Articles
Talk lfc match report
by Anthony Jones at Talklfc
Liverpool returned to the Champions League proper last night, their reward for navigating their way through the qualifying stages after UEFA's decision to make the holders start in the earliest round possible. A tough away trip to face Real Betis was the prize for their efforts and a positive result was required given the presence of Chelsea in the group.
Benitez sprung numerous surprises on his hosts in naming a much changed starting eleven. With Traore and Josemi coming in to fill the full back positions. Sissoko and Alonso came in to replace Hamann and Gerrard who Benitez claimed was tired with Zenden on the left and the biggest surprise selection, Sinama-Pongolle on the right. Upfront the little and large combination of Garcia and Crouch were posted to cause problems for the opposition defence. The selection of Crouch probably had the greatest intrigue. Through a mixture of injury and suspension he has not yet had much chance to answer the questions of the numerous doubters at the club.
Liverpool opened the game in the same dramatic fashion with which they'd won the cup in May. A long ball from Jamie Carragher out of defence was aimed at Crouch who had clearly gained the attention of the two centre halves. With the defence distracted, Sinama-Pongolle had drifted into a central position and with space he brought the ball down with an outstanding touch. A great first touch gives a player time to pick his next movement, and Sinama used it well as he quickly noticed the keeper off his line and so chipped the ball into the back of the neck from outside the box. It was a sublime finish and an early contender for goal of the Champions League season. There was barely a minute and a half on the clock.
It was a dream start for Liverpool but it wasn't long before Betis threatened the Liverpool goal. Some slick passing allowed Fernando to find space in the box but the long legs of Traore ensured he was not afforded the space to shoot. His delay was to prove costly. With Peter Crouch holding up the play well and providing the Reds with a platform, Liverpool were looking comfortable. It was Crouch who then played a major part in the second goal of the game. Having won the ball in the air, he then held it up on the left flank before cutting inside. With the defence expecting a cross field ball or shot, Crouch played a delightful inside pass that allowed Zenden to take the ball on the turn and with his second touch he drilled the ball into the six yard area. Luis Garcia who had made an enterprising start which belied his recent Premiership form was quick to respond and swept the ball to the keepers right with his left foot.
Liverpool were now in control with Alonso starting to find his range after an unusually sloppy opening. Alongside him Sissoko was again reinforcing a growing reputation with his strong running and tireless tackling. There was one instance where Sissoko won a tackle he had no right to and then managed to lift himself off the ground to win the second tackle. Liverpool were starting to enjoy their football with Zenden, Garcia and Sinama-Pongolle switching positions to good affect whilst for the large part the defence held firm. On the odd occasion where Betis broke through, Reina was quickly out to block or clear the danger.
As if to confirm Liverpool's dominance, Betis brought off Fernando and added another striker, the lively young Dani, to their side. For the remainder of the half it seemed to make little difference to the flow of the game. Arguably the best move of the half came from Liverpool as Sinama Pongolle and Crouch danced their way through the Betis midfield. From halfway to the edge of the Betis area the two exchanged passes, rarely taking more than two touches. Sadly the French forwards finish from his left side was dragged wide. Crouch will have to do a lot to convince some sections of the Liverpool crowd, but if he can use the ball effectively as he did here then he may win some over.
Liverpool know full well from experience the benefit that the half time break can bring and it was Betis who came out after the break looking like a different side. Where before they had been shapeless, confused in defence and nervous on the ball they were now sharp, dangerous and in control. With slick passing they moved Liverpool around the park, with the arrival of Xisco on the left giving Betis width that was not there previously. Josemi who had been relatively untroubled in the first half was now looking nervous on the right whilst Joaquin was a constant threat on the right.
The question was, could Liverpool hold onto their advantage. The signs were not looking good when five minutes into the half, Betis had pulled a goal back. Benitez will wonder what happened to his defence after Dani had managed to turn with the ball in midfield. The Liverpool back four suddenly had a gaping whole in it between Hyypia and Traore that spanned half of the eighteen yard box. In the area where Hyypia should have been, the ball was played and with the big defender struggling to regain his position and ultimately failing to cut out the ball on the slide, Arzu was in. With Reina coming off his line the Betis player showed great composure to finish with a low strike that the keeper had little hope of stopping.
