EC-1 Kwalificatie Liverpool - Total Network Solutions.

Vanavond begint het voetbalseizoen weer echt. Liverpool speelt z'n eerste voorrondewedstrijd op weg naar de Champions leaque. De Uefa was gelukkig zo wijs de verdedigend kampioen alsnog een kans te geven de champions leaque te halen. Het mooie is dat het tegen de club uit Wales is die bereid was hun plek in de voorronde ten gunste van Liverpool af te staan.

Laat het voetbalseizoen maar beginnen

Reigning kings of Europe Liverpool return to defend their crown in the Champions League with a first round qualifier against Welsh Champions Total Network Solutions.

The first leg match will take place on Wednesday, 13 July with the second leg the following week on Tuesday 19 July.

Liverpool will be looking to build on their impressive 4-3 victory over Wrexham at the weekend but Rafael Benitez will know that while he team created plenty of opportunities, they'll have to be far tighter at the back.

TNS won the double last season winning the Welsh championship by four points ahead of Rhyl and also won the Welsh Cup.

This is a dream tie for TNS as before UEFA entered Liverpool into this season's Champions League the Welsh side had offered to play the Reds in a play-off so they could defend their crown.

TNS are managed by former Tranmere Rovers striker Kenny McKenna and they comfortably won the Welsh title last season. Their leading goalscorer was Marc Lloyd Williams who hit 33 goals. They also have someone who started his career across Stanley Park in midfielder Steven Beck, who made one appearance for the Everton first team in a friendly against Chester City in July 2002.

Striker John Toner was a former Liverpool trainee and is the club's record goal scorer and longest-serving current player.

Total Network Solutions play in the Welsh village of Llansantffraid which has a population of just over 1,000. They play at the Recreation Ground, usually referred to as Treflan. Attendances for Welsh Premier games averaged 333 last season with a high of 1,042 for the televised visit of Rhyl

Ok

Liverpool have made a winning start to the defence of their Champions League crown after a hat-trick from Captain Steven Gerrard gave them a comfortable 3-0 victory over TNS at Anfield tonight.
It was a case of dejavu for Gerrard, who scored Liverpool's first goals of last season's Champions League campaign against AK Graz of Austria. Although of course it's a little early for to be looking for omens.

Rafa Benitez handed an Anfield debut to new goalkeeper Pepe Reina and while he had little to do, it will have been a lack of action at the other end that would have worried Rafa.

Because while Welsh Champions TNS offered little to suggest they can trouble the Reds in the second leg next week, the scoreline means Rafa may not have the luxury of resting as many of his first team as he might have hoped.

Liverpool took the lead after just 8 minutes after Morientes' lay off was met by the incoming Gerrard, who finished side-footed. And they doubled their advantage soon after when Gerrard again capitalised on some poor defending to make it 2-0.

By now the Reds were well in command, but they failed to build on the momentum from Gerrard's goals and there were to be no more goals before the break.

The second half saw the introduction of Djibril Cisse and another debutant Bolo Zenden and they as much as anyone looked like they would unlock the TNS defence. But a combination of heroic defending and good goalkeeping kept it at 2-0.

But just when we thought we'd have to settle for that up stepped Gerrard to complete his hat-trick with a left shot foot into the corner in the 90th minute. Gerrard once again underlining why it was so vital the club managed to secure his services last week.

So the Reds go to Wrexham for the second leg perhaps not with as big a lead as they were looking for, but in good shape and maybe with another of those omens that proved so favourable in Istanbul.

Wat was de uitslag

Daar kom ik uit principe niet.

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