Huddersfield Town suffered their first defeat of pre-season, but there was no disgrace in a 2-0 loss to Liverpool.
A sell-out John Smith’s Stadium crowd of 21,266 (including 3,415 in the away end) watched Marko Grujic’s first-half goal and a late Alberto Moreno penalty seal success in the Shankly Trophy match.
Liverpool missed a first-half spot kick, but Town had their chances against the Premier League side, and showed signs of promise alongside a few issues which still need to be worked on.
The match pitted old mates and Borussia Dortmund managerial colleagues Jurgen Klopp and David Wagner against each other for the first time.
The Anfield boss included Sadio Mane, his £34m signing from Southampton, as well as Brazilians Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Lucas.
Wagner was without striker Nahki Wells and on-loan Chelsea forward Kasey Palmer through injury and Croatian midfielder Ivan Paurevic because of illness.
His starting side included club-record £1.8m defensive signing Christopher Schindler, who was playing alongside skipper Mark Hudson, and Australian international midfielder Aaron Mooy.
Jack Payne took the No10 berth with Elias Kachunga up front in the absence of Wells, who has a knee problem but like Palmer and Paurevic, should be fit for the tour of Austria, which starts on Saturday.
There was a cautious start to the clash with Town the first to threaten after nine minutes, when Joe Lolley played a neat one-two with Kachunga only to shoot across the face of goal and wide.
Rajiv van La Parra was also off target after being set up by Mooy before Tommy Smith had a well-struck shot blocked.
Liverpool finally came to life on the quarter hour, when Grujic set up Mane, who whistled a shot into the side netting.
Four minutes later, Senegal star Mane had a goal disallowed.
He seized on a mix-up between left-back Chris Lowe and Joel Coleman but was adjudged to have fouled the keeper before netting
Payne sliced wide for Town before the lively Lolley brought a smart save from Loris Karius with a drive from the edge of the area.
The home side had successive corners taken by Lowe, but Liverpool defended well to limit the danger.
As the visitors counter-attacked, it took a well-timed tackle by Jonathan Hogg to thwart Alberto Moreno, but Liverpool, were ahead after 31 minutes.
A neat move between Mane and Firmino brought a cross from the latter which gave Grujic time to pick his spot.
It could have been two three minutes later when Coleman was ruled to have tripped Mane (he received a yellow card) but the Town keeper dived to his right to make a great save.
Smith became the second Town player booked after bringing down Moreno.
Both sides made a string of changes at the break, with Kachunga the only Town player to reappear.
Perhaps understandably, the pace dropped a touch as the new-look sides found their feet, but Town were holding their own.
Kyle Dempsey drilled a shot over before keeper Karius intercepted a Harry Bunn delivery meant for Kachunga.
With Liverpool having used all their other substitutes, Klopp called on academy keeper Shamal George to play outfield because of an injury to Lucas.
Town brought on teenager Rekeil Pyke for Kachunga before Dempsey came close with an angled drive which went narrowly wide,Pyke having played him in.
Martin Cranie’s foul on Ben Woodburn brought a second Liverpool penalty in the 90th minute, which Moreno fired past Luke Coddington.
Town first half: Coleman, Smith, Hudson, Schindler, Lowe, Hogg, Mooy, Lolley, Payne, Van La Parra, Kachunga.
Town second half: Coddington, Cranie, Hefele, Stankovic, Davidson, Whitehead, Billing (Booty, 87mins), Scannell, Dempsey, Bunn, Kachunga (Pyke, 72mins).
