You'll Never Walk Alone

REDS RELEGATE BAGGIES WITH 2-0 WIN

2009-05-18T10:20:00.000+08:00

WEST BROM 0 - 2 LIVERPOOL
Sunday 17 May 2009 13:30 , Barclays Premier League

REDS RELEGATE BAGGIES WITH 2-0 WIN

Goals from Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt ensured Liverpool will end 2008-09 with their highest ever Premier League points tally.

The 2-0 victory means the Reds have now amassed 83 this term, one more than in 2005-06. Strikes either side of the break also ended any lingering hopes of survival for a plucky West Brom side.

While there is no consolation for missing out on the title following United's draw against Arsenal, Rafa Benitez will take heart from the fact his team took the race to the penultimate weekend, a feat not achieved by any of his three predecessors.

It was a West Brom side fighting for their Premier League lives who created all the early chances here, notably when Jonathan Greening forced a superb low save from Pepe Reina after a far-post corner.

The Baggies skipper continued to lead by example, nutmegging Javier Mascherano before firing a wicked ball across the area which Reina somehow managed to divert.

It was already turning out to be one of the busiest of Reina's 50 appearances this term as his teammates struggled to find their rhythm against a team desperate not to be playing Championship football in 2009-10.

Next, Kuyt had to display all of his defensive qualities to head clear a Chris Brunt cross as Juan Carlos Menseguez lurked.

Liverpool had yet to muster a serious opportunity when they opened the scoring on 28 minutes. It came when Gerrard pounced on sloppy possession from Shelton Martis, strode into the box and sliced beyond Dean Kiely.

A distraught Martis was consoled by his teammates as the newly-crowed Footballer of the Year pondered his 24th strike of a memorable campaign, one more than his previous best tally.

Tony Mowbray's men almost conjured an instant reply when Carragher slipped to let Marc-Antoine Fortune through on goal before Daniel Agger intervened with a fine interception.

But it was Liverpool for whom half-time came too soon as they began to demonstrate some of their relentless end-of-season form.

First, Kiely added to a weekend of fine saves, tipping a flicked header from Torres onto the roof of the net. The goalkeeper's good work was almost immediately undone when he spilled a 25-yard drive from Agger, with Yossi Benayoun's bid to capitalise thwarted by an offside flag.

The half ended in controversy as Gerrard squared up to Jonas Olsson after being denied a penalty following a barge to the ground.

West Brom regained some impetus as the sides came out for the second half, with Menseguez testing Reina with a low drive after a mistake from Lucas.

Even worse for the visitors was the sight of Mascherano limping to the touchline on 51 minutes with a knock sustained late in the first period.

His replacement, Xabi Alonso, nearly had an instant impact with a lovely ball to Torres, who found a yard before blasting wide with his right foot.

The Spain international was again sent clear by Gerrard minutes later but the angle made Kiely's low save routine.

With time running out on his club's top flight tenure, Mowbray sacrificed centre-back Martis for midfielder Borja Valero.

The Baggies' record signing wasted no time making his presence felt with a slick pass which defied Liverpool's offside trap. Menseguez was through on Reina but instead squared to Fortune, who was beaten to it by a clumsy if effective challenge by Lucas. A collective scream echoed round The Hawthorns but referee Martin Atkinson waved away their penalty protests.

Moments later indignation turned to heartache as Liverpool scored the goal which effectively sealed their fate. It came on 63 minutes as Kuyt and Gerrard combined before the Dutchman lashed an unstoppable effort beyond the reach of Kiely from the edge of the box.

Kuyt, too, had now trumped his best ever goals tally in England with an impressive haul of 15 from the right wing.

Lucas should have got his name on the scoresheet after doing all the hard work to turn Olsson before poking wide from eight yards.

West Brom refused to go down without a fight, with Fortune denied first by a last-gasp challenge from Jamie Carragher, then by the crossbar. Substitute Luke Moore also struck the post with a neat turn and shot from the edge of the box.

Their side was trying everything, though it was becoming harder for the capacity crowd to believe with every passing minute.

Any faint hopes of a miracle comeback were almost put to bed with five minutes remaining when a superb dummy from Alonso left substitute Ryan Babel with just Kiely to beat. The Dutchman somehow contrived to curl wide.

The miss proved academic as Liverpool held on to record their 13th away win of the season, equalling a club record set 104 years ago.

Teams

Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa, Benayoun, Mascherano, Leiva, Kuyt, Gerrard (captain), Torres. Subs - Alonso, Riera, Ngog, Dossena, Cavalieri, Skrtel, Babel

West Brom: Kiely, Donk, Martis, Olsson, Zuiverloon, Koren, Greening (captain), Mulumbu, Brunt, Menseguez, Fortune. Subs - Carson, Moore, Borja Valero, Simpson, Wood, Meite, Filipe Teixeira

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Conditions: Windy

Attendance: Unknown

Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Dirk Kuyt

8 goals thriller

2009-04-15T10:11:00.004+08:00

Chelsea denied Liverpool the glory of another sensational European comeback to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 7-5 aggregate win.

Liverpool, trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Anfield, stunned the Blues with two first-half goals from Fabio Aurelio and Xabi Alonso, who scored a penalty.

Scoring Summary
Chelsea	Liverpool
Alex (57)	Fabio Aurelio (19)
Didier Drogba (51)	Xabi Alonso (pen 28)
Frank Lampard (76)	Lucas (81)
Frank Lampard (89)	Dirk Kuyt (82)

Chelsea's defensive frailties, exposed so clinically by Bolton in the Premier League at the weekend, looked like costing them a place in the last four as Liverpool, without their talismanic midfielder Steven Gerrard, threatened to pull off another miracle.

But the Blues looked home and dry after producing a sensational comeback of their own - scoring three times in the second half to lead 6-3 on aggregate at one stage.

Yet this incredible contest took another twist when Liverpool scored twice in as many minutes through Lucas and Dirk Kuyt to leave them just one goal adrift of an incredible victory.

However, Frank Lampard's second in the 89th minute secured a 4-4 draw on the night and a date with Barcelona.

The home side had been outplayed in the opening 45 minutes and had barely threatened to get on the scoresheet despite coach Guus Hiddink's pre-match assertion that Chelsea would go for more goals.

They had to wait until six minutes after the break for the goal which eased the growing pressure on their ambitions of reaching the final in Rome.

Didier Drogba's effort was deflected into the back of the net by Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina and a stunning 25-yard free-kick from Brazilian defender Alex then looked to have eased any remaining worries.

When Lampard added a third in the 76th minute the tie seemed to be effectively all over, but Liverpool had other ideas.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez had always maintained the first goal would be the most important but when Kuyt collected a pass from Yossi Benayoun and fired over in the 13th minute, he could have been forgiven for thinking that perhaps the task ahead was indeed far too great.

But six minutes later Liverpool were in dreamland when they punished Lampard's push on Kuyt in spectacular fashion.

With everyone expecting the free-kick from the right of goal to be pumped high into the centre of the penalty area, Aurelio stunned everyone, including the flat-footed Petr Cech, by firing his 30-yard effort straight into the bottom near corner of the net.

Referee Luis Cantalejo then rightly awarded Liverpool a penalty when Chelsea's first-leg goal hero Branislav Ivanovic clearly held back Alonso.

The Liverpool midfielder stepped up to beat Cech and suddenly the impossible seemed possible.

Chelsea had Cech to thank for keeping them on level terms on aggregate when he tipped away a header from Kuyt in the final minute of the opening half.

Hiddink's side needed a goal to take the sting out of Liverpool's motivation and it arrived somewhat fortunately in the 51st minute.

Nicolas Anelka, a 35th-minute replacement for the poor Salomon Kalou, crossed low from the right and Drogba got a touch on the ball, with Reina only able to turn it over the line.

Chelsea made it 2-2 on the night when Jamie Carragher's foul on Drogba was punished by a fierce 25-yard free-kick by Alex.

With 14 minutes remaining Liverpool's dreams looked finished when Drogba crossed for Lampard to apply the finish.

But a long-range effort from Lucas was deflected off Michael Essien and beyond Cech in the 81st minute and, somewhat astonishingly, Kuyt put Liverpool 4-3 ahead on the night with a six-yard header two minutes later.

But with Liverpool needing one more goal for a glorious victory in this emotional week on Merseyside, 20 years on from the Hillsborough disaster, Lampard ended a stunning contest with his second of the night in the last minute.

Chelsea will face Barcelona in the last four but only after Liverpool had pushed them all the way in a pulsating contest that was a marvellous showcase for English and European football.

Benitez must have wished Gerrard had been fit enough to play as his contribution may well have been the telling one, on a night when the Reds almost managed to achieve the unthinkable. (ESPN)

Benitez faces conundrum over Gerard fitness

2009-04-11T10:41:00.003+08:00

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has admitted he faces a tough decision over the selection of Steven Gerrard for Saturday's game against Blackburn Rovers.
GettyImages

Gerrard has a abductor problem

Benitez has revealed that his skipper has been struggling with an abductor problem for a number of weeks which makes it difficult for him to play two matches in a short period of time.

Should Gerrard face Rovers in what is a must-win game at Anfield it will place his participation at Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday in serious doubt.

Benitez was quick to insist that it would not be a case of prioritising the league over Europe, but simply looking after the player's interests.

It seems most likely that Gerrard will be named on the bench against Blackburn and will then start against Chelsea, with a week's break before the next Premier League encounter. Thereafter he will have to be nursed through the remainder of the season.

