Category Archives: Europa League

News and views pertaining to the Europa League.

Zenit – Liverpool aftermath: Not much St. Petersburg love for Suarez

  By O-Posts Team | March 1, 2013 - 15:25 | , , , , ,
4 Comments

A week may have already passed since last week’s Europa League drama at Anfield, but there has been no let up in the controversy that has followed the game. Whether it be Liverpool’s dramatic comeback or the antics of Luis Suarez, it was a game that so far, has been impossible to forget. While Zenit can look forward to a round of 16 tie against Swiss side Basel, Liverpool are left with bitter regrets after coming so close to pulling off a remarkable comeback against the Russian champions.

But it hasn’t just been the football that has proven to be the talking point. After the final whistle, many Zenit fans have called for Liverpool star Suarez to be banned from football until he can learn to play the game properly, after Suarez was spotted on camera stamping on the back of defender Tomas Hubocan, and earlier, deliberately hacking down Nicolas Lombaerts.  Ultimately Zenit had the last laugh with progressing, but you can’t ignore the fact Liverpool came so close to cheating their way into the last 16 ahead of the Russians.

When the draw for the last 32 was made in December last year, it was straight away singled out as one of the ties to watch out for, two games that would capture the attention of not just Europe, but the whole of the footballing world. And not just traditional football fans decided to take a look, in my case even my whole family took to the TV to see how a club steeped in such tradition as Liverpool would cope against a Zenit side which has gained European pedigree only in the last few years.

And both games didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Not just the second leg at Anfield had all the thrills and spills of a typical old fashioned cup tie, the game in Saint Petersburg was no less enthralling. End to end football was the order of the day, and the controversial Suarez himself could of helped himself to a Russian hat trick. But instead it was Zenit’s Hulk who stole the show, unleashing a blockbuster of a shot to open the scoring on 69 minutes, and that was followed quickly by veteran Sergey Semak capitalising on some stilted defending to slot home.

That goal eventually ended up to probably be the killer goal in the tie, but it could have been so different. Liverpool created no less chances than their hosts, albeit mostly down to Zenit’s slack defending, but how the English outfit didn’t get at least one away goal still puzzles many two weeks after the game.

While the first game lacked in controversy, that was all about to be made up for in the second leg in Liverpool. Before the game Liverpool’s living legend and captain Steven Gerrard had publicly made a call for the Merseyside faithful to be even louder than usual given the daunting task facing the hosts, and they certainly paid attention to him. Anfield may always be a cauldron of noise even on the smallest of occasions, this was just something else. The incessant deafening shouts of the Kop were heard from the first minute all the way to the last, and almost just on voices alone did Liverpool turn over their Russian counterparts.

And yet for Zenit the evening started so well. Hulk capitalised on a loose back pass to finish calmly past goalkeeper Pepe Reina, and with that, the tie looked done and dusted. It proved to be anything but. Luis Suarez smashed home a free kick just 10 minutes later, and moments before half time Joe Allen squeezed the ball in to bring the hosts within two of progressing.

Just 15 minutes into the second half it was 3-1, a stunning Suarez free kick bring Liverpool within an inch of adding Zenit to their long list of comeback victims. But it wasn’t to be with Zenit holding out for the remaining half an hour to just about go through to the last 16, and a collective sigh of relief was felt all the way from Saint Petersburg. The real talking though had only just started.

Liverpool’s number 7 and Kop hero Luiz Suarez has always been in the thick of it. From that unforgettable deliberate handball against Ghana in the World Cup quarter final of 2010 to racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, he has never shied away from being in the spotlight.

And the game at Anfield encapsulated his career in just 90 minutes. In scoring two fantastic free kicks, in particular his second goal in the second half, he showed the whole world, just how much talent he has. On his day he is one of the most dangerous forwards on the globe and for 180 minutes he tormented the Zenit defence throughout, with the Russians in the end only just surviving.

To go with his remarkable and special talent though, he possesses the unwanted quality, of letting himself down horribly.

While on Russian soil he may not have done anything that appeared untoward, the game in England proved to be the complete opposite. His pure hunger and desire to win was obvious and that is only to be admired, but he was up to his old tricks again. Tripping up any Zenit player when he could, he then went a step further. In the lead up to Liverpool’s second goal, he hacked down the Belgian Lombaerts, an incident which forced Lombaerts off the pitch. And then came the most talked about moment, right at the end of the game.

