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Talk lfc match report
by Anthony Jones at Talklfc
Job done. A phrase that has echoed around Anfield through the early stages of the current season. Liverpool have made the most unspectacular of starts to this season yet have maintained their Champions League status whilst picking up four out of a possible six league points. Is life so bad?
Liverpool entered this game against CSKA Sofia with a comfortable advantage from the first leg despite that game not always being comfortably controlled by the Reds. With the safety net of the away goals, Benitez opted to rest a couple of influential players. Jamie Carragher, Pepe Reina and Xabi Alonso were afforded a rest on the bench whilst Gerrard sat in the stands due to injury. In their place Carson, Josemi, Potter and Hamann came in whilst Riise replaced Bolo Zenden on the left flank. The most noticeable change from the last two games was the restoration of Djibril Cisse to a central attacking position.
The game started in positive fashion for the home side as Morientes and Cisse linked up well. Whilst Sofia passed the ball around sharply, it was Liverpool who looked the more threatening side. It was far from fluent play from Liverpool but it looked more than enough to account for the Bulgarians. The best chance of the opening exchanges fell to Cisse who was a little unlucky to run out of space. Having regained possession the ball was moved to Riise who played a first time through ball into the path of Cisse. The striker's first touch took the ball into his stride, but already the angle was tight, whilst the keeper had closed the ball down well. With a little more space the striker may have been able to lift the ball over the stopper, but all he could manage was to drive it against him.
Other half chances came and went, with Morientes ghosting onto his right only to see his shot rise above the cross bar. Cisse too was causing problems with his pace, a through ball over the top was just out of reach of the striker with the opposition full back getting around to clear. Then Liverpool fell for a sucker punch. Catching Liverpool on the break, Warnock missed a tackle on the left flank and Sissoko then conceded a free kick. It was an unlucky decision for the powerful midfielder who may have caught more of the ball than the match official gave him credit for. From the free kick wide on the left, Liverpool expected a ball high into the box, however intelligently the ball was pulled back to the edge of the eighteen yard box. From there, Iliev hit a first time curling shot which moved away from Carson, giving the young keeper no chance. The ball nestled into the net and left the home crowd stunned.
It nearly got worse. A quick break from Sofia nearly resulted in a goal had it not been for the quick thinking of Carson and some wayward finishing. A throughball found Warnock sitting deeper than Hyypia and Josemi, playing the opposition onside. Carson was quick off his line to slide in and clear the initial danger. However the ball fell to Yordon Todoro who had time to compose himself but instead curled his shot over the cross bar from 25 yards out.
Liverpool were looking in danger of conceding their aggregate advantage with the Bulgarian's looking threatening with their sharp one touch football. Didi Hamann in particular looked short of match practice, not surprising given this was only his third game since the final in May. His midfield partner was seemingly everywhere though, showing the occasional lack of discipline in diving in with tackles but mainly impressing. Sissoko has looked a real prospect since arriving at Anfield and may prove to be one of Benitez's best signings. The rest of the half was a disjointed affair as Liverpool tried to impose themselves with no great effect whilst Sofia played the ball around well without the vital quality in the final third.
Benitez had clearly had words in the interval as Liverpool appeared far more determined. Luis Garcia replaced Potter who had once again struggled on the right of midfield. He provided a bit more spark to the Liverpool attack with Morientes occassionally looking the player people believe he is capable of being. Chances were being created now, Sissoko flashed a shot at goal but dragged it wide. Garcia curled an effort into the keeper's chest after cutting inside in typical fashion. After a poor initial delivery from a free kick, Riise hit a vicious curling effort goalwards which was well dealt with by the keeper.
Riise again came close from a free kick, this time his long range drive taking a wicked deflection that nearly arrowed the ball into the back of the next. Morientes showed great feet in the box after seemingly fouling his marker to deceive the keeper but could then only poke the ball goalwards on the stretch which allowed a defender to clear. By now the threat of CSKA was being managed in a far more controlled manner than it had been in the first half, that said, there was still chance for Gargarov to put a shot just wide from distance. In the closing act, Sissoko nearly rescued the result in this game for Liverpool with a great drop of the shoulder confusing his marker and then a thunderous shot hitting the angle of post and crossbar and flying back into play. It would have been a well deserved goal by Liverpool's obvious best player on the night.
The match, like the corresponding fixture against Graz last season, will probably be soon forgotten. Other than Sissoko there were few genuine positives from the evening, though Josemi rarely put a foot wrong in the centre of defence. Cisse and Morientes both combined well early on, but both faded from the game, Cisse especially. There was a welcome return to first team action for Florent Sinama-Pongolle who looked lively after his introduction in the closing stages. Having achieved the main aim, progress to the main group stage, Benitez will now surely focus on securing the transfer targets the squad so obviously needs and improving the quality of performances, especially in the attacking third.