Benitez said: "We were aware of the injury before the first leg against Chelsea. It is not easy for him to play two games in four days with the injury he has.

"The decision I have to make is whether I use him against Blackburn or Chelsea. If we do play him against Blackburn it does not mean we are writing off the Champions League. But we must approach each game on its merits.

"If he feels he can play, then he will and we will assess the situation afterwards. Anything more could be a risk. Maybe we could keep him on the bench and use him if we need to?

"After Chelsea we have a complete week before our next game because the Arsenal home game is the following Tuesday. If he gets injured again he could need more than a week to recover; it is tough call but we will consider all the risks.

"We have been talking about the fitness of players like Steven for a long time, do we have rotation or do we keep our key players on the pitch?

"We have had that problem with Fernando Torres and now Gerrard. We have two games in four days, both very important to our ambitions.

"After that, even if we qualify and have a Champions League semi-final, that is only two more games. We will be playing virtually one game a week and that makes it easier to manage the situation regarding Steven's fitness.

"I have spoken with Steven today and we will do the same tomorrow [Saturday] along with the doctor. If he breaks down now we could lose him for two or three weeks and that would be a serious blow. It depends on him and how he feels.

"There is no priority but we play Blackburn first and that obviously is what we are concentrating on. After that it will be Chelsea. We will try our best at Chelsea, it is not over yet, but we want to be top of the table after our game with Blackburn because that will put pressure on Manchester United.''

Benitez's concerns over Gerrard's long-term involvement in Liverpool's title chase overshadowed any annoyance he may have felt with Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce's claims "he loves a moan and a whinge''.

Benitez would only say: "I would expect to play the game tomorrow and afterwards just talk about football. I will shake his hand, no problem there.

"Blackburn are in a difficult position but they have won some games recently and they have improved. They, too, will have to win against us, it is as massive for them as us.

"But we know they are a physical team. We will try to play football but, if we have to fight for the ball, then we will do that.

"I have seen Sam Allardyce's teams at Bolton and now at Blackburn. I do not expect the style to change very much but I believe it is more difficult to manage at the bottom of the table because every defeat is very negative.

"The pressures there are so much different, losing games there is not the same as losing games in the top half of the table.

"But we will have our confidence back, the team are ready and looking forward to this game.''

Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher believes the clash with Blackburn at Anfield is the most important league game he has ever played in.

He said: "The Blackburn game is the biggest league match of my career right now. I'm not just saying that because of what happened against Chelsea, but the league has always been the priority of everyone at this club.

"In the 13 years I have been involved in the first team, this will be the biggest league game I have been involved in, it really is that important.

"If we win we can go top of the league with just six games to go, and if anyone had told us at the beginning of the season we would be in this position now, we would have been delighted.

"This is a massive chance for everyone at the club and I am sure the fans will create a great atmosphere because they know what is at stake.''

Xabi Alonso agrees with Carragher's viewpoint.

He said: "The Blackburn game is very important for us. I hope it won't be a problem to forget about Chelsea because we are professionals and this is another competition. We still have a chance to fight for the Premier League.

"At home this season we have dropped too many points, this time it has to be different. We have to start very well and play very well to win the game. It's important to do our job and that is to win this game.''

He added: "Of course, there is no doubt Manchester United are still favourites. They have the advantage and we respect that but our job is to try to go for it and fight.''

The Reds crush 5 against Villa

2009-03-23T14:41:00.002+08:00

Liverpool are breathing down Manchester United's necks in the Premier League title race after destroying fifth-placed Aston Villa 5-0.

• Rafa wanted five

It was the third stunning Liverpool victory in 12 days, having previously put four past Real Madrid and Manchester United.

The champions' lead is now one point - they also have a game in hand - but Liverpool have now scored more goals than Sir Alex Ferguson's men and have also wiped out their goal-difference advantage.

Villa had no answer to a side with a driven desire to take the title from under United's noses.

Steven Gerrard scored a hat-trick with a free-kick and two penalties, with the latter one following the dismissal of goalkeeper Brad Friedel for bringing down Reds striker Fernando Torres.

In the first-half Dirk Kuyt and Albert Riera had scored, before Gerrard took over with his set-piece onslaught.

Liverpool had Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa back from respective ankle and hamstring injuries that ruled them out of last weekend's win at Manchester United, with Sami Hyypia and Lucas relegated to the bench.

They were joined there by defender Daniel Agger, who has only played one game since mid-December after a variety of injury problems.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill left out striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, who has scored only twice since before Christmas and was booed by his club's own fans last weekend. Defender Zat Knight was also on the bench, with John Carew and Curtis Davies back in the side.

There was still a solemn start to the proceedings, with a minute's silence following the death yesterday of 56-year-old club secretary Bryce Morrison, after he had flown back from the Champions League draw in Switzerland.

Morrison, who had worked at Anfield for 17 years, suffered a heart attack at home. Both teams wore black armbands.

The game got off to a blistering start, and after eight minutes Liverpool were ahead.

Alonso's header from Gerrard's free-kick cracked against the bar, and Dirk Kuyt reacted quickest to blast the ball home from 12 yards.

At the other end Ashley Young's cross arrowed in from the left and Carew's flick at the near post almost caught out Jose Reina - but the goalkeeper tipped the ball over the angle.

The contest was ferocious, and Gerrard was then rightly booked for a fierce, late, challenge on Davies.

Then Reina made another outstanding save to his left to claw away a towering header from Carew - who played under Benitez at Valencia.

Liverpool were relentless and after 33 minutes they claimed a second goal.

Reina's 80-yard clearance was allowed to bounce once on the edge of the area by a Villa defence pre-occupied with Torres and Riera took full advantage by smashing the dropping ball high into the net.

It could have been three when Arbeloa intercepted a bad Friedel clearance inside the Villa box, but he chose to pass to Torres rather than shooting himself.

But the third was not long coming. After 39 minutes Riera controlled a searching crossfield pass from Kuyt, and was brought down in the box by Nigel Reo-Coker. Gerrard smashed home the spot-kick.

Any thoughts of a Villa revival were crushed after 50 minutes when Carlos Cuellar brought down Kuyt on the edge of the box and Gerrard drilled the free-kick low to Friedel's left and into the bottom corner.

Former Reds striker Emile Heskey had a header held by Reina, but was by now being employed on the left trying to halt Arbeloa and Kuyt's flow down the flank - with Young switched to a central attacking role.

The ploy did not last long - Agbonlahor replaced Heskey after 58 minutes, with Young back on the line- but things got worse for Villa after 63 minutes when Friedel was dismissed for clashing with Torres and Gerrard drilled home the fifth past Villa's reserve keeper Brad Guzan.

Lucas, Agger and David Ngog replaced Alonso, Arbeloa and Gerrard in the closing minutes of a comprehensive victory.

Rafa wanted fiveLiverpool almost satisfied their hard-to-please manager Rafael Benitez with the 5-0 demolition of Aston Villa which today edged them to within one point of Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United.

Benitez was disappointed from the point that Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel was sent off for conceding Liverpool's second penalty - which resulted in their final goal.

From then on, with 25 minutes left, the Anfield men took their foot off the gas.

They had already overhauled United's once superior goal difference and have now scored more times than the champions this season.

"There were times after the fifth goal when we should have gone on and scored more,'' said Benitez. "We should have kept going, scored more and made sure that our goal difference was better when we were playing against 10 men.

"You never know what we will need, how many more goals we could have scored during that period. Don't get me wrong. I was happy with the performance and the result, but we should have gone on and scored more.''

Benitez is content now that Liverpool have put themselves back into a position from which they can help shape their own destiny.

"As far as the title chase is concerned, we just have to keep doing our job - we must not be concerned about United's results and how they are playing,'' he believes. "If United do make mistakes we must be ready, and that means carrying on doing what we are doing and winning points.

"We are playing well, and they will see that we are playing well and trying to win every game. We have eight games left, and every one must be won - and be treated as a cup final. Certainly we must maintain this momentum, and when we are playing well it just increases confidence.

"We now have an international break, so the players must come back from that, re-group and start playing again just as we are at the moment.''

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill conceded his side were overpowered.

"We were well beaten by an exceptional Liverpool side,'' he said. "But we did contribute to our own downfall. At 1-0 down, we gave away an unbelievably bad goal. It was a shocking mistake. Liverpool have had two remarkable results before this game, beating Real Madrid and Manchester United - and they certainly did not need any help from us to achieve what they wanted.

"We played poorly. We gave away some lousy goals and we have to get back on track. We were doing fine four or five weeks ago, but we were well beaten by a better side. But we are a better side than we showed in this game.''

Benitez also paid tribute to Liverpool secretary Bryce Morrison, who died yesterday morning. "Bryce is a big loss to this club, and this has been a big week for us. But this is a very sad day,'' he said. (ESPN)

The Reds crush 4 against MU

2009-03-16T09:56:00.001+08:00

Liverpool played themselves back into Premier League contention with a resounding 4-1 win at Old Trafford in Saturday's early game. Although Manchester United remain four points clear with a game in hand and superior goal difference, they are now under slightly more pressure in one of the three remaining competitions they are seeking to win.

Empics Vidic: The Serbian capped a bad day with a red card.

United shaded a relatively open quarter and took the lead on 23 minutes. Carlos Tevez threaded a pass through to Ji-Sung Park, deep into the Liverpool penalty area, and Park's touch took him beyond goalkeeper Jose Reina, although away from goal. Committed to the tackle, Reina brought Park down and was beaten to his right from Cristiano Ronaldo's subsequent penalty.

