Liverpool has completed their pre-season preparations in the worst possible way after suffering a humiliating 5-0 loss to Bundesliga side Mainz.


The Reds fielded close to a full-strength side in preparation for their Champions League qualifiers on Wednesday with Maccabi Haifa, with Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch both starting alongside new signings Jermaine Pennant and Craig Bellamy.


With no side able to break the deadlock in the first half, Liverpool made a host of substitutions, but unfortunately the floodgates opened for the German side.


Markus Feuler scored in the opening minute of the second half, with Tobias Damm, Ranisav Jovanovic, Chadli Amri and Fatmir Pupalovic also finding the back of the net.


Despite the thrashing, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was confident his charges would bounce back for their Champions League qualifier.

"We know we made a lot of mistakes," Benitez told the Liverpool website, "we need to analyse why things went wrong.
"We know we need to correct things. I am sure we will be much better on Wednesday."