Liverpool won their opening Guinness International Champions Cup match against Olympiakos by a single goal thanks to Raheem Sterling's deft finish in the fifth minute.

The English Premier League side took advantage of sloppy defending from the Greek champions, which allowed Sterling to run on to Daniel Sturridge's mishit shot and neatly finish past Balazs Megyeri.

However despite the frantic start, the game slowed down quickly and the most entertaining moments came from Olympiakos striker Javier Saviola's two dives, with him receiving a torrent of abuse from Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard for his troubles.

New Reds signing Lazar Markovic imposed himself on the game well in the first half and came close to doubling his side's lead when he beat two players off the dribble, but he couldn't keep his shot down as it flew into Row Z of Soldier Field.

If the first period was a drab affair, the second was even worse.

A flurry of substitutes by both teams didn't do much to help the scoreline, although Gevorg Ghazaryan hit the crossbar five minutes in following a swift counter by the Greeks after Philippe Coutinho's pass was cut out.

That was about as good as it got, and although Coutinho remained the most dangerous player on the field during his tenure, he failed to create any real chances and it was almost a relief to hear the final whistle.

Sterling received Man of the Match for his performance, but the 20-year-old had to put the celebrations on hold due to Guinness being the main sponsor of the tournament.

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About the author
Oliver Lines
Sports journalist in England attempting to make something of this crazy world