Liverpool were now rocking, as was the crowd who are known as one of the most vocal in Spain. Benitez tried to stem the flow, initially bringing on Cisse for Crouch in an attempt to stretch the game again by utilising the pace of Cisse. It was a plan that failed to work as Cisse showed the frustrating side to his nature. At times Cisse looks a world beater with his pace, directness and his sheer will to achieve. Sadly he also has a moody side which is all to visible at times and this was one such instance. Arms were thrown into the air in disgust at team mates and the fact that things weren't working out, whilst his movement was sadly lacking. There was a great example of the talents of Cisse late on as he skipped past two defenders having picked up the ball on half way. However with the eighteen yard area closing fast and with Garcia in support, Cisse initially hesitated and then played a woeful pass. The reaction was telling, Cisse remonstrated with his team mate, Garcia turned to try to reclaim possession for his side. Garcia played by far his best game of the season.
Other changes followed, Zenden off to allow Riise to get into the action midway through the half whilst Gerrard replaced the opening goal scorer with just over quarter of an hour left to play. There was not a great deal added to the Liverpool attacking play by the changes but it did add to the defensive stability. Joaquin deceived Traore with a drop of the shoulder and then not for the first time made Hyypia look like he was running in the opposite direction as he ghosted into the box but his efforts could not find a team mate. It was a stunning display of the kind of wide player Liverpool would love, with the player himself stating he would love to solve that particular issue. Sadly the price on Joaquin's head would appear to rule out a move and a return for Simao in January is surely more likely.
By that time it might be that Liverpool have given themselves a strong footing in this year's Champions League. With Betis unable despite their best efforts and five added minutes at the end to pull the scores level, Liverpool had given themselves the perfect start. With the failure to add the two players Benitez wanted in the summer, the next three and a half months may be about ensuring Liverpool are as close to the pace as possible before an end of season push. Results like this one will ensure that Benitez's men go a long way to achieving that aim.
Liverpool returned to the Champions League proper last night, their reward for navigating their way through the qualifying stages after UEFA's decision to make the holders start in the earliest round possible. A tough away trip to face Real Betis was the prize for their efforts and a positive result was required given the presence of Chelsea in the group.
Benitez sprung numerous surprises on his hosts in naming a much changed starting eleven. With Traore and Josemi coming in to fill the full back positions. Sissoko and Alonso came in to replace Hamann and Gerrard who Benitez claimed was tired with Zenden on the left and the biggest surprise selection, Sinama-Pongolle on the right. Upfront the little and large combination of Garcia and Crouch were posted to cause problems for the opposition defence. The selection of Crouch probably had the greatest intrigue. Through a mixture of injury and suspension he has not yet had much chance to answer the questions of the numerous doubters at the club.
Liverpool opened the game in the same dramatic fashion with which they'd won the cup in May. A long ball from Jamie Carragher out of defence was aimed at Crouch who had clearly gained the attention of the two centre halves. With the defence distracted, Sinama-Pongolle had drifted into a central position and with space he brought the ball down with an outstanding touch. A great first touch gives a player time to pick his next movement, and Sinama used it well as he quickly noticed the keeper off his line and so chipped the ball into the back of the neck from outside the box. It was a sublime finish and an early contender for goal of the Champions League season. There was barely a minute and a half on the clock.
It was a dream start for Liverpool but it wasn't long before Betis threatened the Liverpool goal. Some slick passing allowed Fernando to find space in the box but the long legs of Traore ensured he was not afforded the space to shoot. His delay was to prove costly. With Peter Crouch holding up the play well and providing the Reds with a platform, Liverpool were looking comfortable. It was Crouch who then played a major part in the second goal of the game. Having won the ball in the air, he then held it up on the left flank before cutting inside. With the defence expecting a cross field ball or shot, Crouch played a delightful inside pass that allowed Zenden to take the ball on the turn and with his second touch he drilled the ball into the six yard area. Luis Garcia who had made an enterprising start which belied his recent Premiership form was quick to respond and swept the ball to the keepers right with his left foot.
