Liverpool, Juve make winning Europa League starts

Tom Williams

European giants Liverpool and Juventus began life under new coaches with victories in the first legs of their Europa League third qualifying round ties on Thursday.

A David Ngog brace gave Roy Hodgson's Liverpool a 2-0 victory at Macedonian minnows Rabotnicki, while Luigi Delneri oversaw an equally straightforward 2-0 win for the Italian side at Irish team Shamrock Rovers.

Liverpool and Juve have had to undergo the ignominy of the Europa League preliminary rounds after each finished seventh in their respective leagues last season, prompting managerial changes at both Anfield and the Stadio Olimpico.

Fringe players

With 10 World Cup players including Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole and Javier Mascherano all short of fitness, Hodgson fielded a team partly made up of fringe players at the Filip II Arena in Skopje. Liverpool took the lead in the 17th minute when Lucas picked out Ngog and the Frenchman capitalised on Egzon Belica's slip to dink the ball over goalkeeper Martin Bogatinov and then tap it into the empty net.

Ngog made it 2-0 shortly before the hour when he crisply volleyed in Martin Kelly's right-wing cross from six yards out.

"There were a lot of players out there I need to learn about, as some of them I have hardly worked with," said Hodgson in praise of his young side. "It was a very good exercise in that respect."

Goalkeeper

Juve boss Delneri handed first competitive starts to a number of new signings, including goalkeeper Marco Storari, former Bari centre-back Leonardo Bonucci and on-loan winger Pepe.

Brazilian-Italian striker Amauri put the Serie A side ahead in the third minute in Dublin, finishing deftly after a sharp one-two with Diego, before netting his second with 15 minutes to play. PARIS, Friday, AFP