Articles
Liverpool tweak Roman nose
Reds give the Italians a taste of their own medicine in lucky stadium
The visiting supporters' raucous chants of "We always win in Rome" will need to be tweaked slightly, but Liverpool return from Italy today with a tricky job well done.
This stalemate may seem like small change after the riches of the Reds' European Cup successes in 1977 and 1984 in this arena, but a first point in the second phase was imperative as this competition slips into winter hibernation. On the resumption in February, draws must be transformed into wins.
"It was important we didn't lose and now we go into the break with a point on the board," said the caretaker manager Phil Thompson. "My players were magnificent - progressive in the first half and defensively strong in the second. That will give us a lot of heart."
Liverpool are making a habit of this. A similar display and result in Barcelona last season prompted a furious reaction from the Spanish media. This performance, straight out of Serie A, will presumably have the Italian press drooling today. With Sami Hyypia and Stéphane Henchoz outstanding at the heart of the defence and their team-mates- from busy midfielders to rugged strikers - working feverishly, Liverpool deserved everything they got.
Indeed, had they bought some luck by jettisoning some of the £11m raised by the sale of Robbie Fowler into the Trevi Fountain, the visitors might even have won. Their confidence steadily swelling, they created the best two chances of the game during the first half. First Jamie Carragher's punt from inside his own half looped over Jonathan Zebina for Vladimir Smicer, scurrying clear of Gianni Guigou, to volley at goal. But the Czech's shot lacked the power to trouble Francesco Antonioli, who gratefully gathered while home defenders exchanged accusing glances.
Roma's defenders had hardly recovered their poise when Hyypia leapt to challenge Antonioli on the edge of the six-yard box. The goalkeeper's unconvincing intervention saw the ball fall, via Michael Owen's shin, back to the Finn, who calmly set up Emile Heskey, unmarked on the edge of the area. With Thompson cursing on the bench, the striker marred an otherwise impressive display by blazing wide of the gaping goal.
"I felt we dominated the first half and I was a little bit disappointed not to be winning by the break," added Thompson. "We were two goals better than them. But we could hear [the Roma manager] Fabio Capello in our dressing room at half-time. He was shouting so much and he got a response from his players in the second half. We expected that."
Even so, Roma left the field with the home support's frustrations overflowing into embittered jeers. Only the Brazilian Assuncao, introduced at half-time as Capello sought greater urgency, came close to breaching the visitors' obdurate rearguard.
The midfielder sent one free-kick just wide of Jerzy Dudek's right-hand post with the goalkeeper beaten, before forcing the Pole to spill a shot as Roma whipped up belated pressure. Yet their sporadic attacking, crowded out by tireless opponents, merely culminated in wild shots from distance or unfavourable angles.
"Liverpool are one of the best teams in Europe," said Capello. "They rely on being patient, but they are one of the teams that can win the Champions League and they kept us to long shots. But there is a fine balance between the teams in this group and it will go to the last match."
The tone had been set by Hyypia's early block on Damiano Tommasi's shot, set up by a delightful flick from Francesco Totti. The darling of the Curva Sud hovered menacingly behind Gabriel Batistuta - out of sorts and without a Champions League goal in seven appearances - but flattered to deceive, flitting in and out of the game and appearing to spend most of the second half rolling around on the turf.
As it was, Assuncao's forays and a brace of hopeful shots from his compatriot Emerson aside, it was indicative of the home side's increasingly desperate plight that they were forced to rely increasingly on Totti's dubious sense of balance as a means of breaking through. The Italian international was toppled by Carragher's vague suggestion of a tackle late on, with the penalty appeals rightly ignored.
Roma (3-5-2): Antonioli; Zebina, Samuel, Aldair; Guigou (Assuncao, h-t), Tommasi (Fuser, 79min), Emerson, Lima, Candela; Totti, Batistuta.
Liverpool (4-4-2): Dudek; Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise; Gerrard (Biscan, 84), Murphy (Berger, 61), Hamann, Smicer (McAllister, 63); Owen, Heskey.
