The likes of Troy Deeney, Danny Welbeck, Ismaila Sarr and Will Hughes were among a raft of players absent here through a combination of injury, lack of match fitness or simply sitting in the departure lounge waiting for a move before the window shuts next month.
Juergen Klopp’s side grabbed a fourth minute lead after referee Michael Oliver harshly ruled that Leeds’ debutant German defender Robin Koch had handled a Salah shot which deflected off his thigh on to his outstretched arm.
Antoine Griezmann added to Barca’s advantage by converting a penalty in the 16th minute although defender Javi Bonilla scored a superb goal from the edge of the area to pull one back for Gimnastic on the half-hour mark.
Last season’s Golden Boot winner had just click the next web site extended his 100 per cent scoring record at The Hawthorns to five games and – cheeky as always – he could not resist a dig at the absent Albion supporters who were doubtless berating him in front of their televisions.
It’s early days of course and the remaining weeks of the transfer window will bring further upheaval, but Watford proved just about superior to a Middlesbrough team who you sense would be more than content with mid-table anonymity.
But eight minutes later Jack Harrison, on loan from Manchester City, brought Leeds level with a fine solo goal, picking the ball up on the left-flank and cutting inside, skipping past Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez, before drilling into the bottom corner.
Watford were the more vibrant side before half-time before retreating after the break.
Middlesbrough saw chances come and go, with Britt Assombalonga their most dangerous player, but Watford showed a resoluteness often missing last season.
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Club record signing Coutinho got the third goal in the 51st, also from the penalty spot, making his first outing for the team since returning on loan from Bayern Munich, with whom he scored two goals in last month’s 8-2 thrashing of Barca in the Champions League quarter-finals.
It was from one of those deeper pockets that he started the one-two with James Forrest that carried him into the box where he fell under the close attentions of Jordan Tillson and was instantly awarded the penalty by referee Andrew Dallas.
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BARCELONA, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Barcelona beat second division Gimnastic de Tarragona 3-1 in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, with Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele each making encouraging returns by scoring in Ronald Koeman’s first game in charge.
Koeman, who changed his entire team at halftime by making 11 substitutions, gave debuts to 17-year-old forward Pedri, new signing Francisco Trincao and American forward Konrad de La Fuente, 19, who stepped up from the club’s reserve side.
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The presence of a second striker allowed Edouard to drop into space and take his game to new heights last term and, with Ajeti adjudged fit enough to start for the first time since his £5m transfer from West Ham, there was no requirement for the Frenchman to hold a high position.
Lionel Messi wore the captain’s armband in his first match since he opted to abandon his plans to leave Barca, although Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal were left out of the squad as the club is still trying to offload both players.
There was polite applause from the Staggies supporters in the east stand as the home team emerged from the opposite side of the pitch and by and large they stuck to the strict code of conduct drawn up for the day.
The powers-that be bestowed test event status on this fixture and, as 300 Ross County supporters settled into their socially-distanced seats, Neil Lennon used the occasion to try out a few new ideas of his own.
Liverpool restored their lead in the 20th minute and this time Leeds had only themselves to blame, leaving the obvious threat of Virgil van Dijk unchallenged with the towering Dutchman heading home an Andy Robertson corner.
Salah, sporting a new short hair-cut, blasted Liverpool back in front, 12 minutes before the break, when he pounced on an attempted header clear from Pascal Struijk with a first-time shot which gave Illan Meslier no chance.