United sought to press home their advantage, but Fernando Torres took advantage of a glaring error by Nemanja Vidic and equalised with 28 minutes gone. In the penultimate minute of the first half, Liverpool were ahead, Patrice Evra misjudging a crossfield ball, pulling down the passing Steven Gerrard who converted the resultant penalty.

Although United were on top for the first half of the second period they rarely threatened to score, and the game was effectively ended after 77 minutes. Vidic, enduring the definitive nightmare afternoon, hacked down Gerrard who would have been clear on goal and after receiving a red card had to watch as Fabio Aurelio whacked in a free kick for 3-1. There was still time for United to be caught again as they chased the game with ten men, and Andrea Dossena compounded their misery with a deft chip over Van der Sar after a long, straight punt from Reina had inexcusably evaded their entire back four.

Rafa on MU, EPL title and players

2009-03-14T11:49:00.000+08:00

Rafa Benitez took time out of his pre-match preparations to speak to radio journalists as part of the build-up to tomorrow's clash with Manchester United. Here is what he had to say in full.

Journalist: Rafa, a lot of Liverpool fans have said to me that they'd love to see the team go out at Manchester United in the same way they did against Real Madrid during the week. Can you do that at Old Trafford?

Everything is possible. We will play against another team in another scenario. They have a lot of confidence in the league, so clearly it will be different and difficult. But if we play with the same high-tempo and keep the ball in the same way, then why not?

Journalist: How much confidence do you take from that win against Madrid?

I think we needed to play a good game to beat a top side like Madrid. We had confidence before, but now the mood is really good. I think people are waiting for this game with great excitement.

Journalist: You've achieved many things during your time as Reds boss, but you have never won at Old Trafford. What has been the stumbling block?

They are a good team and the atmosphere at Old Trafford is really good for them, so it is not easy - but maybe this can be the first time.

Journalist: Would it represent a closing of the gap between the two sides if you were to complete a league double over them?

Our idea is to get the three points, reduce the gap and stay close. We want the team to keep thinking about the title race. We know it will be very difficult, but if we can start the game well, I think we can do it.

Journalist: Looking at the way the season has gone it would be fair to say Liverpool and Man United have been the best teams in England this season. When you consider the results in midweek, would it also be fair to say you are the two best sides in Europe too?

We are both in a good position and have done well. You can say yes, but it would just create headlines. Looking at Europe, you can see the four English teams are still there, but I'd rather be in the final and then we can talk about these things.

Journalist: Javier Mascherano's sending off last season caught all the headlines. Did it show that this is a game for cool heads?

Yes clearly. In these types of games it is important to work really hard, play with your heart and also with your brain. The small details can decide the game, so you have to keep all your players on the pitch.

Journalist: So you have to hope the man in charge has a similarly cool approach to it?

It's not easy for the referee so you have to approach the game thinking they will try their best. Hopefully it will be okay. If he doesn't make a mistake, it will be up to the players on the pitch to make the difference.

Journalist: Your players seem to show extra motivation ahead of big matches - do you sense it is there ahead of this one?

Yes, this is the kind of game everyone wants to play in. It was the same against Real Madrid. They all want to play.

Journalist: Ryan Babel played particularly well against Real Madrid on Tuesday night. Does that please or frustrate you because he hasn't always achieved that level this season?

You have to be pleased when a player is doing well. It is very positive for his confidence and good for the team. We know he has talent. We are working with him. He is a young Dutch player who needs time. Van Persie was the same, Bergkamp was the same, so we have to be patient. We are now hoping to see the best of Babel for the rest of the season.

Journalist: Of course, he has fond memories of playing against Man United this season, having scored the winner at Anfield back in September...

Yes, he got the winner. It was very good for him and very good for our fans. To beat United was important.

Journalist: Can the fact many are writing you off in the title race, act as a motivation to some of your players?

It could be the case. We want to be in a position where we are proud and improving. We play for the club and the fans. It is part of our responsibility to try and do well.

Journalist: So you still believe in your title chances?

Clearly, if we can beat United you never know what can happen. If we can reduce the gap it will give us more confidence and we will approach the forthcoming games with positivity.

Journalist: Do you sense an extra desire going into this fixture, this season, compared to ones in the past?

Yes because we are in a much better position. We know it is a challenge. We know it can make a massive difference if we win there.

Journalist: It's a while since you last scored there isn't it?

Yes it is. Clearly, you must score the first goal. The players will then play with more confidence so we will try to do that.

Journalist: Will Fernando Torres need an injection for the clash at Old Trafford?

I don't know. Maybe. He was training today and is fit, so if he does it will be to just ease the pain.

ECL Result : Reds humiliate Real

2009-03-11T10:15:00.005+08:00

Liverpool produced a magnificent performance to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 5-0 aggregate defeat of Real Madrid.In a remarkable first half, Real Madrid were torn to shreds by a breathtaking attacking display led by Fernando Torres, their arch-enemy from his Atletico Madrid days.Torres scored early on, before Steven Gerrard fired home from the spot.

And had it not been for an outstanding display from Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, Liverpool would have had a hatful in that first 45 minutes alone.

Gerrard scored a spectacular third seconds after the break to deflate Madrid further and substitute Andrea Dossena added a fourth with three minutes to go. Gerrard struck twice on his 100th European appearance for Liverpool to secure a quite breathtaking victory, Real were humbled for the second time in a fortnight by their old boy Rafael Benitez.It inspired a stunning start from Liverpool, with Casillas making two world-class saves in the opening minutes.
Torres, back after an ankle injury, had already embarked on one surging run into the box, before he dumbfounded Fabio Cannavaro with a brilliant turn to control a Gerrard pass, only for Casillas to save with his right foot.Ryan Babel and Javier Mascherano both had shots deflected wide before Casillas rescued Madrid again, stretching to his left to touch a Mascherano 20-yard effort onto the bar and over.After 16 minutes Liverpool were ahead.

Jamie Carragher's long ball had Real on the turn with Torres and Dirk Kuyt baring down on Pepe.Torres looked to nudge Pepe from behind, and the Portuguese defender fell, leaving Kuyt to square the ball for Torres to beat Casillas from six yards, only his second goal against Real having managed just one against them for Atletico.

Real were furious with referee Frank De Bleeckere, the official who sent off Marco Materazzi when Inter Milan were beaten at Anfield at this same stage last season. But the Belgian was unmoved.Pepe was soon booked for dissent before Casillas needed to be at his best to stop a towering Martin Skrtel header, before he somehow beat away a Gerrard shot following more brilliance from Torres on the left.

Gerrard was booked for a foul on Sergio Ramos before more misfortune befell Madrid. A linesman's flag signalled to De Bleeckere after 27 minutes that Gabriel Heinze had handled in the box.Replays showed the ball hit the former Manchester United man on the shoulder, and he was booked for making his point. But Gerrard was nerveless, driving home the spot-kick.
Real were fuming.

Heinze hurled himself feet first into Torres and it needed De Bleeckere and Gerrard to calm the situation, before Jose Reina produced his first saves of the night to turn away a Wesley Sneijder free-kick and hold Raul's header.

Another instinctive save from Reina stopped Sneijder from close range before Mascherano found himself booked after Xabi Alonso had tripped Pepe.That will rule him out of the next European match, but it was unclear whether the yellow card was mistaken identity or because the ball was kicked away from the free-kick.Real needed to do something, and they sent on Brazilian forward Marcelo for the anonymous Arjen Robben at the break.

But any plans for a fightback were destroyed just 65 seconds into the second period. Babel got away on the left and laid the ball back for Gerrard to volley superbly high into the net with Casillas helpless.Real were in pieces, and had it not again been for Casillas - punching the ball away to his right - Gerrard would have had another after 54 minutes.On the hour Lucas was sent on to replace Alonso, with Saturday's likely epic no doubt in Benitez's mind.

Belatedly Real took off a defender, Cannavaro, and sent on an extra forward in Rafael van der Vaart. But Madrid had been bereft of attacking ideas, and it was far too late by now.Raul and Fernando Gago both had chances, but Liverpool were cruising at this stage and next to be given a rest was Torres with eight minutes to go, Dossena taking over, only to be booked within seconds.
Liverpool were able to indulge themselves by bringing on local teenager Jay Spearing in midfield for Gerrard, an Anfield debut for the former FA Youth Cup-winning captain.With three minutes to go, the Italian defender appeared in the box to fire home the fourth goal of the night after a fine build-up involving Babel and Mascherano. (ESPN)

If manager Benitez feels he does not get enough respect for his Champions League achievements at Anfield, this fourth appearance in the last eight in five years will go a long way to gaining him the credit he craves.

Real fall at Barnebau to Bennayoun's goal

2009-02-26T17:36:00.002+08:00

GettyImages

Fernando Torres is treated for an injury

Scoring Summary
Real Madrid	Liverpool
	Yossi Benayoun (82)

Match Stats
	Real Madrid	Liverpool
Shots (on Goal)	15(5)	10(4)
Fouls	13	19
Corner Kicks	7	2
Offsides	2	3
Time of Possession	59%	41%
Yellow Cards	2	3
Red Cards	0	0
Saves	3	5

Match Information

Stadium: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Spain
Attendance: 85,000
Match Time: 19:45 UK
Official(s):
Roberto Rosetti (Referee)

Rafael Benitez masterminded another magnificent European away triumph as Liverpool confounded the odds with a stunning 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Bernabeu.