With frustration rife amongst the Liverpool players, Suarez took it upon himself to rake his right foot on Tomas Hubocan’s back, an incident which was caught right on camera for the whole world to see. Somehow the officials missed the incident, and even more surprisingly, club officials at Zenit decided to not even follow up the incident with UEFA.

The infamous stamping incident.

The infamous stamping incident.

That hasn’t stopped Zenit fans venting their anger though, and it’s up for debate, whether such a player holds the right to be on the football field. No one doubts the talent that the Uruguayan star possesses, it’s on show just about every week for everyone to see. But such ‘tactics’ that he uses to try and win games illegally, shouldn’t be allowed to continue any more. UEFA themselves cannot follow up this most recent incident however as the referee for the night Björn Kuipers didn’t file the incident in his match report, but surely it can’t be too long before someone somewhere clamps down on such dirty tactics.

In any case, the only ones smiling come the final whistle were Zenit. The Russians survived a severe storm at Anfield and their reward is what should be a slightly less traumatic tie against Basel, and Zenit’s tag as one of the favourites for the Europa League trophy has surely only been enhanced after somehow surviving in one the loudest stadiums in Europe.

Even more pleasing however, is to see the back of Suarez for at least another European season.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

Follow Shaun on Twitter @zenitfan93

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts

Europa League Preview: Zenit vs Liverpool

  By O-Posts Team | February 14, 2013 - 16:28 | , , ,
Leave a comment

Not since 2008 have Zenit Saint Petersburg had a chance to prove their worth to the English, but five years on, and following that historic victory over Manchester United back in that momentous year of 2008, the Russian champions have a chance to defeat Manchester’s own great rivals.

Liverpool, a club which has been in decline for the past few years now, may not be the force it once was, but you will be hard pushed to find any team who relishes playing against the patriotic support of the Liverpudlians.

But for Zenit it won’t just be chance to prove themselves to the English, but to Europe overall. After having to go through scandal after scandal in their Champions League campaign, a mere 7 points were amassed, just enough for a Europa League slot. But a new year brings new hope, and after a calm winters break, the team is ready to come roaring back into action.

The Europa League may not quite have the glitz and glamour that the Champions League has, it’s still a tournament which attracts almost as much as attention, and with teams such as current European Champions Chelsea competing, the status of the so called ugly sister of the Champions League is only rising.

While many ties in the last 32 catch the eye, none more so does than this one, which pits two former UEFA Cup winners together and will indicate, just how good this current Zenit team really is.

Right at the beginning of September, optimism was rife amongst the Zenit faithful. After years of transfer disappointment, finally big time players found themselves making the trip to Russia’s cultural capital Saint Petersburg. But the only thing that Hulk and Axel Witsel achieved in doing was putting the Zenit old boys backs up.

Both Igor Denisov and Alexander Kerzhakov led an in club revolt, a situation that was resolved too late to rescue the Champions League campaign that fell apart to pieces right before our very eyes. Just 3 points from the first 4 games killed off any hopes of a repeat of last season’s trip to the playoffs, but then we just began to see the true Zenit character.

2-0 down in the home game to Malaga, grit and determination managed to save the game in claiming a 2-2 draw, and on the last matchday away to already qualified AC Milan, a lone Danny goal along with resilient defending meant that Zenit claimed their first away win in Europe for 2 years and in doing so, squeezing into the Europa League playoffs at the expense of Belgians Anderlecht.

While maybe some fans may still have turned their nose up at Europa League football, that all changed when the draw for the last 32 was made.

You can understand why noses may have been turned up at first though. After competing shoulder to shoulder with clubs with the status such as Milan, the prospect of playing against teams which you may have never even of heard of, doesn’t seem too attractive. But as soon as Liverpool were drawn out of the hat, all of a sudden the Europa League didn’t seem so bad after all.

A tie that wouldn’t look out of place in the Champions League, it gives Zenit the opportunity to prove that the typical effectiveness of British teams can be defeated by real style. And if the winner is to be determined by style, then there will be only one winner.

While the Russians can boast up to 4 or 5 players of world class level, Liverpool can claim just the two, midfield legend Steven Gerrard and the ever controversial Luis Suarez.

English football has seen quite a few drastic changes in the last few years, not least with the overnight growth of Manchester City.

Traditional underperformers Tottenham Hotspur are also now pushing for the top spots, but with clubs rising, some have to fall. And that fall guy is the 5 times European champions Liverpool, a club which was a Champions League fixture just a few years back. But times have changed, and even just qualifying for the Europa League is regarded a success for England’s fallen giant.