Liverpool entered this game against CSKA Sofia with a comfortable advantage from the first leg despite that game not always being comfortably controlled by the Reds. With the safety net of the away goals, Benitez opted to rest a couple of influential players. Jamie Carragher, Pepe Reina and Xabi Alonso were afforded a rest on the bench whilst Gerrard sat in the stands due to injury. In their place Carson, Josemi, Potter and Hamann came in whilst Riise replaced Bolo Zenden on the left flank. The most noticeable change from the last two games was the restoration of Djibril Cisse to a central attacking position.
The game started in positive fashion for the home side as Morientes and Cisse linked up well. Whilst Sofia passed the ball around sharply, it was Liverpool who looked the more threatening side. It was far from fluent play from Liverpool but it looked more than enough to account for the Bulgarians. The best chance of the opening exchanges fell to Cisse who was a little unlucky to run out of space. Having regained possession the ball was moved to Riise who played a first time through ball into the path of Cisse. The striker's first touch took the ball into his stride, but already the angle was tight, whilst the keeper had closed the ball down well. With a little more space the striker may have been able to lift the ball over the stopper, but all he could manage was to drive it against him.
Other half chances came and went, with Morientes ghosting onto his right only to see his shot rise above the cross bar. Cisse too was causing problems with his pace, a through ball over the top was just out of reach of the striker with the opposition full back getting around to clear. Then Liverpool fell for a sucker punch. Catching Liverpool on the break, Warnock missed a tackle on the left flank and Sissoko then conceded a free kick. It was an unlucky decision for the powerful midfielder who may have caught more of the ball than the match official gave him credit for. From the free kick wide on the left, Liverpool expected a ball high into the box, however intelligently the ball was pulled back to the edge of the eighteen yard box. From there, Iliev hit a first time curling shot which moved away from Carson, giving the young keeper no chance. The ball nestled into the net and left the home crowd stunned.
It nearly got worse. A quick break from Sofia nearly resulted in a goal had it not been for the quick thinking of Carson and some wayward finishing. A throughball found Warnock sitting deeper than Hyypia and Josemi, playing the opposition onside. Carson was quick off his line to slide in and clear the initial danger. However the ball fell to Yordon Todoro who had time to compose himself but instead curled his shot over the cross bar from 25 yards out.
Liverpool were looking in danger of conceding their aggregate advantage with the Bulgarian's looking threatening with their sharp one touch football. Didi Hamann in particular looked short of match practice, not surprising given this was only his third game since the final in May. His midfield partner was seemingly everywhere though, showing the occasional lack of discipline in diving in with tackles but mainly impressing. Sissoko has looked a real prospect since arriving at Anfield and may prove to be one of Benitez's best signings. The rest of the half was a disjointed affair as Liverpool tried to impose themselves with no great effect whilst Sofia played the ball around well without the vital quality in the final third.
Benitez had clearly had words in the interval as Liverpool appeared far more determined. Luis Garcia replaced Potter who had once again struggled on the right of midfield. He provided a bit more spark to the Liverpool attack with Morientes occassionally looking the player people believe he is capable of being. Chances were being created now, Sissoko flashed a shot at goal but dragged it wide. Garcia curled an effort into the keeper's chest after cutting inside in typical fashion. After a poor initial delivery from a free kick, Riise hit a vicious curling effort goalwards which was well dealt with by the keeper.
Riise again came close from a free kick, this time his long range drive taking a wicked deflection that nearly arrowed the ball into the back of the next. Morientes showed great feet in the box after seemingly fouling his marker to deceive the keeper but could then only poke the ball goalwards on the stretch which allowed a defender to clear. By now the threat of CSKA was being managed in a far more controlled manner than it had been in the first half, that said, there was still chance for Gargarov to put a shot just wide from distance. In the closing act, Sissoko nearly rescued the result in this game for Liverpool with a great drop of the shoulder confusing his marker and then a thunderous shot hitting the angle of post and crossbar and flying back into play. It would have been a well deserved goal by Liverpool's obvious best player on the night.
The match, like the corresponding fixture against Graz last season, will probably be soon forgotten. Other than Sissoko there were few genuine positives from the evening, though Josemi rarely put a foot wrong in the centre of defence. Cisse and Morientes both combined well early on, but both faded from the game, Cisse especially. There was a welcome return to first team action for Florent Sinama-Pongolle who looked lively after his introduction in the closing stages. Having achieved the main aim, progress to the main group stage, Benitez will now surely focus on securing the transfer targets the squad so obviously needs and improving the quality of performances, especially in the attacking third.
