Liverpool vs AC Milan Legends: Steven Gerrard’s last-minute winner delights Anfield crowd

Liverpool Legends 3-2 AC Milan Glorie: Liverpool’s talisman secured the victory with a vintage half-volley in the game's dying moments

Steven Gerrard retires - This is his career in numbers

As the international break took hold, the ageing heroes returned to Anfield in their hoards as Steven Gerrard thrashed home a last-gasp winner to secure Liverpool Legends a 3-2 victory over AC Milan Glorie.

The game, played with intent, albeit half-speed, started as a stroll for Kenny Dalglish's side, with cumbersome poacher Robbie Fowler giving Liverpool the lead with a wonderful flick off the outside of the boot.

Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Djibril Cisse all returned for the Reds, and it was the latter who stretched Liverpool's lead to two on the stroke of half-time, breezing past the 52-year-old Alessandro Costacurta before calmly slotting past Dida in the Milan goal.

But then it was the turn of a legend-inundated Milan side, featuring Andrea Pirlo, Kaka, Cafu and Gennaro Gattuso, to prance on the stage. After Kaka was scythed down by Daniel Agger on the edge of the box, Pirlo nonchalantly swept a free-kick up and over the wall with little more than a shrug of the shoulders.

Then, with just three minutes remaining, Giuseppe Pancaro curled a deft finish from the edge of the box into the top corner to put the game on tenterhooks.

But, as if scripted by the Kop crowd themselves, Gerrard stormed through the centre of the pitch as the seconds ticked down, shirked off the challenges of two defenders, and drove the ball into the net off the inside of the post. A fitting end to a sun-blushed afternoon touched by fading stardust.

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[23 March 2019 14:39 · Jack de Menezes]

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's exhibition match between a Liverpool Legends and AC Milan Glorie.

[23 March 2019 14:50 · Tom Kershaw]

So here are the teams for today's star-studded legends game.

Liverpool squad: Dudek, Westerveld; Agger, Carragher, Hyypia, Johnson, Kennedy, Kvarme, McAteer, Traore; Berger, Diao, Garcia, Gerrard, McManaman, Smicer; Aldridge, Cisse, Fowler, Kuyt, Owen, Rush

AC Milan squad: Abbiati, Dida, Fiori, Storari; Cafu, Costacurta, Favalli, Jankulovski, Kaladze, Maldini, Nesta, Oddo, Pancaro, Simic; Ambrosini, Carbone, Gattuso, Pirlo, Rui Costa, Serginho; Borriello, Inzaghi, Kaka.

[23 March 2019 14:55 · Tom Kershaw]

[23 March 2019 14:57 · Tom Kershaw]

Steven Gerrard leads out Liverpool once more. Massimo Ambrosini captains the Glorie.

[23 March 2019 15:00 · Tom Kershaw]

A well-inebriated crowd are in full voice at Anfield, and we're underway!

[23 March 2019 15:02 · Tom Kershaw]

2 min: Gennaro Gattusso flies in on the slide tackle deep in the Liverpool half. It's like he never left.

[23 March 2019 15:07 · Tom Kershaw]

4 min: There's little in the way of movement coming by way of Robbie Fowler's cumbersome frame up top, so after a dart of pace and through ball from Dirk Kuyt, the Dutchman is greeted by a disbelieving expression. "To feet," Fowler implores.

[23 March 2019 15:08 · Tom Kershaw]

7 min: Filippo Inzaghi goes for an audacious overhead kick after Cafu breaks down the right wing. The Italian veteran can't quite get his leg up and over though and the ball skews over the bar.

[23 March 2019 15:10 · Tom Kershaw]

9 min: Djimi Traore comes on for Alan Kennedy who, at 64, wasn't looking for any longer of a cameo. Traore's first act is to slide in on Cafu with a perfectly timed challenge.

[23 March 2019 15:16 · Tom Kershaw]

13 min: Robbie Fowler is puffing like a Frigatebird upfront. He almost manages to latch on to a snaking through ball, but his touch escapes him and it's collected comfortably by Dida.

(Here is the Galapagos Island's magnificent seabird)