That’s not to say they always treat the competition with respect that is. Almost always, a second string is sent out on the field, and the English media happily slam the competition at any given moment. But everyone in England is well aware that the visit of Zenit is not to be treated lightly. While it is still unclear what kind of team Liverpool will send to Russia and for the game in England, fans at least seem to be aware of the task at hand.

I personally know many Liverpool fans, and after them being able to watch Zenit’s games in the Champions League for the past few years, they’re giving it a run for their money. The transfer of Hulk last summer particularly captured headlines in England and got everyone talking, but if many thought that only happened because of the money, the perfect opportunity to prove that wrong has arrived.

Hulk may be still finding his feet in Zenit, but the fact that he can change the game immediately with just letting rip with his ferociously powerful shot hasn’t changed. And a Liverpool defence, that doesn’t always look the most solid, will have to be fully switched on for the full 180 minutes of the tie.

But while English and Liverpool fans may still know more about Hulk himself than Zenit, it’s all about to change. Zenit look fresh and ready to go after two successful training camps in Dubai and Turkey, and while just two reasonably low key signings were made, with the purchases of young Serbian prospect Milan Rodic and Portuguese international Neto, incidentally both defenders, fans have reason to be confident.

The scandal with Denisov and Kerzhakov appears to be finally put to bed, and with Danny now fully fit, Zenit should be firing on all cylinders. Liverpool themselves haven’t been going through their worst form recently, but their over reliance on Gerrard and Suarez surely has to come back and bite them at some point.

The priority however, will be without a doubt, not conceding at home. The dodgy record on the road in Europe in the past couple of seasons signals that only a clean sheet and at least a 2-0 win at Petrovsky will fit the bill.

I’m sure even the most ardent of Liverpool supporters won’t be able to deny just how intimidating the Zenit fans are when watching the game in Saint Petersburg, and it’s the perfect opportunity to see the ever rising strength of Zenit and just how quickly Liverpool are fading away from the European scene. Expect drama.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

Follow Shaun on Twitter @zenitfan93

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts

Special Feature: Match-fixing remains vague, but still a very clear issue

  By O-Posts Team | February 9, 2013 - 11:51 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Leave a comment

On Monday, Europol, the law enforcement agency of the European Union, announced the results of an 18 month inquiry of match-fixing in football to a reaction of immense shock throughout the game.

They revealed that a total of 680 matches across the world were fixed, including a Champions League tie that had been played in England which went someway to hinting at the seriousness of their findings. Not only would they concern a club close to home, but it gave a lucid indication that match-fixing was now festering in the very highest levels of the sport.

It was an investigation that originally only involved Germany, Finland and Hungary, but expanded to over 30 countries spanning right across the world. The European Police revealed that Asia had staged 300 corrupt matches while Europe played host to 380, including “several top football matches in European leagues as well as World Cup and European Championship qualifiers”.

Officials went to the extent of revealing the figures of corruption in Germany-based matches alone; £13.9 million in total was wagered to a profit of £6.9 million and very worryingly, as they voiced from behind a stall in The Hague, this was “just the tip of the iceberg”.

However, there was a slight sense of apprehension to the report that UEFA are now awaiting in detail according to Rob Wainwright, Europol’s director. The FA, reacting to the bombshell that one of the matches in question was a Champions League game hosted in England “three or four years ago”, said they were “not aware of an credible reports into suspicious Champions League fixtures played in England, nor has any information been shared”.

The match in question was quickly confirmed as Liverpool’s one-nil win over Hungarian side Debrecen back in 2009. Charges involved Debrecen goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic for not informing officials that he was approached by fixers prior to a game with Fiorentina in that campaign, for which he was banned for two years. However, the charges only specified the Italian club and not Liverpool, who maintain they have never been told by any organisation that the match at Anfield was under investigation.

A case that concerned a goalkeeper who had previously been severely dealt with by European football’s governing body hardly fitted into the sensationalist headlines the investigation should have demanded, but it was clear as the revelation continued that the issue went far, far deeper into the heart of the game. They created a macabre of criminal syndicates, based mainly in Asia, using facilitators in Europe to bribe and corrupt all those involved in the game for financial gain.

Over 425 suspects were identified by an investigation that involved 50 arrests and 80 further search warrants. Wainwright portrayed a dark, eerie criminal network spreading itself into Europe from its epicentre out in the far-east.

