Liverpool vs. Celtic: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Liverpool were handed their first loss of the preseason after going down 1-0 to Celtic.

It was a great atmosphere at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. There's a strong mutual respect from the two clubs, and both share the tradition of singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" before matches.

As Liverpool's Twitter showed, there was a strong contingent of Liverpool supporters at the match.

Amido Baldé scored the first goal of the match in the 12th minute. The 22-year-old Portuguese striker made a fool of Andre Wisdom as he bore down on goal. By leaving Wisdom in his dust, Baldé had time and space to compose himself and find the back of the net. Simon Mignolet had a bit of bad luck as he got a piece of the shot, but the ball caromed up and into the goal.

It's the first time all preseason Liverpool have gone a goal down.

Baldé had been looking very good against Wisdom in the early stages, so it was only a matter of time before the English centre-back would make a major mistake. Paul Tomkins is still a supporter of the 20-year-old and understands these growing pains are bound to happen.

Immediately after the goal, the Reds created some chances to score. Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson had good shots on goal, with Downing in particular letting a golden opportunity fall by the wayside. Credit Lukasz Zaluska for being there for the save each time.

Anfield Index was pleased with how Liverpool came back after going down.

For about the first 20 minutes of the match, Liverpool looked sure to score and probably could have had two or three goals.

However, after about the 20-minute mark, the Reds really flattened out. Their passes weren't as sharp, and they weren't creating much going forward.

Liverpool nearly leveled the match in the 54th minute. Kolo Touré headed home Steven Gerrard's free kick, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

The Reds were frustrated for much of the second half. Celtic dropped deeper and deeper the longer the match went on, making it more difficult for Liverpool to find the equalizer.

Daniel Sturridge nearly found a goal late on. His lob in the 85th minute was just wide of the goal, and then his long-range shot hit the side netting just a minute later.

It was a mediocre performance for Liverpool and surely reminded supporters of the profligate finishing that has plagued the club over the past three or four seasons. There was no Luis Suarez in the squad, so that had something to do with it.

Regardless, the Reds should feel they dropped what was a very winnable match. It's only preseason, so there's no need to get too worked up about the result.

Here's Liverpool's preseason by the numbers.

On the whole, it's been a productive couple of months for the club.

Key Player Grades

Stewart Downing: B+

Say what you want about Stewart Downing not living up to his transfer fee. For the last couple of seasons, he's been one of the more reliable players on the squad. Brendan Rodgers looked for a response from the winger last year, and Downing duly delivered.

He's been very good in the preseason as well. This could well be his last match as a red, but as James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo noted, Downing was one of the best Liverpool players on the day.

Daniel Sturridge: B+

It was Daniel Sturridge's first appearance of the preseason, and yet he looked to be in midseason form. The 23-year-old was only limited to 45 minutes, as he is returning from injury.

When he was on the pitch, Liverpool were a different side in the second half. Sturridge was the club's best threat to score, especially late in the game.

Now that he's a Liverpool player for an entire season, it will be interesting to see if Sturridge takes that next step forward in his development.

Amido Balde: B+

After his goal, Baldé was almost invisible on the pitch. You can't blame him, as Celtic's increasingly defensive style didn't make for much help up top.

He did all the damage he needed in those first 12 minutes, giving Wisdom a hard time in keeping track of him. The centre-back was getting run all around at the back, with Baldé's goal being the nadir.

What's Next

Liverpool take on Stoke City on August 17 for their first match of the 2013/14 Premier League campaign. Celtic meet Aberdeen in a week's time in what will be a massive Scottish Premier League fixture.