Whatever the Liverpool manager's future is after months of rumours, he did his cause no harm at all thanks to Yossi Benayoun's headed winner.

Benitez has coached Liverpool to remarkable performances away to Juventus, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan and Chelsea in recent seasons in the Champions League, but this was by far the most impressive.

Real have been rampant of late and unbeaten this year, but Liverpool dug deep and Benayoun headed the late winner to give his side every chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.

Despite days of intensive treatment, Steven Gerrard did not make the starting XI, the midfielder initially left on the bench.

It meant Jamie Carragher captained the side with Benayoun on the right of midfield and Dirk Kuyt pushed forward in support of Fernando Torres.

Gerrard's absence was a bad blow but confirmed how Benitez would play the first leg. Contained defence, a combative and mobile midfield and hard running were the order of the day.

In the opening exchanges there was a calmness about Liverpool in this intimidating arena, five tiers of fervent passion pouring down in support of Real.

They defended with discipline and long before the break Real were trying their luck from distance.

The Spanish champions, who had scored 10 goals in their last two games, still had their moments.

Arjen Robben's pass gave Raul the chance of a shot on the turn held by Jose Reina, while Brazilian Marcelo also tested the goalkeeper.

And it took a fine saving tackle by Carragher on Gonzalo Higuain to snuff out another dangerous moment.

But the longer the game went on, the more Liverpool seemed in control defensively.

It also saw them coming out on the break and Torres should have done better after 20 minutes as he was allowed to run onto a Reina long clearance, but Iker Casillas palmed away a shot across the face of the goal.

Casillas then got a firm block on Benayoun close-range shot as Liverpool sought to snatch something from a period of growing confidence.

Higuain thought he had scored with a close-range header, only to be rightly penalised for offside, before Marcelo and Robben, twice, tried their luck unsuccessfully from outside the box.

Real had most of the possession but it was Spanish international Xabi Alonso who almost broke the deadlock with an audacious shot from inside his own half.

The midfielder is famous for such effrontery, once scoring a similar goal at Luton, but this time Casillas had to scramble back to touch the effort over the bar.

Madrid sent on Guti for Marcelo at the break, with Fabio Cannavaro booked for a foul on Dirk Kuyt soon after the restart.

Liverpool had not allowed Real to indulge themselves with the expansive game that has swept so many aside of late. Javier Mascherano's snap and drive in midfield was the yardstick for others to follow.

Torres, kept under close control by Cannavaro, was booked for a swipe at Lassana Diarra's ankles, the game now stretched as both sides searched for the vital breakthrough.

Benitez, never one to be bothered about reputations, then replaced a disappointing Torres with Ryan Babel after 62 minutes, to predictable derision from the home fans at the former Atletico Madrid man.

Mascherano was next into the book for a foul on Fernando Gago, Reina yet to have a serious shot to save in the half.

That was to come after 70 minutes when Reina touched over a dipping drive from Robben, Madrid starting to show more urgency as the minutes ticked away.

However, Liverpool were still comfortable and things got even better with eight minutes left.

Gabriel Heinze's foul on Kuyt gave Fabio Aurelio the opportunity to curl in a free-kick that Benayoun headed past Casillas from six yards.

Benayoun was engulfed by his jubilant team-mates and way up above them, 3,000 Liverpool fans erupted.

Albert Riera was booked, and then taken off injured, allowing Gerrard into the fray with three minutes left and Lucas replaced Kuyt in the final seconds, the game now won.

Javier : Its time to build momentum

2009-01-31T12:50:00.003+08:00

Javier Mascherano is hoping Liverpool can bolster their title challenge with what he believes would be an all-important victory against Chelsea on Sunday.
The Argentina international feels three points against one of their nearest rivals would provide the squad with a huge lift following a run of four straight draws.

The Blues leapfrogged Liverpool into second-spot on Wednesday night but the midfielder is adamant that victory over Luiz Felipe Scolari's men would ensure the Reds can still a have a big say in the title race.

He said: "If we start to win from Sunday and go on a good run until the end of the season then we will have a good chance of winning the title.

"It is all about building momentum and also building a belief that we can win it, and the only way you can do that is by winning games so we all know just how important the game against Chelsea is.

"It no longer depends just on us and what we do because Manchester United are in the lead and this means it also depends on their results, but if we can win on Sunday it will give us a chance to capitalise if they drop any points.

"All we can do is concentrate on our own games and not worry about anyone else because if we get our own game right then it will give us a better chance of taking advantage if United or anyone else slips up.

"We can still fight for the title. It is definitely not finished."

Rafael Benitez's men are currently two points behind leaders Manchester United following Wednesday night's 1-1 draw at Wigan, with the Reds having played a game more.

Mascherano admits it was a frustrating night at the JJB Stadium but feels his teammates must focus on the next match against the Londoners and not dwell on dropped points.

"We were all massively disappointed because it was a really bad result for us," admitted the Argentina captain.

"We know that we have a lot of games still to come, but we felt it was really important to win against Wigan and the fact that we failed to do so is a big disappointment.

"I think we did everything to win the game and I cannot remember Wigan having any shots on our goal.

"I think we did okay for 80 minutes, but in the last 10 minutes we allowed them to score and it felt like the world was against us.

"But now we must prepare for a really big game against Chelsea and we need to look forward to this game and not look back to what happened against Wigan.

"It is difficult, but we are professional players and we need to focus on the next game and also to remember that there are a lot of games still to come."

Despite losing just once in the league this season, the Reds have often struggled to strike a killer blow, notching up nine draws from 23 games played.

Mascherano admits that they have had trouble breaking sides down but insists there is nothing to be gained from claiming opposition teams are stopping the Reds from playing their normal game.

"We can't use how teams play at Anfield as an excuse," he said.

"We know a lot of sides come to defend, but we need to find spaces and a way that we can beat them.

"It is not their fault that they play like that, so I don't like to talk about excuses.

"If a team defends more when they play against us then we need to find a way around that.

"But like the Wigan game, those games that we have drawn are in the past and now we must focus only on Chelsea because we know that we need to win."

Rush relishing double header

2009-01-19T10:42:00.003+08:00

Ian Rush believes Liverpool's double header with Everton will provide two hugely contrasting spectacles.

The Reds legend is relishing the prospect of two Merseyside derbies within the same week and feels the outcome of each game will have a significant bearing on both the title race and the eventual winner of the FA Cup.

"It's a long time since we played them in the cup so we were probably due another clash," he told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"It's amazing that we will have to play them twice in one week, but I do think the league and the cup will be two completely different games.

"Everton will want to win the cup game as it represents their only chance of silverware and I think Liverpool would probably prefer three points in the league.

"But that's not to say they won't want to go out there and win the cup game too.

"I think all the players on show will want to win the FA Cup and it would be nice to do it having beaten Everton along the way.

"I have to say that I feel whoever wins the match has a great chance of lifting the cup and if Liverpool win the league match it will give them a huge boost and put them back on top.

"Both sides are in good form, so they promise to be two intriguing encounters and I can't wait for them to start now."

REDS AROUND THE WORLD: MALAYSIA

2009-01-16T09:53:00.002+08:00

Meet 32-year-old events manager Jonno Lim, who helps run an independent supporters’ club and gets up at the crack of dawn to catch the Reds in action with hundreds of other fans in a crowded Malaysian bar.

Like most things, my association with the Malaysian independent supporters' club started with a few beers. After meeting on the fans' forum Red and White Kop (RAWK), we decided that as there were a fair number of us Reds in the same corner of the world, the least we could do was watch a game together in a bar.

Liverpool ran home 3-0 winners over Everton at Goodison Park that day in August 2003, with Michael Owen scoring a brace and Harry Kewell getting the third goal just before the final whistle.

Having supported the club from afar for so long, it felt very special to be enjoying a Liverpool victory with a few like-minded people. I had watched the Reds with friends before, but nothing like this. Even the owner of the Boardwalk on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur was a Reds fanatic, so it became known as the closest thing any Malaysian Red could get to the special Anfield atmosphere.

There are so many Liverpool fans in this part of the world, and they all have their own story to tell. Some adopt the Reds because of their history, others simply get drawn in by the miracle of Istanbul in 2005 or the breathtaking 'Gerrard Final' of 2006.The only reason I can offer for following the Reds is probably quite similar to most people's - all of my family are massive Liverpool fans. It goes way back to the seventies and beyond, so it was a no-brainer for me to be the same as them.

My earliest memory is of Michael Thomas and Ian Rush securing the FA Cup for Liverpool with great goals against Sunderland at Wembley in 1992. I can also vividly remember Neil 'Razor' Ruddock holding his head after scoring a late equaliser in the dramatic 3-3 draw with Manchester United in January 1994.

Nigel Clough scored twice that day, but the look on Ruddock's face will remain with me forever - the ball hit him on the top of his head before going in the net and he seemed in quite a lot of pain while celebrating his decisive goal at Anfield. I couldn't stop laughing.

As time went by, my Liverpool obsession grew. We experienced many joyous Saturday and Sunday nights at the Boardwalk over the years and celebrated many great Liverpool victories there. But our friend, Bala, soon told us he had to sell his bar and we were left with nowhere to watch our beloved Reds during the early hours of the morning over here in Malaysia.