It is believed that the betting syndicates are operating not only on results, but on certain events in matches similar to the no ball scandal that scourged the Pakistani cricket team back in 2010. That should be familiar to the everyday football fan who is exposed to in play betting and the plethora of markets now available to betting companies who have developed into a mass businesses on the back of such practice.

The wide-scale of Europol's match-fixing probe.

The wide-scale of Europol’s match-fixing probe.

With so many areas on which to place money in the sport, there is always a suspicion that a footballer can take advantage on an individual level, it was Southampton’s Matt Le Tissier who claimed he made a spread-bet, of which he failed, on himself to win the first throw-in in a game with Wimbledon back in 1995.

Europol’s findings have taken that suspicion and multiplied it to a grave worry that manipulation is taking place on the grandest of scales via a murky underground network of criminals threatening to send a game that has always prided itself on fair play and honest competition into a state of decay.

With the African Nations Cup taking place in South Africa, Paul Put, the Belgian coach of Burkina Faso, said he was not surprised by Europol’s findings, claiming the problem is pandemic.

He has had a previous run-in with the practice having served a three year ban in Belgium after being found guilty for fixing two matches while manager of Lierse, a con allegedly organised by Chinese business man Ye Zheyun and has led to forty people being charged. “Match-fixing has always existed in football” said Put, “that is reality but what can you do about it?”

Even stronger views came from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who feared these revelations would form a “tsunami” that would overwhelm the sport. “I cannot accept this” said Wenger, “I was always aware there was a lot cheating in the game and we are not strong enough on what is happening”. These words were motivated partly by Wenger’s past with corruption that involved his Monaco team being caught up in the match-fixing scandal with Marseille in the early 1990s and he now calls for severe sanctions on those found guilty.

Wenger did allay fears over the domestic game though, remaining adamant that English football remains free of corruptive influence, “match-fixing is not a problem in England” said the Frenchman.

The football world will now await the next chapter of this saga, that will probably appear with the details of UEFA’s revision into the Europol investigation, with a great deal of agitation. There will be a hope that the more the governing bodies continue to peruse over the investigation with the finest of tooth-combs, the more information will gradually begin to come clearer in order to erode away the mystery that is shrouding this squalid world of corruption.

The European Police have gone a long way to confirming a fear that football is blighted by a darker-side but there is a sense that it has only scratched the surface, it now must delve further into the abyss in order to ensure football remains free of the disease lurking underneath.

 

Written by Adam Gray

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamGray1250

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts

Special Feature: Best Football Video Games of All Time

  By O-Posts Team | January 8, 2013 - 20:23 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Leave a comment

Over the years, many gaming companies have tried to cash in on the most popular sport in the world, football, and make a game that makes the player feel like he’s right there in the thick of the action. This has been attempted in many ways, from manager simulations to games where you control the team on the field and in many formats including arcade, console and PC games.

 

Championship Manager 01-02 (2000)

The Championship Manager franchise, (now Football Manager) dominated the manager simulation genre for years and peaked in the 2001 – 2002 season, according to many fans of the game. Later versions tend to be far more in-depth which does have obvious advantages, but detracts from the user-friendliness of the game. 01-02 has the perfect blend of difficulty, complexity and usability and is probably one of the most addictive games of all time.

 

Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (2005)

Each year since before the start of the century, the battle between FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer gets played out. While both have had their turn on top, in the middle of the last decade it was all about PES and in 2005, Konami out did themselves. Passing became more important making the game more realistic when it came to end of game results and tackling also changed with this version which added the need for higher skill levels amongst human players.

 

FIFA 09 (2008)

FIFA 09 is considered by many as the best ever installment of the most famous of all football game series and is the one that put the franchise back on top after a spell trailing to their arch rivals at PES. Over 250 changes were made to enhance the realism, gameplay and response times. Skill and ability stats became more important and even the more talented human players found controlling the players when performing tackles, passing etc. needed a little practice to perfect.

 

Kick-Off 2 (1990)

When Anco brought out Kick-Off 2 on the Atari ST, it was seen by many as the best football game ever. It had what was considered very accurate representations on the pitch and at least attempted to use real tactics and formations.

 

Sensible Soccer (1992)

 

In its day, Sensible Soccer by Amiga was the definitive football game. It had an innovative bird’s eye view and is still popular to this day amongst retro gamers. Stanford University compiled a list in 2007 for the Library of Congress detailing the 10 most important video games of all time and Sensible Soccer was the only football game on it.

