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Pre-season Friendlies
Jul 29, 2013 at 7.30pm UK
 

3-1

Anelka (55'), Berahino (75'), Rosenberg (87')
FT(HT: 0-1)

Live Commentary: West Bromwich Albion 3-1 Atromitos - as it happened

Relive our coverage of the pre-season friendly between West Bromwich Albion and Atromitos.
2

West Bromwich Albion came from behind to beat Atromitos 3-1 in a pre-season friendly this evening.

Thanasis Karagounis gave the Greek side the lead early on, but the Baggies had the majority of the chances in the first half.

Second-half efforts from Nicolas Anelka, Saido Berahino and Markus Rosenberg helped West Brom turn the score around, securing a comfortable win.

Read how all the action unfolded below:


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Good evening! It's around 30 minutes to kickoff at Shrewsbury Town's New Meadow, where West Bromwich Albion face Greek side Atromitos. The Baggies confirmed their team sheet for tonight's match a short time ago, let's take a look at that now...

WEST BROM STARTING XI: Myhill, Jones, McAuley, Tamas, Popov, Yacob, Mulumbu, Brunt, Long, Rosenberg, Berahino

WEST BROM SUBSTITUTES: Daniels, Reid, Ridgewell, Olsson, Dawson, Morrison, Anelka, Roofe

So Steve Clarke rests first-choice goalkeeper Ben Foster, with Boaz Myhill starting, while Republic of Ireland veteran Steven Reid is named on the bench. Meanwhile, new signing Nicolas Anelka is also on the bench, as Saido Berahino and Shane Long start up front.

Berahino has spent the majority of his time on loan since joining the Baggies in 2011, and is yet to make his competitive debut for the club. However, with the Baggies needing the replace Romelu Lukaku up front, the 19-year-old will be keen to impress this evening.

Atromitos play in the Peristeri suburb of Athens, and finished last season third in Superleague Greece, securing them a place in the Europa League this season.

Markus Rosenberg was among the goals in the Baggies' 2-0 win over Derby County at the weekend. Ahead of this evening's match, assistant manager Kevin Keen told the club's website: "Everyone in the dressing room, and the staff, knows what a super professional and good player Markus was last year, and will be this year. It didn't quite happen for him last year for certain reasons. Shane and Rom hit it off straight away and shared most of the forward duties. But I think he's such a good professional, and mentally so strong, that he's just carried on."

With not long until kickoff, it's time for a prediction. Atromitos did well in their league last year, but their Friday evening draw with Sheffield United suggests that they may struggle against a Premier League side. I can see this being a 3-0 Baggies win.

The players are heading out to the pitch ready to get the game underway.

West Brom get the first half underway.

West Brom are on the attack early, with Long looking for Rosenberg inside the penalty area, but Sokratis clears the ball for Atromitos. The Baggies look for another chance moments later, but are caught offside.

The Greek side go on the attack but a loose ball goes straight to Myhill in the West Brom goal. Berahino goes on the counter attack, finding Popov out wide, but Sokratis makes another clearance for Atromitos.

Popov is on the ball again but can't find a way through the Atromitos midfield. Brunt gets the ball out wide to Long, but his finish goes well wide, failing to trouble Cennamo.

Papdopoulos breaks down the left hand wing looking to create a chance for the visitors, but he's brought down just outside the box. The striker tries to stay on his feet but the referee gives the foul.

GOAL! West Brom 0-1 Atromitos (Karagounis)

Despite a strong start by the Baggies, it's Atromitos who grab an early lead courtesy of a wonderful half-volleyed strike from the edge of the box by Thanasis Karagounis.

Less than a minute before Karagounis' effort, Long had seen an effort denied by Cennamo, but Myhill was unable to match his opposite number when tested just moments later.

West Brom are immediately looking to get back on level terms as Berahino wins a corner for the home side with a powerful effort from just inside the box. From the delivery, Yacob looks to head in, but Lazaridis makes the block.

CHANCE! Rosenberg comes painfully close to getting the equaliser as he looks to tap in from close range, but Cennamo manages to stretch his legs just long enough to kick the ball away.