And when the new owner of the Boardwalk told us they would not be opening for the 2007 Champions League final clash with AC Milan due to the fact it would be kicking off at 3.30am over here, we knew that we had to act quickly to find a new venue.

After a long and frustrating search, we finally found a small pub that would open for the match. We got in touch with our friends and fellow supporters to join us for the big game, as we knew that whenever Liverpool was involved in a big European game, it was guaranteed to be something special.We only really expected about 50 people to turn up at the most, but the bar ended up being crammed full with about 200 fans, all screaming at the screen, willing on the Reds. We were all disappointed that Rafa's men did not win that night in Athens, but a few of us knew right then that not only did we need a bigger venue, but also a proper fan club to bring all of these Liverpool supporters together.

We called our new supporters' club 'MyRAWK', as most of us had met through RAWK, while the ‘My’ stands for Malaysia and also gives us a sense that a certain part of LFC can belong to us individually.

Things were tough at the beginning, but settling on the M Bar as our exclusive home for watching all the games helped us a lot. The owner agreed to open up at all the unsociable hours involved in supporting a club many miles away and laid on a host of generous drinks offers.

What started as a small MyRAWK blog soon turned into a full website, and before long we had Liverpool fans joining us from all over for our match-viewing parties. From local lawyers to homesick expats, tourists to ex players (Ian Rush once even joined us - that was a very special day), the M Bar is now full of fervent fans week in, week out. I usually take up the microphone at each event and am always proud to be the official master of ceremonies.

We even have our futsal team and are also in the process of setting up a full 11-a side side. Our interim team recently won our first trophy, the Christmas Cup and one day we hope to have a proper team which takes part in the local social league.
But due to the exchange rate and distance, not many of us have been lucky enough to get over to Anfield. I am currently saving up to make the pilgrimage one day next season with a few other fans. I'm sure that once we get up close to Liverpool's hallowed home, there will be many of us who will be close to tears, as this would be nothing short of our visiting our very own Mecca.

One of our newer members, Phil, who now lives in Liverpool, always talks about how unbelievable it is that a bunch of guys who have never seen the Reds play up close can wake up in the middle of the night to support a team who are playing nearly 7,000 miles away, only to go back to bed and rise for work less than two hours later.

But none of us at MyRAWK would have it any other way. Witnessing another Liverpool victory make all the long, sleepy days in the office after a match worth it - and believe you me, there have been a lot of those in recent years.

Jonno was speaking to Joe Curran

Would you like to tell your Liverpool story from wherever you are in the world? Drop us an email at admin@liverpoolfc.tv and we'll get back to you as soon as we can

Liverpool wasted chances to lead EPL by 3 points

2008-12-02T10:23:00.002+08:00

Liverpool 0 - West Ham 0

Liverpool again wasted a chance to take a commanding lead at the top of the Premier League as brave West Ham forced a goalless draw at Anfield.

• Upson pleased for Zola
It is 45 years since they have won at this stadium, so this first point in nine years at Liverpool was a fine achievement.

West Ham have never been known for their defensive reliability at Liverpool, but they were magnificent as they stretched an unbeaten run to three games.

At the back goalkeeper Robert Green, England defender Matthew Upson and Welshman James Collins stood defiant.

And another Welshman, former Liverpool man Craig Bellamy, came close to breaking the deadlock with a 30-yard shot which crashed against a post.

Liverpool are back on top of the table, but by only one point, and this disappointing display follows hot on the heels of an identical result achieved by Fulham here in the previous home league game.

Liverpool dominated, but West Ham repelled the waves of attacks as they grabbed a crucial point in their own battle for survival.

Liverpool called in veteran defender Sami Hyypia and former West Ham winger Yossi Benayoun, keen to take advantage of Chelsea's defeat by Arsenal 24 hours earlier.

Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena replaced the injured pair Fernando Torres and Fabio Aurelio, with Daniel Agger and Javier Mascherano rested to the bench.

West Ham, without a win at Anfield since 1963, brought in Hayden Mullins in midfield for ankle injury victim Lee Bowyer, in the only change from the side that won at Sunderland last time out.

Mark Noble returned to the Hammers bench after a knee injury, while Diego Tristan made his first appearance in the squad since he joined on trial two months ago.

Liverpool had two early penalty appeals turned down by referee Peter Walton when both Benayoun and then Dirk Kuyt drove the ball at Herita Ilunga from close range.

West Ham had looked nervy, and after 14 minutes Green raced from his line to punch weakly away. The ball fell to Albert Riera whose shot was blocked in the six-yard box by James Collins.

Then from a right-wing corner, Hyypia rose to head narrowly over the bar. The Liverpool pressure increased and Mullins was booked after 19 minutes when he tripped Benayoun in full flow.

Two minutes later another header from Hyypia was kicked off the line by Ilunga.

West Ham's only shot until this point had been a weak long-range effort from Julien Faubert, scooped up by Jose Reina.

But Liverpool kept plugging away, showing the sort of patience in such situations that Benitez called for after the stalemate against Fulham nine days earlier.

Steven Gerrard worked his way in from the right and fired into the sidenetting, before Bellamy - on his return to Anfield after moving to West Ham 17 months ago - almost broke the deadlock.

Bellamy picked up possession and unleashed a fine, swerving drive which crashed against Reina's right-hand post and bounced across goal to safety.

Then Green made a fine point-blank save from Kuyt's header following Xabi Alonso's corner, two minutes from the break.

Kuyt and Keane both saw shots go wide as Liverpool opened the second half on the attack. But Bellamy was still a danger for West Ham, and after running past Hyypia he was body-checked by Alonso, the Spaniard being booked.

Then Green produced a stunning save to turn over a Benayoun drive, before Alonso volleyed fiercely over from a squared Gerrard free-kick.

Four minutes later the ineffective Keane was replaced by French striker David Ngog.

West Ham fancied their chances, breaking out of defence after 67 minutes and winning a corner. And when Bellamy curled it towards the near post, Carlton Cole headed inches wide.

Liverpool then sent on Ryan Babel for Riera after 78 minutes, with West Ham by that stage hanging on as the pressure mounted.

Hyypia headed just wide from a Gerrard corner, the Kop behind Green's goal demanding that Liverpool attack more.

West Ham sent on Luis Boa Morte for Faubert with six minutes of regulation time left.

Green then produced another fine save from a close-range Kuyt effort following Gerrard's deep cross.

Bellamy and Parker created a chance for Boa Morte on the break, but he sliced his effort wide. Babel then broke to see a shot deflected over.

Upson pleased for Zola
Matthew Upson believed Gianfranco Zola was beginning to get his rewards after West Ham ground out a 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

He told Setanta Sport: "It's a massive result: it's another clean sheet and perhaps at the end we could have nicked something.

"He (Zola) stuck to his beliefs: he had had a bit of pressure to change things.
"He has got us more organised and drilled and started to change things.
"I'm very happy here at the moment, the team are doing well, I've just got to take each game as it comes."
Former Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy hit the post with a long-range shot in the first half and he also rued the side's inability to convert their chances.

"I'd love to see Liverpool win every game for the rest of the season apart from when we play them. I'm West Ham now," he said.

"We tried to make it frustrating for them and also had decent opportunities.
"It's very difficult to get a result here because they have great players. But maybe we could have got a goal at the end."

EPL 2008 Result :Liverpool 2 Bolton 0

2008-11-17T16:29:00.003+08:00

Liverpool survived a test of character at Bolton to maintain their challenge at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win at the Reebok Stadium.

• Megson furious with ref Styles

The disappointment of the Carling Cup defeat at Tottenham in midweek was swept away by what eventually turned out to be a convincing victory.

Liverpool have never enjoyed Bolton's physical approach but this time they stuck to their gameplan and won with fine goals from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard.

Kuyt opened the scoring from Fabio Aurelio's cross before Gary Cahill's header was controversially ruled out by referee Rob Styles.

Despite some more nervous moments, the Reds eventually sealed victory when Gerrard headed in substitute Fernando Torres' cross.

Bolton recalled captain Kevin Nolan following suspension, with Ricardo Gardner dropping to the bench.

Liverpool decided against including 20-year-old Stephen Darby for his league debut at right-back and switched Jamie Carragher from the centre of defence. Sami Hyypia retained his place alongside Daniel Agger.

Torres, who was taken off after 55 minutes at White Hart Lane and criticised by manager Rafael Benitez for his display, was left on the bench as Liverpool made nine changes.

The visitors found out quickly that they would have to match Bolton's industry and willpower. Tackles by Gavin McCann and Fabrice Muamba on Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano showed that.

But Liverpool soon had Bolton pinned back, with only Kevin Davies up front as they got defenders Hyypia, Agger and Carragher into dangerous wide positions.

Likewise Albert Riera, but he twice wasted excellent openings on the right with poor delivery early on.

Liverpool's patient build-up was starting to stretch Bolton. Mascherano and Gerrard both saw long shots go close before Dirk Kuyt saw an effort crash against the bar after 24 minutes from a Gerrard pass.

The Reds forged ahead when Aurelio crossed from the left after 29 minutes and Kuyt rose to send a looping header into the top corner for the lead.

Liverpool then started to power forward and somehow Robbie Keane managed to miss an open goal from two yards before Agger flashed a 25-yard effort just wide of the far post.

Bolton had an effort from Cahill disallowed seconds before the break when he headed in a corner, with referee Styles insisting that Reina had been fouled seconds earlier.

Styles was booed off by the home fans at the break and almost from the restart Bolton were awarded a string of free-kicks which allowed them to mount the sort of intense aerial pressure they excel at.