 

Special Mention

Intellivision Soccer (1980)

Brought out by Mattel Electronics, Intellivision Soccer gets a special mention as it broke the mould and was way ahead of its time. It was the first to give the 3D effect, the isometric point of view and a scrolling pitch, all features that would be used extensively by other sports games for the next couple of decades.

 

Morgan is a Football lover and enthusiast. He also likes to bet sometimes in football matches. You can also find him writing in his personal blog called Free Bets.

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts

Betting Promo: Place Your Bets and Get Free at Sky Bet Offers!

  By O-Posts Team | January 7, 2013 - 17:00 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Leave a comment

What would you do with a 5 free bet every week? That’s what Sky Bet is offering to their active users! If you’re a sports lover, why not take your passion to the next level by placing an occasional bet on your favourite team.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get involved with sports betting, either. There are lots of free bets and bonuses available at online sports-books, but perhaps the most generous is the offer that Sky Bet is running.

As a new user, you will qualify for a complimentary Sky Bet free bet worth 10. Simply open an account and get a 10 free bet, instantly. There’s no need to make a deposit. As long as you are a new user, joining during the eligible offer period, you will qualify for this bonus.

In addition, you will get a Sky Bet free bet worth 5 each week as long as you placed a 5 bet with your own money during the previous week. This offer is a great way to get started in the exciting world of online sports betting.

 

A Huge Selection of Sports to Choose From

No matter what sport you are a fan of, there is a good chance that you will be able to bet on it at Sky Bet. The site covers traditional betting favourites such as football, horse racing and darts, but it is not limited to those sports. Other sports that you can bet on include speedway, NFL, golf, greyhound racing, MMA, Moto GP, snooker and tennis.

The site also takes special bets on subjects such as the possibility of a white Christmas, or the name that the royals, William and Kate, will give their first baby.

 

Lots of Betting Options

If you usually feel intimidated by sports betting websites, fear not. Sky Bet offers lots of betting options. You can bet on the outcome of the game, race, or event by placing an Outright bet, or if the sport allows it (such as horse racing), a Forecast/Tricast bet.

With some sports, such as football, you can bet on who will be the first to score, whether or not there will be scores in both halves, or what the finishing score for the game will be. You don’t have to worry about spread betting or other more complex bet formats if those do not interest you.

Sky Bet is a great place to get started with sports betting and could well become your betting home in the long term. If, at some point in the future you were to feel that you have outgrown the site (or you find a love for a sport that is not supported), you can look on bookmaker comparison sites such as Chips to see what other options are out there. However, for the average UK sports fan, this is, no pun intended, a safe bet.

 

AUTHOR BIO : Diyana Hall is a sports betting expert and avid deals hunter. She enjoys experimenting with new sites in the sports betting world, taking advantage of a sky bet free bet and other welcome bonus offers whenever possible. She writes on the subject of online betting for a range of deals websites and sporting blogs.

 

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts

Tottenham vs Maribor: Defoe the star for Spurs yet again

  By O-Posts Team | November 8, 2012 - 23:34 | , ,
Leave a comment
226411hp2

After two defeats in a row at home and just one victory in all competitions in the last month, Tottenham Hotspur hosted a Maribor side that also found themselves in somewhat of a rough patch; with a 100% record throughout September, the Slovenian side had only picked up two wins since the end of the month before tonight, with one of those – a slim victory, it must be added – coming in the Slovenian Cup against second-tier side NK Zavrč.

Both out of form and both fighting for a place in the last thirty-two of this year’s Europa League, victory at White Hart Lane certainly was essential for both sides.

After showing their clear frustration towards André Villas-Boas for replacing Jermain Defoe with Emanuel Adebayor early into the second half against Wigan last weekend, the young Portuguese manager seemingly granted the wishes of the ever faithful by starting the two strikers together for the first time competitively since the start of his reign. Tonight also marked Adebayor’s first start of the season and Villas-Boas’ first time opting to go with a simple 4-4-2 formation since his arrival at White Hart Lane.

After much speculation about its success before kickoff, the partnership of Adebayor and Defoe seemed to work wonderfully from the start, Spurs dominating both in possession and chances early on.

Their hard work and attacking force was rewarded after twenty-two minutes when Gareth Bale broke down the left wing and beat Maribor right-back Martin Milec – as he did so often during the evening – before whipping in a perfectly-weighted low cross for Defoe to side foot with skill past goalkeeper Jasmin Handanović.

The hosts continued to dominate for the rest of the first half until, moments before the half-time break, a poorly chosen pass back from youngster Kyle Naughton left Hugo Lloris under pressure from Maribor striker Robert Berić, the young Slovenian striker throwing his body in front of Lloris’ attempted clearance and guiding the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-1.

