- Torres (83)
- Date:2008-08-16
- Kick-off:17:30
- Venue:Stadium of Light
- Attendance:43259
- Referee:Wiley, A
Live Commentary
90mins
Liverpool take all three points despite a below par performance from the Reds against a battling Sunderland side, Torres strike seperating the sides.
89mins
Nabil El Zhar gets a yellow card after hauling Phil Bardsley to the floor, needless booking.
87mins
Kuyt with a chance to seal it for Liverpool but tries to square it for Alonso instead whose effort is blocked by Nosworthy as Sunderland eventually get it away.
82mins
Torres gives Liverpool the lead with a simply brilliant strike from 20 yards, turning and blasting it past Gordon into the bottom right hand corner.
80mins
Liverpool make another change with Yossi Benayoun going off to be replaced by Fabio Aurelio.
80mins
Sunderland make their last change of the game with El Hadji Diouf going off and Michael Chopra coming on.
80mins
Alonso tries something very special from way inside his own half and it nearly dips under the crossbar but doesn't come down in time and Gordon breaths a sigh of relief.
77mins
El Zhar is straight into the action with a decent cross looking for the grey shirts in the box but can only find Gordon.
76mins
Liverpool make their first change with Robbie Keane going off to be replaced by Nabil El Zhar.
75mins
Bardsley gets in a good cross for Sunderland which looks to be heading for Murphy only for Reina to pluck it out of the air at the last moment.
72mins
Sunderland make another change with Steed Malbranque going off and Carlos Edwards entering the fray.
71mins
From the rebound Alonso drives an effort back in which Collins deflects forcing Gordon to palm t shot away which Torres follows up and looks certain to tap in only for Keane to block it, poor communication between the strikers.
71mins
Chimbonda gives away a freekick right on the edge of the penalty area and again Gerrards effort is blocked by the wall which wasn't 10 yards.
65mins
Gerrard with another corner for Liverpool which is only half cleared, the clearance falling to Benayoun whose own header is plucked out of the air by Gordon.
60mins
Liverpool work the ball well on the edge of the penalty area, the ball eventually coming to Torres whose effort is blocked by Collins as the visitors begin to dominant the match.
58mins
Liverpool with a good chance, Benayoun slipping in Gerrard who beats the goalkeeper but its hacked away by Collins before it can trickle in.
56mins
Sunderland make the first change of the match with club captain Dean Whitehead coming on for Teemu Tainio.
56mins
From Liverpool's failed corner Richardson comes away but is pulled back by Arebloa who is given a booking for his challenge.
55mins
Gerrard takes the corner, again in to the near post where Nosworthy gets to it first to head it away.
55mins
Benayoun has a decent effort from just outside the box which forces Gordon to palm it away nearly into the path of Keane who can't reach it and lets it go out for a corner.
53mins
Great chance for Sunderland, Murphy putting in a great low ball to find Diouf who manages to turn in the box but then scuffs his shot straight at Reina who has no problem saving it.
52mins
Gerrard tries his luck from 25 yards but its a poor effort by his standards and bobbles wide of Gordon's goal.
51mins
The game has picked up where it left off in the first half with neither side making a breakthrough which is making for a boring spectacle.
45mins
Liverpool make a change at the break with Xabi Alonso coming on for Damien Plessis, who has an injury.
45mins
Liverpool get the second half underway knowing they must improve on their second half performance if they want to get something out of this game.
45mins
All square at the break after a dissapointing first half where Murphy's header for Sunderland although Liverpool could have had a penalty when Benayoun went down.
45mins
One minute of added on time indicated by the fourth official.
42mins
Keane shows why Liverpool paid £19m for him by bringing the ball under control on the edge of the D, surrounded by red and white shirts before squezzing in a shot just wide of Gordon's post.
41mins
Gerrard takes yet another corner for Liverpool but again its a poor one in towards the near post where Diouf heads it away.
38mins
Bardsley floats in a nice looking cross, sending it towards the far post where Diouf is arriving but it doesn't find the forward and drifts out for a goal kick.
35mins
Liverpooll win yet another corner which Gerrard takes but yet again its dealt with by Sunderland, Chimbonda heading it away.
35mins
Gerrard takes another corner for Liverpool which fails to find a grey shirt and its headed away by Nosworthy.
33mins
Liverpool win a freekick just a few yards outside the box, Keane rolling it to Gerrard whose strike is blocked by a number of red and white shirts.
30mins
Sunderland win their first coner of the game which Malbranque takes, sending it towards the near post where a combination of Kuyt and Plessis get it away.
26mins
Malbranque feeds Diouf on the right hand side of the box, the former Bolton man then cuts in and tries to bend it into the top corner but can't only send it over the bar.
25mins
Liverpool win their first corner of the game which Gerrard will take, sending it towards the far post looking for Hyypia who can't reach it as Nosworthy heads it away.
23mins
Malbranque whips in a cross from a freekick on the left hand side but its easily dealt with by Carragher who heads it away.
21mins
Bardsley tries to get a cross into the box but its powerfully headed away by Hyypia as Sunderland continue to come forward.
16mins
Gerrard is given alot of time and space 30 yards from goal and tries his luck he is quickly closed down by two red and white shirts to block the effort.
12mins
Diouf carves out a great chance, chipping the ball into the box finding Murphy whose header is straight at Reina from six yards out, great chance to open the scoring.
10mins
Richardson has the first shot of the game from around 28 yards out, but its a poor effort and flies well wide of Reina's goal.