Gardner came on for Muamba at the break and when he broke clear on the left after 52 minutes he almost equalised, as Reina's rush from his line forced a shot into the side-netting. Agger, hurling himself towards the post, collided with the woodwork.

Liverpool then brought on Torres for Keane and from a right-wing cross from the Spanish striker, Gerrard almost got the second goal from a yard out.

Liverpool were hanging on to their lead as Bolton hammered away in search of an equaliser.

But the danger was always clear for the home side with Torres now on the pitch.

And after 73 minutes he created a superb second goal for Liverpool, clipping in a cross with the outside of his foot for Gerrard to send past Jaaskelainen with a diving header.

It could have been three for Liverpool in the closing stages, the Bolton goalkeeper saving superbly from Torres and then Xabi Alonso.

Torres could also have scored after 88 minutes but he struck the post from Lucas' lay-off.

Megson furious with ref StylesReferee Rob Styles was at the centre of more controversy. Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez praised Styles for protecting his goalkeeper and insisted that goalkeepers have "priority'' in the six-yard box.Megson was nonplussed, saying: "We saw the TV pictures within a minute of it being disallowed and again at half-time. But our thoughts are that we did not see a huge amount wrong."If anyone is going to find an infringement - although it would have been harsh - it is that we should have had a penalty when Reina pushed Nolan in the back."There is nothing else that happens. Kevin does not do anything but stand his ground and there's nothing wrong with that. Also there was nothing wrong with the act of scoring from Gary Cahill."I wasn't surprised to see Rob Styles refereeing, it never occurred to me. He gave a ridiculous decision against us at Old Trafford, that was a mistake. We spoke on the phone on the Monday and we didn't make a lot of it, regardless of the Respect campaign."Now there has been another one. We seem to be on the wrong end of him making mistakes.''He added: "Have I heard of a rule that says goalkeepers have priority in the six-yard box? I have to say that one has passed me by."What is the priority, can you go and belt someone like Nolan was? I'm sure there is a priority if someone is fouled, but standing your ground like Kevin was is not a foul."If Nolan shoves the goalkeeper it is a free-kick, so if the goalkeeper does it then it should be the same punishment. But I am not expecting a phone call (from the referee).''Benitez had a different view.He said: "The rules are very clear. They say that the six-yard box is for the 'keeper, if you have three players in front of him and he cannot go for the ball, then it is simple, it is a free-kick."It is clear. Sometimes you see five or six attacking players in the six-yard box, that is wrong. The rules say it is for the 'keeper, he has priority. If he has three players blocking him and he cannot do anything, he cannot go for the ball, it is a foul."The international rules are very clear. I always say the same, the first time I came here (to the Reebok) I said the same. Three players around the 'keeper is a free-kick. If he wants to go for the ball, he is being obstructed."Yes, those goals are given in England sometimes. But the international rules are for everybody, the referees know the rules, it has to be like this.''

Gerard late penalty ruined Madrid's night

2008-11-05T13:25:00.003+08:00

Steven Gerrard drove home a controversial penalty four minutes into injury time to salvage a dramatic Champions League point for Liverpool.Atletico will believe they were robbed of a place in the last 16 by referee Martin Hansson's hotly disputed penalty award for a debatable foul on Gerrard by Mariano Pernia.
They had led from the 37th minute following a cleverly constructed Maxi Rodriguez goal and frustrated Liverpool at every turn.

But Gerrard never gave up and his penalty eventually spared Liverpool's blushes and both sides should advance to the last 16.>
Fernando Torres failed to even make the bench, missing his sixth match since picking up a hamstring injury while on international duty last month.

He cut a disconsolate figure in the directors' box having also missed the chance to play at his former club a fortnight ago.

From that match Liverpool left out Andrea Dossena and Yossi Benayoun, bringing in Fabio Aurelio and Dirk Kuyt, while Luis Garcia and Florent Sinama-Pongolle were also left on the bench by Atletico boss Javier Aguirre.

Liverpool started with pace and desire and could have scored in the first minute when Kuyt's close-range effort was grabbed by Leo Franco.

Another chance went begging when Xabi Alonso's stunning 40-yard pass found Robbie Keane arriving at pace on the edge of the box, but the Irishman's fierce drive thudded into the side netting.

Madrid were not slow to hit back and should have scored four minutes later. Pernia got to the byline and pulled back a cross but Simao hooked it over the bar from six yards.

Two more Liverpool chances then went begging, Riera's touch into the box almost set-up Gerrard as he surged into the area and Keane denied by Franco when he tried to round the Argentinian goalkeeper.

Atletico were also producing some quality football and scored an outstanding goal after 37 minutes.

Antonio Lopez broke down the right, taking a long pass with a superb first touch to confound Daniel Agger.

His pass into the box found Rodriguez moving into space away from Jamie Carragher before firing a shot across Jose Reina and inside the far post.

Atletico had looked calm and controlled in the first period, but came out for the second half having to defend in front of the Kop.

Liverpool were instantly at their throats. After just 60 seconds Luis Perea flicked the ball away from Keane with his right hand in the box, but Swedish referee Martin Hansson ignored the appeals.

Agger saw a header drop onto the roof of the net as Liverpool cranked up the pressure.
Ryan Babel was now on for Riera, Liverpool almost camped in Madrid's half with Atletico looking for the break to settle it. Surging runs from Simao and Diego Forlan emphasised the dangers.

Liverpool almost grabbed the equaliser after 70 minutes when Arbeloa and Keane combined to set up Gerrard, but the captain's shot just cleared the angle.

Maniche was booked for a foul on Arbeloa before Liverpool sent on David N'Gog for Keane. But at the same time Madrid sent on their brilliant Argentinian striker, Sergio Aguero in place of Forlan.

Lucas replaced Javier Mascherano but the danger of a devastating Madrid break was there every time Aguero got the ball.

N'Gog's control let him down a couple of times, but he forced Franco into a near-post save that produced a corner from which Agger saw another header go agonisingly wide.

Carragher got in on the act with a run and drive that Franco touched over, before a minute from time Luis Garcia came on, to a great reception, for Simao.

Still Liverpool looked unable to break through, until the fourth minute of injury time when Gerrard went down in the box under an aerial challenge from Pernia.

He made no contact with the ball but it was a debatable decision and Gerrard picked himself up to drive home the penalty and ruin Madrid's night.

Luis Perea, Aguero and John Heitinga Lopez were all booked in the uproar that followed but Liverpool had their fortunate draw.

Dirk doubles sinks Wigan

2008-10-20T10:58:00.004+08:00

Liverpool maintained their unbeaten home league record in 2008 with a stunning 3-2 comeback victory, but how Wigan made them fight.

• Bruce slams ref Wiley

The Anfield men are specialising in dramatic comebacks, and after Chelsea's 5-0 win at Middlesbrough earlier in the day, they knew they could not afford to slip-up.

But they were twice behind to first-half goals from Egyptian striker Amr Zaki, his second an acrobatic volley into the Kop end.

Dirk Kuyt's first equaliser kept Liverpool in the game and they fought their way back to win 3-2, just as they had at Manchester City a fortnight ago.

Wigan battled for everything and the game turned on a red card for Antonio Valencia with 16 minutes left.

The Latics were down to 10 men and Liverpool powered forward, with Albert Riera grabbing the equaliser and Kuyt, with a slightly less clean version of Zaki's volley, secured maximum points for Rafael Benitez's side.

Liverpool were forced into four changes from the side which claimed a late fightback at Eastlands a fortnight ago with Daniel Agger, Robbie Keane, Andrea Dossena and Jermaine Pennant all coming in.

Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, Martin Skrtel and Fabio Aurelio were all out.

Emile Heskey, who revealed earlier in the week that a return to Liverpool would be "lovely'' was missing for Wigan with a hamstring strain, so Dutchman Daniel de Ridder came in.

Tackles flew in, there was pace and desire from Wigan and they had the bulk of the early possession.

Zaki gave Agger and Jamie Carragher plenty to think about, and the collision between Lee Cattermole and Steven Gerrard in midfield was uncompromising.

Jose Reina needed to be at his best when he had to beat away a drive from Olivier Kapo after a clever pass from Wilson Palacios had put him through on the left of the box.

Liverpool had not really threatened to this point, but almost scored when Riera's ball put Keane in on the left after 28 minutes.

He was forced a yard wider than he would have liked, and saw his angled right-foot shot just clear the far post.

Then within a minute, Wigan were ahead after a terrible mistake from Agger.

Reina tapped a routine pass out to the Dane, who was far too casual. He allowed the ball to bounce away from him enough for Zaki to pounce, win the tackle, and stride into the box to beat Reina with a shot into the bottom corner.

Agger knew he had to do something after that howler and atoned after 37 minutes when he came out of defence down the left before exchanging passes with Dossena.

He then went past Cattermole in the box before crossing for Kuyt to fire in the equaliser, his first home league goal since scoring against the same opposition in April.

Kuyt then hit the crossbar and Riera's towering header cleared the top of bar.

But Zaki had the final word of the half with a stunning scissors-kick from a Valencia cross which flew past Reina for a sensational goal.

Liverpool went searching for a second equaliser straight from the restart and it took a fine save from former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland after 57 minutes to keep Wigan ahead. Pennant jumped over Keane's low cross from the left, and Kuyt's instant shot was blocked by Kirkland's left leg.

