Liverpool Fc Fans!! (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter KOPITE
- Start date
Now to get the thread back on track.
Reds made to work in Kiev battle
By Paul Higham - Created on 22 Aug 06
Liverpool made it into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League with a slender 3-2 aggregate victory over Maccabi Haifa after a 1-1 draw in Kiev, although they were made to sweat in a nervy ending.
Liverpool were the main aggressors throughout and took the lead early in the second half when Peter Crouch nodded in a Jermaine Pennant cross and the 2005 European Champions looked to be cruising at 3-1 up on aggregate.
However, Roberto Colautti drew Maccabi level on the night just after the hour mark and, after offering little until then, the Israeli side then sprung into action and Liverpool had to hold on in the nervous closing stages as the clock ticked down to a place in the group stages.
The victory also came at a price as Liverpool's early season injury problems struck again as both Stephen Warnock and Mohamed Sissoko went off injured.
Despite Rafa Benitez making eight changes to the starting line-up, including Steven Gerrard starting from the bench due to a stomach bug, Liverpool settled relatively quickly and created the bulk of the chances in the first half.
Crouch sliced a snapshot wide from a good position inside the box ten minutes in, while Xabi Alonso curled a super effort just inches past the post three minutes later with Nir Davidovitch well beaten.
Davidovitch produced an instinctive block on 15 minutes when Crouch supplied Luis Garcia with a neat cut-back, allowing the Spaniard to fire first-time on goal.
Haifa could have taken the lead in the 21st minute though as Liverpool survived an almighty scare as Alain Masudi nodded in after a goal-line scramble. Gustavo Boccoli flicked on Yaniv Katan's right wing free kick but Xavier Anderson was just offside at the far post as he headed back in before Masudi nodded home.
After the let-off, Liverpool returned to the offensive but Garcia was finding Davidovitch hard to beat in the Haifa goal as he twice went close.
A firm low shot was well saved by the keeper after a great ball into the box from Alonso, while Davidovitch flew off his line to parry Garcia's header after he was found by a Crouch knockdown from a corner.
In between Liverpool suffered another injury as Warnock became their third ankle injury victim in two games as he had to be replaced by Fabio Aurelio.
Liverpool started the second period brightly and went ahead on the night when Pennant beat his man and got to the byline for the first time, and he crossed for Crouch who got in front of his marker to head home at the near post.
Mark Gonzalez could have widened the gap six minutes later when he smashed into the side netting after good link-up play by Garcia.
Just two minutes later and Haifa pulled a lifeline out of nowhere when Anderson danced through the Liverpool rearguard and, when his shot was well saved by Pepe Reina the rebound was tapped in by Colautti for 1-1 on the night and a 3-2 aggregate score.
Liverpool's injury problems struck again just after the hour when the impressive Sissoko had to be carried off with a knee injury in what was a fourth injury in two games for The Reds - and stricken skipper Gerrard had to get off his sickbed to help out his side.
With the Israeli outfit now needing just one goal to force extra time, Liverpool begun to feel the pressure and Masudi went close with a volley before Daniel Agger had to clear his lines when Reina was beaten to the ball by Boccoli.
Gerrard was showing no signs of his illness when driving his shot just wide as he looked to power his side through, but Reina had to be at his very best moments later to turn over Colautti's fine curling effort.
Haifa finally showed some desire to get forward as they searched for the crucial goal but in the end Liverpool hung on despite a nervy ending to book their spot in the group stages with a 3-2 win on aggregate.
- Sky Sports
Reds made to work in Kiev battle
By Paul Higham - Created on 22 Aug 06
Liverpool made it into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League with a slender 3-2 aggregate victory over Maccabi Haifa after a 1-1 draw in Kiev, although they were made to sweat in a nervy ending.
Liverpool were the main aggressors throughout and took the lead early in the second half when Peter Crouch nodded in a Jermaine Pennant cross and the 2005 European Champions looked to be cruising at 3-1 up on aggregate.