9mins
Gerrard has two attempts at a cross on the right hand side, the first one finds Keane who lays it back and the second Colins does well to stoop low and head away.
6mins
Sunderland are hounding Liverpool every time they have the ball and win in back in a decent position only for Diouf to waste possession with an attempted cross straight to Reina.
4mins
Hyypia's attempted back header drops at the feet of Diouf who takes a touch which allows Carragher to slide in and block the shot, decent chance for Sunderland.
2mins
Steed Malbranque plays a long ball over the top with Murphy trying to latch onto it but there is just too much on the pass and it rolls through to Reina to give him his first touch of the ball.
0mins
Today's referee Alan Wiley gets the game underway here at the Stadium of Light with Liverpool hoping to make a strong start to the season and not be forced to play catch up early on.
0mins
Liverpool XI: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Dossena, Kuyt, Gerrard, Plessis, Benayoun, Keane, Torres
0mins
Liverpool gives starts to Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena whilst Steven Gerrard comes back into the side after missing the Champions League qualifier in mid- week. The Reds will be hoping to improve on that performance after scrapping a draw.
0mins
Sunderland XI: Gordon, Chimbonda, Nosworthy, Collins, Bardsley, Malbranque, Tainio, Reid, Richardson, Diouf, Murphy
0mins
Sunderland hand debuts to four of their new signings with Chimbonda, Malbranque, Tainio and Diouf all getting a start but the Black Cats will be without Kenwyne Jones who is out with a knee injury.
Match Preview
Liverpool must weigh up their injury options ahead of their opening match of the Premier League season away to Sunderland.
Captain Steven Gerrard could face a further fitness test close to kick-off as he battles to rid himself of a thigh injury sustained in a friendly clash with Valerenga.
"He is progressing really well but we will check after training. I will speak with the doctor and with Steven and then decide," manager Rafa Benitez said before the Champions League third round qualifying draw with Standard Liege on Wednesday.
Defenders Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio and Philipp Degen all missed the trip to Belgium on Wednesday, but Benitez expects them to return to the squad for the trip to the north east on Saturday evening.
"Martin and Fabio are training with us but they will stay here," continued Benitez.
"They are not ready for this game but hopefully both will be available for the weekend."
With the Gareth Barry transfer saga still not finished, Liverpool are likely to add to their squad before the transfer window closes at the end of the month, although they confirmed this week that Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun will not be leaving.
Two of Sunderland's key transfer targets have this week been told they aren't going anywhere, frustrating manager Roy Keane's attempts to bolster his squad before they face Liverpool at the Stadium Of Light.
Everton defender Leighton Baines and Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland were being tracked by Keane before both clubs announced this week that they are not for sale.
Pascal Chimbonda, El Hadji Diouf, Teemu Tainio and Steed Malbranque have all been brought in by Keane this summer but further signings are likely to be needed if the club is to improve on its 15th position last season.
All four could start the clash with Liverpool, although Chimbonda has been struggling with an injury sustained playing Athlone Town last week.
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Match Report
A moment of magic from Fernando Torres gave Liverpool an opening-day victory in a hard-fought battle at the Stadium of Light.
Hosts Sunderland made life difficult for the Reds for much of the encounter, but their resilience finally cracked as Torres fired home from outside the area on 83 minutes.
It was sheer joy for Liverpool but met with despair by Sunderland as their grit and determination came to nothing.
To be fair, the warning signs were there before the Spanish striker made the telling breakthrough as Rafa Benitez's side pushed forward time after time in the closing minutes.
The Merseysiders had shown the same sort of attack-minded resolve towards the end of the opening 45 minutes, but drew a blank as the Black Cats' rearguard stood firm.
It wasn't all one-way traffic, however, with the Wearsiders starting the brighter of the two sides.
Whether Benitez's men were still suffering from a Champions League hangover remains open to debate, but their was no question about who came out of the starting blocks quickest.
In fact the Reds could have found themselves a goal down early on had Daryl Murphy managed to get any power behind his header.
The Irishman got up highest to meet El Hadji Diouf's cross, but it was straight at Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal, although the Spaniard needed two takes to get hold of the ball.
Diouf in particular was a thorn in Liverpool's side in the early stages of the clash, but neither he or his team-mates were able to really threaten the visitors' goal.
To be fair, Liverpool were never that much of a threat themselves in the opening period, being restricted to a couple of long-range efforts from Steven Gerrard which were wide of the mark.
After the break, both sides continued to muster up graft without any real craft and the stalemate looked on the cards.
Questions over the new partnership between Torres and Robbie Keane were left unanswered as the duo seemed the follow each other into space far too often.
One moment in particular highlighted that the understanding between the duo was not quite at full strength.
Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon made a great save from Dirk Kuyt, only for the ball to bounce into the path of Torres who looked certain to score.
However, the striker fired the ball off Keane who had run across his path and the effort deflected wide of the goal.
Luckily it didn't prove costly and the Reds' blushes were spared as Torres came up with the goods to seal a victory and send his side home with the points.
Sunderland Team
Liverpool Team
Sunderland | Liverpool |
Corners
| 1 | 8 |
Fouls
| 13 | 12 |
Goal attempts
| 6 | 14 |
Shots off target
| 3 | 6 |
Offsides
| 2 | 0 |



90mins
The fourth official indicates there will be three minutes of added on time, Sunderland don't look like salvaging something at the moment.