Match reportSzoboszlai scores late penalty to rescue point for Liverpool in season-opener at Newcastle

The Hungarian equalised the St. James' Park affair by dispatching a spot-kick with 99 minutes on the clock.

Anthony Elanga had opened the scoring inside five minutes but that opener was equalised in the second half by Cody Gakpo.

However, the Magpies quickly regained the lead through Joe Willock and then held on to the points up until the final seconds.

Away from the action, the match was preceded by emotional tributes to Kevin Keegan, a legendary servant of both clubs, following his sad passing in July.

Team news

Jeremy Jacquet made his competitive debut from the start as Andoni Iraola named the same side that began the pre-season concluder with Como 1907.

Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo made their bows with outings from the bench.

Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Jacquet (Araujo, 70), Kerkez, Wirtz (Mac Allister, 63), Szoboszlai, Isak, Gakpo, Frimpong, Gravenberch (Koumas, 78), Ngumoha (Munoz, 63).

Unused subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Tsimikas, Nyoni, McConnell.

First half

Liverpool's bright start to the game was extinguished when they gave up possession inside the Newcastle third.

The turnover allowed William Osula to drive up the pitch with the ball before laying it off to Elanga, who took a touch and then arrowed across Alisson Becker to make it 1-0.

The first clear-cut chance to equalise arrived in the 18th minute, with Florian Wirtz denied by a good save from Lukas Hornicek after the hosts failed to clear a cross.

Hornicek then parried Milos Kerkez's delivery from the left but no player in red was able to pick up the loose ball.

At the other end, Alisson was called into action to smother Osula's close-range finish from a Yoane Wissa through ball.

Second half

A matter of seconds after the restart, Alexander Isak was unable to connect cleanly at the back post with a Szoboszlai corner that had been flicked on, and Newcastle just about cleared the danger.

Gakpo was fractionally over with a curler from distance just a few moments before levelling proceedings.

Having collected Ryan Gravenberch's pass on the turn, the No.18 opted to go low on this occasion and fired expertly into the bottom corner.

But Newcastle made it 2-1 a couple of minutes later, just moments after Willock's introduction to the action.

The substitute was fed the ball by Wissa on a breakaway and ended his run by bending an effort past Alisson from the edge of the area.

During an end-to-end conclusion, chances to equalise again were squandered by Gakpo and Isak, while Jacob Ramsey volleyed wide and Alisson thwarted Wissa as the Magpies searched for a third.

But there was to be late drama in a fixture renowned for it when Munoz was upended in the area by Lewis Hall.

Szoboszlai was the man to step up and nonchalantly sent his effort into the top left corner with virtually the last kick of the game.