However, Roberto Colautti drew Maccabi level on the night just after the hour mark and, after offering little until then, the Israeli side then sprung into action and Liverpool had to hold on in the nervous closing stages as the clock ticked down to a place in the group stages.
The victory also came at a price as Liverpool's early season injury problems struck again as both Stephen Warnock and Mohamed Sissoko went off injured.
Despite Rafa Benitez making eight changes to the starting line-up, including Steven Gerrard starting from the bench due to a stomach bug, Liverpool settled relatively quickly and created the bulk of the chances in the first half.
Crouch sliced a snapshot wide from a good position inside the box ten minutes in, while Xabi Alonso curled a super effort just inches past the post three minutes later with Nir Davidovitch well beaten.
Davidovitch produced an instinctive block on 15 minutes when Crouch supplied Luis Garcia with a neat cut-back, allowing the Spaniard to fire first-time on goal.
Haifa could have taken the lead in the 21st minute though as Liverpool survived an almighty scare as Alain Masudi nodded in after a goal-line scramble. Gustavo Boccoli flicked on Yaniv Katan's right wing free kick but Xavier Anderson was just offside at the far post as he headed back in before Masudi nodded home.
After the let-off, Liverpool returned to the offensive but Garcia was finding Davidovitch hard to beat in the Haifa goal as he twice went close.
A firm low shot was well saved by the keeper after a great ball into the box from Alonso, while Davidovitch flew off his line to parry Garcia's header after he was found by a Crouch knockdown from a corner.
In between Liverpool suffered another injury as Warnock became their third ankle injury victim in two games as he had to be replaced by Fabio Aurelio.
Liverpool started the second period brightly and went ahead on the night when Pennant beat his man and got to the byline for the first time, and he crossed for Crouch who got in front of his marker to head home at the near post.
Mark Gonzalez could have widened the gap six minutes later when he smashed into the side netting after good link-up play by Garcia.
Just two minutes later and Haifa pulled a lifeline out of nowhere when Anderson danced through the Liverpool rearguard and, when his shot was well saved by Pepe Reina the rebound was tapped in by Colautti for 1-1 on the night and a 3-2 aggregate score.
Liverpool's injury problems struck again just after the hour when the impressive Sissoko had to be carried off with a knee injury in what was a fourth injury in two games for The Reds - and stricken skipper Gerrard had to get off his sickbed to help out his side.
With the Israeli outfit now needing just one goal to force extra time, Liverpool begun to feel the pressure and Masudi went close with a volley before Daniel Agger had to clear his lines when Reina was beaten to the ball by Boccoli.
Gerrard was showing no signs of his illness when driving his shot just wide as he looked to power his side through, but Reina had to be at his very best moments later to turn over Colautti's fine curling effort.
Haifa finally showed some desire to get forward as they searched for the crucial goal but in the end Liverpool hung on despite a nervy ending to book their spot in the group stages with a 3-2 win on aggregate.
- Sky Sports
:faq1:
So unfair. God I hate Liverpool so much..... since the Heysel disaster and even before that, can't stand this team, which always hurts italian sides, and now this...
Goddam cowards... pushing their influence so that they won't play in Israel. It's obvious now that if they played in Israel they would have lost and Haifa would have qualified. It's all political. They were just so lucky.
So unfair. God I hate Liverpool so much..... since the Heysel disaster and even before that, can't stand this team, which always hurts italian sides, and now this...
Goddam cowards... pushing their influence so that they won't play in Israel. It's obvious now that if they played in Israel they would have lost and Haifa would have qualified. It's all political. They were just so lucky.
how is it possible to trip if there was zilch contact according to the replays shown? its called diving in my books, and making a mug out of the ref.
even if he was tripped, he played the advantage by shooting, then cuz he f*cked his shot up he fell and was looking for the peno.
but the truth is there was no contact and if there was, the defender wud of got a yellow for intent on tripping the player, so the ref must of known that there was no contact.