Borini scores in home debut win
Fabio Borini scored his first goal for Liverpool on his home debut as the Reds defeated FC Gomel 3-0 to progress to the final qualifying round of the Europa League.
And to give further cheer to the Anfield faithful, potential new signing Joe Allen was in the crowd and watched what could be his future team-mates perform in action.
Having told Swansea earlier that he wants to move north, Allen saw Luis Suarez star in the game as the Uruguayan created first-half goals for Borini and skipper Steven Gerrard and the Belarus outfit proved no match for the Merseyside giants with Glen Johnson adding another after half-time to complete a 4-0 victory on aggregate.
It was a positive way for Brendan Rodgers to mark his first home game in charge, particularly with his first signing Borini capping a useful performance by grabbing a precious goal on his home debut, thrashing home a first-time shot from 10 yards.
More significant tests are to come and the presence of Reds' former assistant-manager Steve Clarke was a reminder that the first Premier League game against West Brom is only nine days away.
However, this win should at least settle some of the nerves which have started to grow amid speculation that Daniel Agger and Andy Carroll might end up joining the summer exodus from a club that expects much better than last season's eighth-place finish.
There are some who wonder whether Rodgers would be happy to pocket the cash for Agger to fund a squad strengthening exercise but the Liverpool manager was fulsome in his praise on Thursday and was prepared to put Jamie Carragher on the bench to accommodate him this evening.
Suarez was the most telling presence though.
Eight days after his Olympic campaign with Uruguay came to a sorry end in Cardiff and with a lucrative contract signed earlier this week, he approached the tie with a sense of purpose.
Suarez raced onto a return pass from Gerrard before flashing a shot inches over, then left Gomel skipper Nikolai Kashevsky looking silly with a smart turn.
Unfortunately for the South American, he could not profit from his impudence as Vladimir Bushma got down to save his angled drive.
Gomel were finding it impossible to subdue Suarez and when he outsmarted them again with a run to the byline, it led directly to Liverpool's opener.
Kashevsky stuck out a leg to turn the low cross out of the six-yard area but in doing so sent it straight to Borini, who promptly smashed a first-time shot under Bushma's body.
It was a fine way for Borini to mark his home debut and the former Chelsea man thought he was going to get another shortly afterwards, only for Sergey Matsveychyk to turn away a Suarez cross that was about to leave the Italian with an empty net.
Instead, Gerrard got one four minutes from time.
Once again Suarez did the spadework, driving into the heart of Gomel's defence and drawing Bushma, leaving the Reds skipper with the simplest of tasks.
With a place in Friday's draw secure, Liverpool went in search of more goals after the break.
Gerrard thudded a shot against the base of a post before Suarez went on another mazy run through a Gomel defence.
His shot would have squeezed in at the far corner had Bushma not managed to touch it behind with an excellent low save.
Liverpool's third eventually arrived from an unlikely source 19 minutes from time as Johnson charged onto a loose ball, controlled on his chest, then belted home a left-footed shot from the edge of the area.
Suarez's hopes of a goal were dashed when he was denied a clear run by a debatable offside flag and Allen was still in his seat when his prospective new team-mate curled a shot straight at Bushma in the final minute.