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• Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-0 Liverpool
• Emirates Cup: AC Milan 1-1 Lyon

Joe Cole’s debut for Liverpool ended in defeat as the Reds lost 1-0 to Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Roy Hodgson fielded a strong side including England’s World Cup captain Steven Gerrard as well as Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson, while Fábio Aurélio was named on the bench after re-signing for the club yesterday.

Mönchengladbach had arranged the match as part of their 110th anniversary celebrations at Borussia Park and the hosts made an early breakthrough through Karim Matmour in the eighth minute. The Algerian took advantage of some poor play by Daniel Ayala inside the area and the 19-year-old defender was duly punished as Matmour produced a powerful finish.

Matmour was proving a real irritant for the Anfield club and came close to doubling his side’s lead.

Liverpool had to wait until the 56th minute for their first real chance when Cole’s low drive was parried, with the former Chelsea player withdrawn nine minutes later.

The hosts continued to threaten and, although David Amoo headed narrowly wide, Mönchengladbach fully deserved their victory.

Jimmy Briand scored a late equaliser as Lyon denied AC Milan a smash-and-grab victory in their second and final Emirates Cup match today. Last season’s Champions League semi-finalists completely dominated against the seven-times European Cup winners but were made to pay for a host of missed chances when Marco Borriello put Milan ahead 10 minutes after half-time.

Lyon piled on the pressure and were eventually rewarded in the final 10 minutes when the summer signing Briand headed home Miralem Pjanic’s right-wing cross at the far post. The result was both sides’ second draw of the weekend but Lyon finished a point better off than their opponents on five points in a competition in which goals also equal points.

Pjanic struck the post as Lyon missed several early chances, while Simone Verdi also had two good opportunities for Milan. Marco Amelia denied Briand with a sprawling save and Pjanic finished weakly before the break, after which Alexander Merkel saw a header tipped over.

A brilliant Clarence Seedorf ball over the top set up Milan’s goal, Hugo Lloris saving from Borriello but the ball going straight to Merkel, who squared for his team-mate to bundle home. Pjanic and Briand missed more good opportunities and the latter had a penalty shout turned down before Maxime Gonalons hit the bar when the goal was at his mercy.

Lyon’s persistence was finally rewarded and Briand also missed a great chance to snatch what would have been a deserved victory.

A goal eight minutes from time by Ian Harte gave Carlisle victory over Hibernian in a low-key game at Brunton Park.

Harte headed home a James Berrett corner after losing his marker to earn a deserved win for the League One side, who also came close through Craig Curran.

Hibs had a goal disallowed for an apparent offside in the first half but they produced little in attack after the break bar an attempt by Anthony Stokes which the goalkeeper Adam Collin saved with his leg.

A late goal by Liam Davis earned Northampton Town a 2-2 draw with a Birmingham City XI at Sixfields. The Premier League side fielded a strong line-up including James McFadden, Cameron Jerome and Lee Bowyer. However, it was the Cobblers who went ahead when Billy McKay held off Liam Ridgewell to poke the ball past keeper Maik Taylor.

Blues levelled five minutes after half-time before McFadden put Alex McLeish’s side ahead with a little over 20 minutes remaining. Davis, though, had the last word, scoring an equaliser with five minutes left.

Chester had an emphatic win as they beat a Wigan Athletic XI 4-0 at the Deva Stadium.

LiverpoolBorussia MoenchengladbachLyonMilanFriendliesguardian.co.uk

An occasion that had begun with angry Liverpool fans staging a protest march against their clubs owners ended with a precious victory for Liverpool, as Fernando Torres and David Ngog scored the second-half goals that brought an end to a run of four consecutive defeats.

Torres shook off Rio Ferdinand to send a fierce drive into the roof of the net in the 65th minute, rewarding a confident period of play from the home side as they shook off their recent slump. And in a breathless finale, which saw first Nemanja Vidic and then Javier Mascherano sent off, David Ngog scored on the break in the final minute of injury time to bring relief and euphoria to most of Anfield.

Victory lifts some of the pressure on Rafael Benítez, who was again without his captain Steven Gerrard due to his groin problem while Wayne Rooney recovered from a calf injury to line up for the opposition. Torres and Glen Johnson were also back for Liverpool after they missed the Champions League defeat by Lyon on Tuesday.

United had Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra and Michael Carrick back in their starting line-up while Michael Owen, returning to his former club, was on the bench.

The visiting fans made the most of Liverpool’s recent misfortune. Beach balls, Eric Cantona masks and insulting banners were smuggled into the away section. Some beach balls ended up on the pitch, stewards hurriedly clearing them away, and there were even some from the Kop end, brought in by the Spirit of Shankly group members –who had organised the protests against co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett – just to deflate their rivals’ joke.

More beach balls arrived when Fabio Aurelio tried to take a corner in front of the visiting fans, Torres seeing his header swept away.

Evra was booked after 15 minutes for his second trip on Torres in as many minutes, and from the free-kick Aurelio sent in a curled shot that Edwin van der Sar clawed away. It went straight to Dirk Kuyt, whose follow-up was also saved. Then Lucas robbed Paul Scholes and gave Kuyt another chance, this one guided wide of the far post.

Rooney, who had seen one effort disallowed for offside, rose to meet an Antonio Valencia cross after 20 minutes but his header was held low to his right by Jose Reina. Torres was receiving some tough treatment, and Vidic was fortunate to escape a booking for a fierce challenge from behind.

United had better possession though and threatened with pace and slick movement, but it was Van der Sar again after 36 minutes who needed to dive to his right to keep out an Aurelio header from Yossi Benayoun’s cross.

Kuyt should have scored early in the second period when he was played in by Glen Johnson, but he chose to pass rather than blast an angled effort, and the chance was lost. United ’s threat on the break lingered, however, and it needed a block from Johnson on the far post to keep out a Rooney header from Giggs’ free-kick.

However, Liverpool’s confidence was growing and they took the lead after 65 minutes. Benayoun’s pass sent Torres beyond Ferdinand, onside only by inches. The Spain striker held off the England centre-back and lashed a shot into the roof of the net, beating Van der Sar at his near post.

Tempers began to fray and the tackling became more full-blooded and the eventual sendings off did not come as an enormous surprise, Vidic being dismissed for a second booking in the last minute. Liverpool’s numerical advantage did not last long, however, as Mascherano soon followed for a reckless challenge on Van der Sar.

A frantic injury-time period then reached a stirring conclusion when Liverpool broke and Ngog was released by Kuyt with only Van der Sar to beat and tucked the ball into the corner

Premier LeagueLiverpoolManchester UnitedKevin McCarraguardian.co.uk