John Toshack scored the only goal as Liverpool beat Southampton at Wembley on 14 August 1976. A 1–0 victory in the Charity Shield gave Bob Paisley's side a winning start to their competitive season, with Toshack and Kevin Keegan combining for the decisive moment shortly after half-time.
Liverpool qualified as league champions, while Southampton represented the FA Cup. Lawrie McMenemy's Second Division side had earned their place in the season's curtain-raiser through their cup success, bringing another Wembley occasion to a year already distinguished by silverware.
The match followed a less successful sequence of Liverpool friendlies in the Netherlands. They had lost to Feyenoord and Twente, with a draw against Roda between those defeats. Those results counted for nothing in the competitive record, but Wembley offered the first opportunity of the new campaign to put a trophy beside their name.
Paisley selected Ray Clemence in goal, with Phil Neal, Joey Jones, Phil Thompson and captain Emlyn Hughes in the side. Ian Callaghan, Ray Kennedy, Jimmy Case and Steve Heighway also started, alongside the established pairing of Keegan and Toshack. Southampton's team included Mick Channon, Peter Osgood and Bobby Stokes, with Ian Turner in goal.
The first half produced no goals. Five minutes after the restart, Keegan's headed pass found Toshack, who scored with his right foot. It was a direct contribution from both members of Liverpool's attacking partnership, with the taller forward finishing the opportunity his colleague had supplied.
Southampton introduced Hugh Fisher for Mel Blyth, but could not find an equaliser. Liverpool kept their lead intact before a crowd of 76,500, winning the Shield outright for the first time since their penalty shoot-out victory over Leeds United in 1974.
The league defence would begin a week later against Norwich City at Anfield. Liverpool would win that match 1–0 as well, but their first success of 1976–77 had already come at Wembley: one goal from Toshack, a clean sheet, and another trophy for Paisley's team.