Steven Gerrard scores in surprise Javier Mascherano reunion as Liverpool legends thumped by Barcelona
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Rousing the Kop or go back to LFC Live.
An unofficial Liverpool ‘legends’ team were battered 8-3 by a Barcelona team containing Javier Mascherano on Saturday.Bizarrely, the game took place in Seoul, South Korea, in an event which few Reds fans appear to have been aware of at all.Steven Gerrard featured on the Liverpool team, which also saw the likes of Luis Garcia and Adam Lallana come up against a star-studded Barca side. Are Liverpool in danger of blocking Rio’s pathway with a new signing this summer?
Should they make a new signing after all? Photo Credit: Getty Images/Andy Buchanan/AFP Unofficial Liverpool team can’t contain Rivaldo and coWhen Liverpool legends play their annual fund-raising match in March, it is usually a very high-profile affair.This year’s edition saw Thiago Alcantara return, for example, while Fernando Torres was in the 2024 squad.
Saturday’s clash with Barca legends was comparatively low-key, however, and the fact that there was a match at all will perhaps have come as a surprise to most fans.READ MORE: Not just Ngumoha: Two more talented Liverpool youngsters handed senior international debutsPhoto by ben radford/Corbis via Getty ImagesNevertheless, there were some big names present, mostly on the Barcelona side of things, with the likes of Rivaldo, Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta and Deco all featuring along with Mascherano.Liverpool’s squad was less impressive, but did see Gerrard play, and score, while Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Sami Hyypia, Martin Skrtel and Glen Johnson were others who made the cut.The Liverpool goals came from Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Garcia, while Patrick Kluivert, Rivaldo and Iniesta scored for Barca, with former Manchester City forward Nolito grabbing a hat-trick, and Christian Tello scoring twice.There was a nice moment after the game, when Barcelona’s official X page shared a shot of former Reds midfield partners Gerrard and Mascherano enjoying an embrace.Otherwise it was a chastening day for the former Liverpool stars, who were taught a lesson by some of the finest players of their respective generations. Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox