In a relaxed match featuring nearly forty players, the difference came with one minute left in regulation as Marco Borriello knocked home a corner-kick to hand AS Roma a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.
The match opened in the worst way possible, with Fabio Borini going down awkwardly under a challenge and injuring his shoulder. The Italian tried to tough it out but was eventually forced off the pitch raising questions around his potential $24 million transfer to Sunderland.
A rather dull first half was marked by a single golden opportunity for AS Roma in the 33rd minute as former Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole cruised down the left side and put in a nice cross for Italian legend Francesco Totti, only for his effort to edge wide of the left post.
In the second half Rickie Lambert started to find his feet and got a couple looks on goal, including 57th minute blast that Roma keeper Lukasz Skorupski saved on the near post. From there it was the Phillipe Coutinho show as the Brazilian weaved through the Roma midfield with relative ease, creating a few half-chances for his side.
With both sides making near full-squad changes, the half wore on looking like it was destined to end in a nil-nil draw. But then a late Roma attack resulted in a corner-kick that Borriello managed to get a foot on from 10 yards out despite tight defending from Daniel Agger. The Italian’s shot took an awkward bounce off the leg of substitute Adam Phillips and dribbled into the net. Hardly a gem but they all count.
In the end it probably wasn’t a just result as Liverpool controlled large portions of the match. But it was a summer friendly and a solid run out for both sides.
Liverpool: Jones; Kelly (Coady 65'), Skrtel, Coates (Agger 61'), Enrique (Robinson 46'); Lucas, Allen (Henderson 77'); Coutinho (Phillips 85'), Borini (Can 15'), Ibe (Suso 77'), Lambert (Peterson 61')
Goals: None
AS Roma: Skorupski (Lobonţ 62'); Somma, Benatia (Romagnoli 46'), Castan, Cole (Calabresi 62'); Florenzi (Pettinari 62'), Keita (Paredes 62'), Nainggolan (Emanuelson 62'); Iturbe (Destro 46'), Totti (Sanabria 60'), Ljajic (Borriello 62')
Goals: Borriello 89'