West Brom try a more patient approach, playing the ball out from the back with a series of high tempo passes among the back four, but a careless pass from Yacob goes to Nastos, who immediately goes on the counter attack for Atromitos.

West Brom will probably be feeling quite hard done by at the moment. They had a chance inside the opening minute, have done most of the attacking and dictated the pace of the game, but Atromitos managed to create one piece of brilliance to snatch a goal.

CHANCE! Eduardo Brito tries to make it two for the Greek side with a rocket from 25 yards out, but it looks like one of the West Brom defenders just managed to deflect it, taking some of the pace off, and giving Myhill a comfortably save. West Brom counter straight away and instantly win a corner, but it's quickly cleared by Atromitos.

Mulumbu wins the ball in the centre of the pitch and races towards the Atromitos goal before passing out wide to Berahino. The teenager tries to cross it back in for his teammate, but Cennamo gets to it first. On the sidelines, Steve Clarke is already frantically scribbling notes.

CHANCE! Mulumbu creates yet another opportunity for the Baggies, this time looking for Long, but his pass goes somewhat off target, allowing Cennamo to get to it again. The Italian goalkeeper has been kept busy in the opening half hour of this tie.

Umbides makes a brilliant run down the right wing for Atromitos, but he can't find a way into the Baggies' penalty area. He pulls the ball back to Nastos who looks for a gap in the centre of the pitch, but West Brom have it covered and quickly regain possession.

Popov looks to cross the ball into the box as West Brom go on the attack but his delivery carries far too much pace and goes straight out the other side to Long, who wins a free kick following a rash tackle from Dimoutsos.

CHANCE! Rosenberg takes the free kick from just outside the penalty area, but he doesn't get the angle he was looking for, slicing the ball both high and wide.

Long almost connects with a dangerous ball into the box, but Dimoutsos outstretches his leg just in time to put it behind for a corner. Rosenberg looks for the back of the net from the delivery, but it goes behind for goal kick.

Atromitos win a free kick in a dangerous area, but Nastos' delivery is poor, and West Brom immediately force them back.

West Brom win another corner but it's swiftly dealt with by the Atromitos defence, who will no doubt be pleased with their performance against an aggressive West Brom attack so far this evening.

Nastos tries to curl the ball in in the final seconds of the first half but Myhill comes off his line to take the ball before any of the Atromitos forwards can get to it. That should be about it for this half.

HALF TIME: West Brom 0-1 Atromitos

Despite a strong performance from West Brom, they trail at the break thanks for a superb early strike from Thanasis Karagounis. The Baggies have never looked out of the game though, creating chances throughout the opening 45 minutes.

Dimitris Papadopoulos also appealed for a penalty towards the end of the first half, but it looked like the Greek striker simply lost his footing and was just outside the box.

Saido Berahino and Shane Long have worked well up front for West Brom, while Yousouf Mulumbu has been impressive in midfield. All that has prevented the Baggies from scoring so far has been a strong performance between the posts from Luigi Cennamo

Substitutes from both sides have stayed on the pitch for half time to get warmed up. It's likely that both sides will make wholesale changes at some point during the second half. In particular, West Brom supporters will be keen to see more from new signing Nicolas Anelka.

The former Chelsea striker is among those warming up, and he has got his playing shirt on rather than his training kit so it looks like he could be introduced sooner rather than later, while James Morrison is doing the same.

The rest of the players are heading back out for the second half, with Anelka lining up with his teammates so it looks like he will be starting.

SUBS! Anelka and Morrison will both start the second half, with Long and Brunt the players going off for West Brom.

SUBS! There are also a host of changes for the visitors, among them Cennamo goes off got Sifakis in goal.

The second half is underway.

Nicolas Anelka looks to get in the action straight away, picking up the ball in midfield and running at the Atromitos goal. He looks to test out new keeper Sifakis, but fails to find the target.

Myhill is being made to work at the start of the second half as a cross from Arago is deflected out for a corner before Dimoutsos tries his luck, but gets little power behind the ball.

Rosenberg tries to intercept a backpass from Tavlaridis, but Sifakis quickly spots the danger and rushes off his line to make the clearance. It's been an energetic start to the half by both sides.

