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LIVERPOOL FC: VORONIN ON TARGET IN KRAKOW DRAW

Liverpool saw their 100 per cent pre-season record come to an end after they were held to a hard-fought draw against Wisla Krakow in Fribourg.

/noticias.info/ The Reds went into the clash with the 11-times Polish champions hoping to stretch their winning streak to three matches, but despite taking the lead courtesy of Andriy Voronin's sixth minute strike they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Prior to the kick-off a Swiss army of fans welcomed the Reds on to the pitch and it wasn't long before they were cheering the opening goal of the game when the Ukrainian pounced to fire home at the second attempt.

A delightful move involving Lucas Leiva, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun ended with the Israeli picking out the unmarked striker, who saw his initial, tame effort well blocked by the keeper, but was on hand to steer the rebound into the roof of the net to collect his second goal of the pre-season.

Ahead of the match many observers had suggested the Poles would provide the Reds with their sternest test yet and the supporters crammed inside the Stade St-Leonard were left in no doubt as to the attacking prowess of Krakow when they stunned the Reds with an equaliser just six minutes later.

A flowing break down the left saw Marek Ziencuk cut the ball back to Tomas Jirsak who swept the ball past Cavalieri with a neat first-time finish from 12 yards out.

Both sides then had opportunities to take the lead but Voronin somehow failed to find the bottom corner after a weak back pass had sent him clean through, while Rafa Boguski was unlucky to see his fine drive deflect inches past the near post after taking advantage of a miss-timed jump from Stephen Darby.

In truth, the Poles could so easily have gone in at the interval leading by a 2-1 scoreline but Ziencuk saw his dangerous free-kick from the right bounce through a body of players and off Cavalieri's far post.

It was a big let off for Liverpool, who upped their game in the second period after boss Rafa Benitez made a series of half-time substitutions to give other members of his squad a run out.

On 52 minutes they manufactured the first opening of the period when Voronin saw his stabbed effort well saved by Pawelek after some neat play by Benayoun.

The Israeli was enjoying a productive afternoon on the right and he nearly added to his first-half assist with the Reds' second goal, but his low effort was superbly hooked off the line by a Krakow defender after Jermaine Pennant and Fabio Aurelio had combined to him set up.

Dirk Kuyt, Emiliano Insua and Aurelio all went close to winning it for Liverpool late on but it wasn't to be and the Reds will now head to Germany for the final match of their whistle-stop tour of Europe against Hertha Berlin on Tuesday.

Teams

Wisla Krakow: Pawelek (c), Brozek, Glowacki, , Baszczynski, Zienczuk, Cantoro, Sobolewski, Boguski, Brozek, Jirsak. Subs - Cebanu, Dawidowski, Diaz, Kowalski, Maczynski, Malecki, Niedzielan, , , ,

Liverpool: Cavalieri, Dossena, Agger, Carragher (c), Darby, Leto, Leiva, Plessis, Benayoun, Babel, Voronin. Subs - Aurelio, Hobbs, Hyypia, Insua, Kuyt, Martin, Mascherano, Pacheco, Pennant, Skrtel, Spearing

Referee: Unavailable

Conditions:

Attendance: Unavailable

Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Yossi Benayoun
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