Liverpool beat Lazio in Champions League warm-up

Liverpool, without injured captain Steven Gerrard, beat Lazio 1-0 at Anfield on Friday in a friendly warm-up for next week's Champions League match with Xabi Alonso in fine form.

Liverpool travel to Belgians Standard Liege for the first leg of the third qualifying round on Wednesday and thigh-strain victim Gerrard at this point looks unlikely to feature.

Liverpool fans chanted Alonso's name constantly during the match and the Spaniard responded with a fine all-action display of passing and running.

Liverpool were crisp and assertive with Alonso pulling the strings in front of a 43,062 crowd.

They made it eight pre-season games unbeaten, the winner coming in injury-time when Andriy Voronin volleyed home from Jay Spearing's pass.