PSV EINDHOVEN 0 - 0 LIVERPOOL
Tuesday 12 September 2006 19:45 , Champions League Group Phase
REDS EARN GOOD POINT AT PSV
Liverpool have opened their Group C account with a good point after drawing 0-0 with PSV Eindhoven in Tuesday night's Champions League clash at the Philips Stadium in Eindhoven.
Rafa's men will be pleased with their evenings work after a sound defensive display gave a platform that enabled them to create a number of good chances at the home of the Dutch Champions.
The Reds will have been happy at the break after quickly silencing a vocal home crowd and they looked the better side in the first 45 minutes. It was the first time Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy have started together, but they quickly looked to have forged an understanding and they worried the PSV defence.
Bellamy in particular was giving them cause for concern and he got behind Brazilian defender Alex twice in the opening minutes. Indeed Liverpool's first real chance came when Bellamy escaped on the left in the 11th minute, but his pull back just evaded Kuyt, who was hovering in the area.
The Reds had a scare in the 9th minute when Kone ran half the length of the field before hitting his shot against the crossbar and Reina was forced into a good save by a 23rd minute strike from Affellay. But Liverpool were soon back on the attack and Bellamy saw his shot also strike the woodwork before the referee adjudged that he had handled in the build up.
PSV came out for the second half and looked to make their home advantage pay, but Liverpool comfortably survived their good spell and were soon on the attack again themselves. They almost scored in the 57th minute when Pennant's shot forced Gomes into a save; and in the 67th minute Dirk Kuyt struck the outside of the post with an excellent shot from 25 yards.
The home side's best second half chance came in 59th minute when Kone was found by Farfan and forced Reina into a save. And Mendez threatened with a 61st minute shot that flew narrowly over.
Liverpool almost won the game in the 89th minute when Steven Gerrard's volley hit the inside of the post, but they will head home having made a good start in their pursuit of European glory and they'll go to Chelsea on Sunday in good heart.
Teams
Liverpool: Reina, Warnock, Agger, Carragher (captain), Finnan, Aurelio, Sissoko, Zenden, Pennant, Kuyt, Bellamy. Subs - Dudek, Hyypia, Gerrard, Alonso, Crouch, Garcia, Gonzalez
PSV Eindhoven: Gomes, Salcido, , Reiziger, Kromkamp, Affellay, Simons, Mendez, Culina, Farfan, Kone. Subs - Moens, Vayrynen, Kluivert, Aissati, Addo, Lamey, Da Costa
Referee: Massimo Busacca
Conditions: Warm & Humid
Attendance: Unknown
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Daniel Agger
Breakdown
18:45 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : There's a terrific atmosphere inside the Philips Stadion as PSV get the game underway
4 mins : Liverpool are passing the ball about well during the opening stages as both teams begin cautiously
5 mins : PSV force the first corner of the night and Reina has to be alert to palm away the resulting centre from the right
6 mins : Bellamy almost gets clean through on goal but his muscled off the ball by a defender just inside the box
9 mins : Sissoko concedes possession in the PSV half and the hosts break swiftly through Kone who runs through and clips the top of the crossbar with a left-footed strike
14 mins : A flowing Liverpool move involving Pennant, Bellamy and Aurelio ends with the Brazilian hitting a low shot just wide from the left edge of the area
19 mins : Former Feyenoord striker Kuyt is booed by the home fans everytime he touches the ball but is looking dangerous with his intelligent running in attack
23 mins : Reina does well to stop a well-stuck shot from distance by Afellay
26 mins : Bellamy and Kuyt combine well on the edge of the PSV box but the final ball has a bit too much pace and Gomes is quick off his line to avert any danger
28 mins : Bellamy has the ball in the back of the net following a great through ball from Kuyt but the Welshman had strayed into an offside position and the goal doesn't count
29 mins : Liverpool's Welsh striker is in the thick of the action again but as his close-range shot hits the inside of the upright the referee pulls up play for an earlier handball
31 mins : From a tight angle Bellamy fails to trouble Gomes as he clips the ball comfortably over the bar
35 mins : A timely interception by Alex denies Kuyt a good scoring opportunity on the edge of the PSV six-yard box
36 mins : Zenden goes close with an impressive strike across goal from 20-yards out
39 mins : Bellamy turns his marker and forces Gomes into a low diving save as Liverpool maintain the pressure
41 mins : Kuyt threatens with a forceful run through the centre but Salcido gets back well to put in a tackle and concede a corner
19:30 GMT : Half Time Reached
19:46 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Liverpool get the second half action underway
50 mins : PSV start the second period promisingly and Liverpool are forced back into their own half
53 mins : Carragher stands his ground well on the edge of the box to stop Farfan bursting through on goal
55 mins : Good defending by Agger denies ex-Red Kromkamp a possible goalscoring opportunity
57 mins : Pennant drills a low effort at the keeper from a central position just 20-yards from goal
59 mins : Kone squanders a great chance for PSV when side-footing tamely into the arms of Reina from close-range
61 mins : Mendez lets fly with a blistering 40-yards strike that sails narrowly past the post
62 mins : Substitution: Xabi Alonso for Momo Sissoko:
63 mins : Substitution: Ismail Aissati for Jason Culina:
66 mins : Alonso attempts an audcious 50-yard lob that's not far off the target
67 mins : Kuyt hammers a powerfully struck long-range shot narrowly beyond the far upright
68 mins : Agger is in fine form at the heart of the Liverpool defence and he's in the right place at the right time once again to thwart another PSV attack with a well-timed tackle
72 mins : Substitution: Steven Gerrard for Craig Bellamy:
74 mins : Mendez fires narrowly over for PSV
74 mins : Substitution: Mica Vayrynen for Ibrahim Affellay:
79 mins : Aurelio blazes high into the stands with a speculative snap-shot
82 mins : Substitution: Mark Gonzalez for Fabio Aurelio:
84 mins : Liverpool break with Gerrard down the right but his cross well caught by PSV keeper Gomes
84 mins : Finnan gets a vital boot in to clear the danger as confusion reigns in the Liverpool box
89 mins : Gerrard is denied a dramatic last-gasp goal by the woodwork as his spectacular dipping volley hit the inside of the post and bounces along the line before rolling to safety
20:34 GMT : Match Over
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, didnt know abt this one but i had a feeling.I didnt watch the game until the 77th minute