Referee : D Jol (Holland).
Copyright - The Guardian
The visiting supporters' raucous chants of "We always win in Rome" will need to be tweaked slightly, but Liverpool return from Italy today with a tricky job well done.
This stalemate may seem like small change after the riches of the Reds' European Cup successes in 1977 and 1984 in this arena, but a first point in the second phase was imperative as this competition slips into winter hibernation. On the resumption in February, draws must be transformed into wins.
"It was important we didn't lose and now we go into the break with a point on the board," said the caretaker manager Phil Thompson. "My players were magnificent - progressive in the first half and defensively strong in the second. That will give us a lot of heart."
Liverpool are making a habit of this. A similar display and result in Barcelona last season prompted a furious reaction from the Spanish media. This performance, straight out of Serie A, will presumably have the Italian press drooling today. With Sami Hyypia and Stéphane Henchoz outstanding at the heart of the defence and their team-mates- from busy midfielders to rugged strikers - working feverishly, Liverpool deserved everything they got.
Indeed, had they bought some luck by jettisoning some of the £11m raised by the sale of Robbie Fowler into the Trevi Fountain, the visitors might even have won. Their confidence steadily swelling, they created the best two chances of the game during the first half. First Jamie Carragher's punt from inside his own half looped over Jonathan Zebina for Vladimir Smicer, scurrying clear of Gianni Guigou, to volley at goal. But the Czech's shot lacked the power to trouble Francesco Antonioli, who gratefully gathered while home defenders exchanged accusing glances.
Roma's defenders had hardly recovered their poise when Hyypia leapt to challenge Antonioli on the edge of the six-yard box. The goalkeeper's unconvincing intervention saw the ball fall, via Michael Owen's shin, back to the Finn, who calmly set up Emile Heskey, unmarked on the edge of the area. With Thompson cursing on the bench, the striker marred an otherwise impressive display by blazing wide of the gaping goal.
"I felt we dominated the first half and I was a little bit disappointed not to be winning by the break," added Thompson. "We were two goals better than them. But we could hear [the Roma manager] Fabio Capello in our dressing room at half-time. He was shouting so much and he got a response from his players in the second half. We expected that."
Even so, Roma left the field with the home support's frustrations overflowing into embittered jeers. Only the Brazilian Assuncao, introduced at half-time as Capello sought greater urgency, came close to breaching the visitors' obdurate rearguard.
The midfielder sent one free-kick just wide of Jerzy Dudek's right-hand post with the goalkeeper beaten, before forcing the Pole to spill a shot as Roma whipped up belated pressure. Yet their sporadic attacking, crowded out by tireless opponents, merely culminated in wild shots from distance or unfavourable angles.
"Liverpool are one of the best teams in Europe," said Capello. "They rely on being patient, but they are one of the teams that can win the Champions League and they kept us to long shots. But there is a fine balance between the teams in this group and it will go to the last match."
The tone had been set by Hyypia's early block on Damiano Tommasi's shot, set up by a delightful flick from Francesco Totti. The darling of the Curva Sud hovered menacingly behind Gabriel Batistuta - out of sorts and without a Champions League goal in seven appearances - but flattered to deceive, flitting in and out of the game and appearing to spend most of the second half rolling around on the turf.
As it was, Assuncao's forays and a brace of hopeful shots from his compatriot Emerson aside, it was indicative of the home side's increasingly desperate plight that they were forced to rely increasingly on Totti's dubious sense of balance as a means of breaking through. The Italian international was toppled by Carragher's vague suggestion of a tackle late on, with the penalty appeals rightly ignored.
Roma (3-5-2): Antonioli; Zebina, Samuel, Aldair; Guigou (Assuncao, h-t), Tommasi (Fuser, 79min), Emerson, Lima, Candela; Totti, Batistuta.
Liverpool (4-4-2): Dudek; Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise; Gerrard (Biscan, 84), Murphy (Berger, 61), Hamann, Smicer (McAllister, 63); Owen, Heskey.
Referee : D Jol (Holland).
Copyright - The Guardian