Riera almost set up Keane in the six-yard box before Gerrard lashed a 30-yard shot wide.

Liverpool were now gambling by throwing men forward, risking more danger from the robust, physical Zaki, who was more than happy to take on Carragher at every opportunity.

Gerrard side-footed a free-kick wide after a Wigan wall had failed to retreat far enough, and Valencia was booked.

Wigan were furious because they believed that Xabi Alonso's touch sideways of about a yard meant the kick had been taken.

But worse was to follow for Valencia. Soon after he was in trouble again for a foul on Alonso, and referee Alan Wiley showed a yellow and then a red card to the Wigan man.

That just inspired Liverpool to launch a new wave of attacks, and when substitute Nabil El Zhar crossed from the right after 79 minutes, Riera lashed home his first goal for the club. Wigan deserved more, but with five minutes to go, Pennant crossed from the right and Kuyt hooked the ball down into the turf and up to clear Kirkland's stretching fingers.

Bruce slams ref WileyWigan manager Steve Bruce claimed two decisions from referee Alan Wiley cost his team the game as they lost 3-2 at Liverpool today. Bruce pointed to a yellow card for Antonio Valencia for encroaching at a free-kick, and then another booking for the same player for a foul on Xabi Alonso, that he claimed "changed the game''.

Valencia was sent off playing for Ecuador last weekend, and with 16 minutes to go at Anfield saw red again, this time with Wigan 2-1 ahead. But Bruce said: "In my opinion we were robbed. It is a joke that we have not come away from this match with something.

"The referee got the first booking for Valencia wrong. The Liverpool player took the kick, and Valencia did not encroach towards it until the ball had been kicked. So he got that one wrong.

"Then there is the tackle on Alonso, in which I felt the lad touched the ball. I felt that was harsh. Those decisions changed the whole course of the game. With 11 against 11 we would not have lost. But there were a lot of tired bodies out there and we could not hold out.

"When you are at Anfield you need some things to go for you. I keep hearing the word 'respect' but I did not think we got that from the referee's performance today.''

Bruce added: "We were ahead at the break and deserved it. It was not a fluke, we had taken them on and Zaki was outstanding. He is scary to play against and he will not understand how he can be on the losing side after a performance like that.''

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez saw his side maintain their unbeaten record this season, and stay in second place on goal difference from Chelsea.

He said: "We started badly, but Dirk Kuyt did us proud in this game. The whole side showed great character to come back like that again. We did something similar at Manchester City a fortnight ago, and maybe I would like a calmer time on the bench.

"You will have to ask my doctor how much of this I can take. It would be nice to have three or four goals at the break for a change. But I felt we won it because we have belief in ourselves, and believe that we can win these games. It is a positive situation for us that we have this level of confidence.''

Gerard inspires England victory against Belarus

2008-10-16T12:21:00.002+08:00

Steven Gerrard scored a superb goal and made another one as he helped England to a 3-1 World Cup qualifying win in Belarus.

The Reds inspirational captain opened the scoring with a superb strike from over 30-yards out, and then created a goal for Wayne Rooney in the second half with an exquisite pass. Gerrard also hit the post.
It was also a great night for Robbie Keane who scored the only goal of the game as Republic of Ireland beat Cyprus 1-0 in Dublin. The Reds number seven captained his country and played the full 90 minutes. Keane's close range header was his 35th in the green of Ireland.

Yossi Benayoun was also on the mark as Israel drew 1-1 in Latvia. Israel were all set for a victory but the home side levelled with two minutes left.

Fernando Torres was forced to leave the field after just 17 minutes during Spain's dramatic 2-1 win in Belgium. Xabi Alonso came on as a 64th minute replacement for Santiago Gonzalez and David Villa scored the winner two minutes from time. Pepe Reina and Alvaro Arbeloa were unused substitutes.

Dirk Kuyt played the full 90 minutes as Holland beat Norway 1-0 in Oslo, but Ryan Babel was substituted after 27 minutes. Former Reds ace John Arne Riise played for Norway.

Andrea Dossena started for Italy and played for an hour during the 2-1 win over Montenegro.

It was a disappointing night for Sami Hyypia as Finland lost 3-0 to Russia in Group Four. The Reds number four played the full 90 minutes.

Stay logged on to .tv for further international news.

Torres sparks fighback, Liv 3 - MC 2

2008-10-06T10:28:00.003+08:00

Dirk Kuyt scored his first Premier League goal since November to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory for Liverpool at Manchester City.

The Holland striker rattled the ball home in stoppage time to stun 10-man City.

• Benitez hails determination

The home side had raced into a two-goal lead in the first half through Stephen Ireland and Javier Garrido.

Fernando Torres pulled a goal back before City's Pablo Zabaleta was sent off.

The momentum was then with Liverpool with Torres adding a second before Kuyt, who was guilty of a shocking earlier miss, having the final word.

Liverpool almost went ahead as early as the fourth minute when Albert Riera got a good touch and goalkeeper Joe Hart had to look alert to turn his effort around the post.

The visitors kept up the pressure and launched a swift counter-attack in the 15th minute. Javier Mascherano, who was preferred to Robbie Keane tried to send Steven Gerrard clear.

However Shaun Wright-Phillips showed his defensive qualities to get in a crucial challenge.

Three minutes later Kuyt should have put Liverpool ahead only to sky his shot over the top in front of the post after Riera had set up the opening.

City made the breakthrough a minute later thanks to Ireland's third goal of the season.

Wright-Phillips did well to cut the ball back from the by-line but it seemed to get stuck under Robinho's feet.

However it eventually fell to Ireland and the ever-improving midfielder rifled an unstoppable shot into the corner.

Whenever Liverpool did break forward City were defending in numbers from front to back.

Xabi Alonso tried his luck from distance in the 38th minute but Hart was equal to his effort.

City extended their lead three minutes later after Wright-Phillips was bundled over Riera, who had a spell on loan at Eastlands.

Garrido stepped up and sent a superb free-kick over a stunned Reina for his first goal for the club.

However it was game on the 56th minute with Liverpool pulling a goal back through Torres.

England midfielder Steven Gerrard, a subdued figure in the first half, began the move by releasing Alvaro Arbeloa.

He skipped to the byline before delivering a cross into the path of Torres, who scored from close range.

It was the Spain striker's fourth goal of the league campaign and came on the back of his brace in the victory over Everton.

This was now a test of character for City, whose own form in the domestic campaign has been a little bit inconsistent.

However they hit back and Wright-Phillips skipped down the wing in the 65th minute, leaving Liverpool players trailing in his wake.

He picked out Robinho but he was unable to test Reina, his effort going over the bar.

The game took a dramatic twist in the 68th minute when City were reduced to 10 men.

Zabaleta was sent off by referee Peter Walton for what the official deemed as a two-footed lunge on Alonso, who needed brief treatment.

Keane was introduced at the expense of Mascherano in the 72nd minute and a minute later Liverpool were level.

Torres peeled away from his marker as Gerrard swung in the corner and thumped home a header.

He had a chance of completing his hat-trick in the 82nd minute only to send his effort at the back post wide of the target.

Kuyt then secured the points in stoppage time, smashing the ball high into the net after Torres' shot had bobbled off Dunne and into his path.

Benitez hails determination
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez praised his side for the "fantastic'' character that enabled them to stretch their unbeaten run to 12 matches.
Benitez said: "Our character and determination shone through in the second half. It was fantastic. We were made to pay for two mistakes but we went on to show a good mentality to win the game,'' said Benitez.

"The belief of the players was the key to our success. I just told the team at half-time that we just needed one goal to get back in the game. Physically were are in good condition as well and the players are ready for every game.''

Benitez acknowledged the key contribution from Torres who is hitting top form.

"We all know how important Torres is for us,'' said the Liverpool boss. "He is always a threat for defenders. He can score goals and he also gives space to his team-mates. He is a great boy with an excellent mentality.''

Torres sparked the Reds fightback by pulling a goal back before Pablo Zabaleta was sent off for the home side by referee Peter Walton following a challenge on Xabi Alonso. City manager Mark Hughes had no complaints about the sending off after watching TV replays.

He said: "I have seen it in slow motion and he makes contact with the player's standing leg. Pablo has cleared the ball and the man as well. I can see why the referee has given it.

"That made it difficult for us as it is hard enough with 11 men against the top four teams, never mind being a man down.''

Hughes added: "I thought we were excellent in the first half and took the game to Liverpool. We caused them a lot of problems. The disappointing thing from our point of view is we let them back into the game so early in the second half.

"Then, after the sending off, we just tried to get through the game only for Liverpool to get the win when maybe we should have had something to show for our efforts.''

Benitez admits he fears the worst regarding Skrtel's knee injury.

"We have to wait for the scan but we think it could be serious. When a player like Martin is on the ground you know it's serious so we will keep our fingers crossed that it won't be too bad.''

Carling Cup Result : Liv 2 - Crewe 1

2008-09-25T11:27:00.003+08:00

Liverpool's players responded to manager Rafael Benitez's pre-match challenge to earn themselves a place in his plans for Saturday's Merseyside derby with a comfortable 2-1 victory over Crewe in the third round of the Carling Cup.

GettyImages

Daniel Agger celebrates his goal for Liverpool.

Jermaine Pennant was a constant menace on the right flank while Lucas and Daniel Agger produced assured performances to give the Spaniard a selection poser for the game against Everton.

Agger gave Liverpool a 15th-minute lead from a free-kick before Michael O'Connor's equaliser 10 minutes later.