Liverpool were now in control with Alonso starting to find his range after an unusually sloppy opening. Alongside him Sissoko was again reinforcing a growing reputation with his strong running and tireless tackling. There was one instance where Sissoko won a tackle he had no right to and then managed to lift himself off the ground to win the second tackle. Liverpool were starting to enjoy their football with Zenden, Garcia and Sinama-Pongolle switching positions to good affect whilst for the large part the defence held firm. On the odd occasion where Betis broke through, Reina was quickly out to block or clear the danger.
As if to confirm Liverpool's dominance, Betis brought off Fernando and added another striker, the lively young Dani, to their side. For the remainder of the half it seemed to make little difference to the flow of the game. Arguably the best move of the half came from Liverpool as Sinama Pongolle and Crouch danced their way through the Betis midfield. From halfway to the edge of the Betis area the two exchanged passes, rarely taking more than two touches. Sadly the French forwards finish from his left side was dragged wide. Crouch will have to do a lot to convince some sections of the Liverpool crowd, but if he can use the ball effectively as he did here then he may win some over.
Liverpool know full well from experience the benefit that the half time break can bring and it was Betis who came out after the break looking like a different side. Where before they had been shapeless, confused in defence and nervous on the ball they were now sharp, dangerous and in control. With slick passing they moved Liverpool around the park, with the arrival of Xisco on the left giving Betis width that was not there previously. Josemi who had been relatively untroubled in the first half was now looking nervous on the right whilst Joaquin was a constant threat on the right.
The question was, could Liverpool hold onto their advantage. The signs were not looking good when five minutes into the half, Betis had pulled a goal back. Benitez will wonder what happened to his defence after Dani had managed to turn with the ball in midfield. The Liverpool back four suddenly had a gaping whole in it between Hyypia and Traore that spanned half of the eighteen yard box. In the area where Hyypia should have been, the ball was played and with the big defender struggling to regain his position and ultimately failing to cut out the ball on the slide, Arzu was in. With Reina coming off his line the Betis player showed great composure to finish with a low strike that the keeper had little hope of stopping.
Liverpool were now rocking, as was the crowd who are known as one of the most vocal in Spain. Benitez tried to stem the flow, initially bringing on Cisse for Crouch in an attempt to stretch the game again by utilising the pace of Cisse. It was a plan that failed to work as Cisse showed the frustrating side to his nature. At times Cisse looks a world beater with his pace, directness and his sheer will to achieve. Sadly he also has a moody side which is all to visible at times and this was one such instance. Arms were thrown into the air in disgust at team mates and the fact that things weren't working out, whilst his movement was sadly lacking. There was a great example of the talents of Cisse late on as he skipped past two defenders having picked up the ball on half way. However with the eighteen yard area closing fast and with Garcia in support, Cisse initially hesitated and then played a woeful pass. The reaction was telling, Cisse remonstrated with his team mate, Garcia turned to try to reclaim possession for his side. Garcia played by far his best game of the season.
Other changes followed, Zenden off to allow Riise to get into the action midway through the half whilst Gerrard replaced the opening goal scorer with just over quarter of an hour left to play. There was not a great deal added to the Liverpool attacking play by the changes but it did add to the defensive stability. Joaquin deceived Traore with a drop of the shoulder and then not for the first time made Hyypia look like he was running in the opposite direction as he ghosted into the box but his efforts could not find a team mate. It was a stunning display of the kind of wide player Liverpool would love, with the player himself stating he would love to solve that particular issue. Sadly the price on Joaquin's head would appear to rule out a move and a return for Simao in January is surely more likely.
By that time it might be that Liverpool have given themselves a strong footing in this year's Champions League. With Betis unable despite their best efforts and five added minutes at the end to pull the scores level, Liverpool had given themselves the perfect start. With the failure to add the two players Benitez wanted in the summer, the next three and a half months may be about ensuring Liverpool are as close to the pace as possible before an end of season push. Results like this one will ensure that Benitez's men go a long way to achieving that aim.
