Voronin impresses as Liverpool win in Switzerland

Lucerne 1 Liverpool 2

Goals from Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva and Ukraine forward Andriy Voronin saw Liverpool claim a 2-1 win over Swiss Super League outfit FC Lucerne in their second pre-season friendly.

Reds boss Rafael Benitez handed new goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri the gloves for his debut, while fellow newcomer Philipp Degen was also in a first XI which included Spaniard Danny Pacheco but not Steven Gerrard, who was left on the bench.

Pacheco was the architect of the 10th-minute opener, combining well with Brazil midfielder Lucas before the latter slotted home coolly to round off the move.

Benitez’s men were pegged back soon after when Degen failed to win a far-post header, allowing the ball to break to Gavranovic who converted an uncontested header.

Pacheco and Yossi Benayoun both shone in the first half and the visitors soon moved back into the lead through the equally impressive Voronin.

The Ukraine forward took control of the ball 16 yards from goal before producing a sweetly-hit lob to make it 2-1.

Voronin, a constant thorn for the Lucerne defence in the second half, went close to grabbing a second but there were no further goals.

There was, though, one further plus for Benitez who gave Dutch winger Ryan Babel his first 45 minutes since sustaining an ankle injury in his country’s Euro 2008 preparations.