Anelka is on the ball again and tries a long ball forward to Berahino, but it's cleared by Tavlaridis. Arago picks it up on the counter attack before passing to Dimoutsos out wide, but the assistant referee flags him for taking the ball out of play.

GOAL! West Brom 1-1 Atromitos (Anelka)

It's a clinical header from the former French international to round off a move which was started by the striker, before he passed out wide to Mulumbu, who crossed it back into the box for Anelka to head in from a well-timed run.

Iglesias gets some stick from the crowd as he bundles Mulumbu to the ground and doesn't immediately kick the ball out for the West Brom player to get treatment. Thankfully the midfielder is alright, but the Baggies' supporters weren't impressed by the Atromitos players' actions.

Billy Jones looks to get on the end of a Mulumbu pass on the edge of the box, but it's cleared to Arago, who immediately tries to counter attack. The 19-year-old has shown plenty of pace since coming on as one of Atromitos' many substitutes at half time.

Anelka seems to be playing in a more midfield role than usual, but it seems to be working, as the majority of West Brom's chances in the half have been created by the Frenchman. Meanwhile, it looks like Atromitos could be getting ready to make some more changes.

SUBS! Atromitos do indeed make another bunch of changes. Elini Dimoutsos heads off having put in a solid shift this evening, with Vasilios Barkas coming on in his place. Theodoros Papoutsoyiannopoulos also comes on in place of Kostas Giannoulis.

CHANCE! Popov threads the ball through to Berahino, who goes for goal from 25 yards out, with his effort rattling the crossbar.

CHANCE! A brilliant backheel from Berahino falls to Anelka, who tries to volley it in, but Sifikas gets a hand to it to tip it wide for a corner.

GOAL! West Brom 2-1 Atromitos (Berahino)

Atromitos clear the initial danger from the corner following Anelka's attempt, but the Baggies don't give up, and the ball falls to Berahino, who wrongfoots the keeper before calmly chipping it in to give West Brom the lead.

SUBS! Giving West Brom the lead will be Berahino's last work for tonight, as he and Mulumbu both head off, with Roofe and Dorrans taking their places. Berahino has looked sharp in front of goal tonight, and has been willing to sacrifice his own chances to help set up his teammates, a strong performance by the young striker.

Atromitos initially seemed to have let their focus drop following West Brom's second goal, but a strong run from Arago down the left wing almost sets up Karagounis for his second, but the midfielder can't lose his marker, and he puts the ball behind for a Baggies goal kick.

Dorrans gets his first look since coming off the bench as he tears down the left-hand side of the pitch. However, a block from Karamanos sees the ball go out for a West Brom throw in. Atromitos seem to be getting numbers back every time the Baggies go on the offensive.

SUB! Popov has taken a knock while defending against Karagounis. With full time not that far away, Clarke decides it's best to take the defender off even though he manages to hobble under his own power to the sideline, with Liam Ridgewell replacing him.

GOAL! West Brom 3-1 Atromitos (Rosenberg)

What a stunning strike from Markus Rosenberg to surely seal the win for West Brom! Kemar Roofe gets the ball around 30 yards out but can't find any gaps through to the penalty area, so he crosses the ball to Rosenberg, who smashes it in from at least 25 yards while on the turn completing stranding Sifakis with a sublime finish.

FULL TIME: West Brom 3-1 Atromitos

Well, in the end it was a comfortable win for West Bromwich Albion as they come from behind to beat Atromitos 3-1 at Shrewsbury's New Meadow.

If truth be told, the Greek side never really looked like winning the match, despite a moment of brilliance from Thanasis Karagounis giving them a lead early on. The Baggies always looked in control, and proved that they were the stronger side with a clinical second half performance.

While West Brom fans may have been worried about the void left by Romelu Lukaku's return to Chelsea, it looks like they have nothing to be concerned about, as new signing Nicolas Anelka looked sharp as a second-half substitute, Saido Berahino's hard work was rewarded with a goal, and Markus Rosenberg found the back of the net for the second game in a row with a spectacular finish late in the game.

Well, that's all from this game, but you can stick around for results from a number of today's friendlies. Thanks for joining me this evening, goodbye!

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