Despite their costly mistake, Spurs started the second half with the same drive and intensity as they did in the first, Defoe grabbing his second of the game just four minutes in when Tom Carroll – another youngster thrust, and rightly so, into an important game by Villas-Boas – played an impressive ball through the Maribor defence, Defoe converting coolly and clinically as he has done so many times before.

Maribor tried to initiate a comeback but the Spurs back line held strong and Adebayor, this evening completing his first full ninety minutes in a Spurs shirt for the first time since the final game of Harry Redknapp’s reign last season at home to Fulham, had the perfect chance to put the home side 3-1 ahead not long after but the Togolese striker sent his Bale-assisted half-volley wide of the post.

Luckily for Spurs, Bale, easily the best player of the night alongside Defoe, was on hand to seal the win for the North Londoners when he connected with Defoe yet again, the Welshman breaking down the left wing that he so often rules like his own personal kingdom before firing in another low cross for Defoe to calmly tuck away to grab his hat-trick and the win for Spurs, as well as lifting him to second place in Tottenham’s European all-time scoring charts.

On the day that England boss Roy Hodgson announced his squad for the upcoming friendly against Sweden and didn’t include Defoe, tonight’s performance sure was the perfect way for the thirty-year-old to showcase just why England still need him so desperately.

Spurs’ win sees them climb to second place in Group J, two points behind leaders Lazio – who they travel to Rome to play in two weeks time – and now two points ahead of Maribor. Unbeaten in the Europa League so far but with only one victory out of four games, André Villas-Boas’ side will be hoping that tonight’s win will give them the momentum to pick up the four points needed to reach the knockout stage that they so desperately require.

If Villas-Boas sticks to tonight’s system that worked so well and his team delivers what he knows they’re capable of there’s certainly no doubt that they can achieve just that.

 

Written by Ben Cullimore

Follow him on Twitter @bencullimore

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts

Anzhi vs Liverpool: Cole’s birthday doesn’t bring much joy for the Reds

  By O-Posts Team | November 8, 2012 - 22:59 | , , ,
Leave a comment
909065-15144609-640-360

Liverpool suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala as Lacina Traore spurred his team to victory at the Lokomotiv Stadium. Traore’s impressive individual finish came in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

Liverpool have lost just three of their last 23 Europa League matches. The goal was just enough to see Hiddink’s men through and Liverpool see their Europa League progression hanging in the balance.

The Reds fielded a weakened side and had a number of key players rested as they look forward to Sunday’s mouth watering fixture with Chelsea, but manager Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed with his side’s lack of product in the final third. For security reasons, the match was scheduled at Dynamo Stadium in Moscow – 1,000 miles away from their main home ground.

In last month’s corresponding fixture, Anzhi lost to a superb long range effort from Stewart Downing. Brad Jones was in the Liverpool goal again this week and was called into action early on, easily taming Rasim Tagirbekov’s effort. The Liverpool keeper was called into action a few times, quickly off his line to deal with a lose ball and collecting  aerial balls.

Anzhi had a few decent opportunities,  winning free kicks in potentially dangerous positions and Samuel Eto’o's effort was well saved by Jones. However, in the 46th minute the deadlock was broken as Traore picked up the ball from 35 yards, flicked it over the head of Coates and charged to the edge of the penalty area, lifting the ball over the advancing keeper and rolling into an empty net.

After a poor first half, where Traore’s goal was undoubtedly the highlight of the game, Liverpool needed to get back on their feet. A double substitution saw attackers Dani Pacheco and Suso enter the game, as Liverpool injected pace and agility into a very slow-paced match.

Full back Flanagan was booked for a challenge on former Chelsea player Yuri Zhirkov. Anzhi continued to get the better of the Reds, and should have doubled their lead when Tagirbekov’s beautifully weighted ball picked out the 6ft 8 Traore, who failed to capitalize, heading the ball straight into the hands of Jones.

Joe Cole, who turns 31 today was close in grabbing an equalizer for Rodgers. A seemingly harmless ball was fumbled by the Makhachkala keeper, but he recovered well to save Cole’s follow up effort.

After a relatively poor game, the referee brought the game to a close.

As things stand, Anzhi replace Liverpool at the top with seven points. Liverpool sit in second place, level on points with Swiss side Young Boys, who they face next at Anfield.

 

Written by Farhan Daw

Follow him on Twitter @RarnieD

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts