, with the visitors
introducing Anfield old boy Florent Sinama-Pongolle into the action
with 15 minutes left on the clock to a warm reception from the Kop.
With time ebbing away, only some spectacular last ditch defending
from Juanito prevented Benayoun from getting a clear strike on goal at
point-blank range.
Liverpool did pull a goal back with eight minutes remaining when
Gerrard's precise through ball picked out Lucas in the area and the
Brazilian retained his composure to dispatch a low effort into the
bottom corner.
Spurred on by the fans, the home team poured forward in search of
an equaliser and substitute David Ngog was unable to get a clear shot
away in the midst of another penalty area scramble.
Ayala headed wide from a corner in stoppage-time and Liverpool will
hope for better fortune when the new Barclays Premier League campaign
gets underway at Tottenham Hotspur next week.
Teams
Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Carragher, Sanchez Ayala,
Johnson, Benayoun, Mascherano, Leiva, Kuyt, Gerrard (captain), Torres.
Subs - Spearing, Plessis, Kelly, Degen, Riera, Ngog, Dossena,
Cavalieri, Babel, San Jose Dominguez, Voronin
Atletico
Madrid: Asenjo, Lopez (captain), , Heitinga, Ujfalusi, Rodriguez,
Garcia, Assuncao, , Aguero, Forlan. Subs - , Santana, Dominguez,
Ibanez, Sinama-Pongolle, Reyes, Jurado
Referee: P. Dowd
Conditions: Cloudy
Attendance: 44,102
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Glen Johnson
- Liverpoolfc.tv