Pennant supplied Liverpool's second goal with a dangerous cross which was headed home by Lucas in the 58th minute but really the margin of the victory should have been greater.

While strengthening the Reds first team for a Barclays Premier League title challenge has been Benitez's priority he is attempting to build a squad to challenge on several fronts.

• Rafa satisfied with result

The manager included only one English player - Pennant - in his starting line-up as he handed debuts to Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri and Swiss defender Philipp Degen.

Sami Hyypia, named as captain, and Agger were recalled in central defence while there were places for Lucas, Emiliano Insua and Damien Plessis while Nabil El Zhar, Ryan Babel and David Ngog carried the attacking threat.

Crewe first-team coach Steve Holland included former Liverpool youth team defender Danny O'Donnell alongside captain Julien Baudet at the back.

Degen and Pennant linked up well down the right flank in the eighth minute to create Liverpool's first chance.

Breaking from a Crewe free-kick, Pennant slipped a clever ball to Degen on the overlap and he whipped a low cross into the penalty area but neither Ngog nor Babel were able to get a touch.

Pennant continued to provide the home side's best outlet and Crewe defender Billy Jones was lucky to escape a booking after a late challenge on the winger in the 12th minute.

Liverpool's pressure eventually paid off three minutes later after Ngog was fouled on the edge of the penalty area by O'Connor.

Denmark defender Agger took the resulting free-kick and smashed a powerful low effort past goalkeeper Steve Collis.

Crewe equalised in the 25th minute after Byron Moore's shot was deflected by Agger for a corner.

Jones crossed and Calvin Zola's header was parried by Cavalieri but O'Connor made amends for his earlier foul when he slammed home from close range.

The Railwaymen began to settle but it was Liverpool who created the next opportunity in the 41st minute.

Hyypia was picked out on the penalty spot by a Pennant corner but Collis blocked his shot and Plessis could only fire the loose ball into the crowd.

Babel went close moments after the interval when his shot from the left edge of the penalty area was deflected and wrong-footed Collis but looped on to the roof of the net.

Liverpool restored their lead in the 58th minute after good work down the right flank by the impressive Pennant.

The lively winger delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area and Brazil midfielder Lucas timed his run superbly to direct a header past Collis.

Benitez surprisingly introduced Fernando Torres and the Spain international was immediately involved.

Pennant delivered another ball into the penalty area in the 82nd minute and Torres' header was tipped past the post by Collis.

The Crewe goalkeeper saved again from the Spaniard two minutes later after Torres had broke clear of the Crewe defence.

Liverpool were given a few late scares as Crewe pressed for an equaliser but held on to secure their place in the next round.

Rafa satisfied with result

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was satisfied with his side's performance after they secured their place in the fourth round of the Carling Cup with a 2-1 win over Crewe.

''It was one of those types of games where if you do not score the third goal and finish the game then it can be difficult,'' he said.

''We were a little bit nervous today and we certainly had enough chances to score a third goal.

''Tonight we can talk about two good goals - Daniel Agger's free-kick was a fantastic strike and also Lucas is a player that likes to get into the box and I am confident he can score more goals like this.

''It was a very positive result and a positive reaction from the players and perhaps the only thing is that we could not score the third goal.''

Benitez explained the decision to introduce Fernando Torres in the second half despite the Merseyside derby at the weekend.

The Spain international had an immediate impact and was twice denied by Crewe goalkeeper Steve Collis.

Benitez added: ''We brought Torres on to try and score the third goal - every competition is important so we were trying to create more chances.

''So going forward Torres would give us more space and you could see he had two chances to score which if they would have gone in would have sealed the game.

''I was thinking the same with Robbie Keane but we had a problem with Philipp Degen so I was not able to put him on earlier to put him in a position to score.''

Crewe first team coach Steve Holland was proud of the way his side acquitted themselves and said a trip to Anfield last week helped settled any pre-match nerves.

''I brought the players to Anfield to do the stadium tour last week so they were not overawed by the whole experience of playing here,'' he said.

''Admittedly there was a mass brawl to get Fernando Torres' shirt afterwards but overall I think they didn't show any signs of nerves on the night.

''We acquitted ourselves well - we stuck to our game plan and could have even have nicked an equaliser at the end with a couple of late chances.''

We should have scored - Kuyt

2008-09-22T11:59:00.004+08:00

Dirk Kuyt admitted the Liverpool players were hugely frustrated after they were robbed of what seemed like a legitimate goal in Saturday's goalless draw at home to Stoke City.

The Dutch forward felt Steven Gerrard's third minute free-kick was harshly ruled out for offside but was honest enough to suggest the Reds should have made more of the chances they created during a hugely one-sided 90 minutes.

"We thought we'd scored a goal through Stevie but the referee has said he disallowed it for offside," Kuyt told Liverpoolfc.tv. "That's frustrating but we still had time to overcome that disappointment and score another goal.

"We had a lot of possession and created a lot of chances but at the end of the day you have to score goals to win matches."

The stalemate with the Barclays Premier League newcomers means Liverpool's hopes of maintaining a prolonged 'perfect' record at Anfield are already over after just three matches.

It is particularly frustrating for the Reds coming on the back of last weekend's magnificent triumph against Manchester United and Kuyt felt they were unlucky not to take more than a point from a clash they dominated from start to finish.

"You always want to win your home games, especially against opposition like Stoke," he said.

"It was like a game of attack against defence where they had 10 men behind the ball all the time. But it's our job to break them down and although we made a number of openings we weren't able to convert them.

"Sometimes football is like this. You deserve to win but at the end you are unlucky. After beating Manchester United last week it was a good chance to build up some momentum and it's disappointing that we didn't manage to do it.

"But we must look ahead now, go to Everton next week and put this result behind us with a win. We got a good win there last season and I have good memories from that game too, so hopefully it can be the same again."

Kuyt also had words of support for strike duo Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane who have yet to hit top form so far this season.

"The goals will come for Fernando and Robbie," he said. "We have no worries. They will score goals."

Gerard brace sinks Marseilles in ECL 1st match.

2008-09-18T13:01:00.002+08:00

Liverpool 2 (Gerard 26'',32'') - Marseille 1 (Cana 23")

Steven Gerrard played a captain's role by taking his Liverpool goals tally to 99 as the Merseysiders opened their Champions League group campaign with a crucial 2-1 win in Marseille.

GettyImages

Liverpool's forward Ryan Babel vies with Marseille's defender Laurent Bonnart.

The Stade Velodrome had been the venue for Liverpool's European salvation last season, and Gerrard made sure it was a welcome return to the south of France.

Marseille had taken the lead through their skipper Lorik Cana, but Gerrard - already Liverpool's record scorer in Europe - grabbed a fine equaliser with an outstanding 25-yard curler.

Then six minutes later he cracked home a twice-taken penalty to give Liverpool something to hang on to.

And they needed to fight hard as the French side battled bravely in the second period, but Liverpool clinched their victory with a defiant rearguard action.

The Reds included both Gerrard and Fernando Torres in their starting line-up for the opening group D clash.

Both key players have been recovering from injury and their inclusion was a major boost for the Anfield club.

Andreas Dossena came into the side in place of calf-injury victim Fabio Arbeloa, while Lucas took over in midfield from Xabi Alonso.

Marseille, who won 1-0 in the Champions League last term at Anfield before losing the return 4-0, included Hatem Ben Arfa, their £10m signing from Lyon, who had recovered from an ankle problem.

Skipper Cana also returned, having been rested at the weekend in the draw at Bordeaux.

Liverpool had opted for caution with Robbie Keane and Albert Riera both on the bench. Gerrard was being used in the attacking midfield role that worked to such good effect last season, and several times early on Liverpool could have scored.

After just seven minutes, Steve Mandanda tipped over a Lucas header and soon afterwards Dirk Kuyt's pass set-up Ryan Babel.

The Dutchman created the space with his first touch but blasted a good opening high over. Then Gerrard forced Mandanda into a diving save before Torres saw a header clear the far angle.

Marseille had chances of their own. Mamadou Niang was clear on the left but wasted the opportunity, shooting high over. Martin Skrtel was booked for a late tackle on Niang after 20 minutes as the game became surprisingly open.

But after 23 minutes the French side were ahead when they caught Liverpool square and punished them with a fine goal.

Rarely are Liverpool exposed straight through the middle, but when Benoit Cheyrou's first-time ball sent Cana clear, his quality side-footed finish sent the Velodrome fans wild.

Liverpool's response was emphatic.

Two minutes later Torres won possession on the halfway line and presented Kuyt with a pass on the right that was instantly played into Gerrard's path.

The Liverpool skipper struck a first-time, curling effort from 25-yards that soared over Mandanda into the far corner for the equaliser.

And after 31 minutes Liverpool were ahead. Babel's sharp turn in the box ended with Ronald Zubar's trip and a penalty. Zubar was booked before Gerrard struck the ball past Mandanda off the post.

But Austrian referee Konrad Plautz ordered a re-take because Kuyt had encroached into the box. Gerrard kept his nerve and clinically netted a second time to put Liverpool ahead.

The double strike extended Gerrard's European goals record for the club. Last season, in the Anfield side's 4-0 win in Marseille, Gerrard's goal that night broke Michael Owen's benchmark of 23.

He extended that tally later in the competition to 25, and two more here in the opening half for the captain stretched his tally to 27, and 99 for the club in all competitions.

Marseille were stunned and soon sent on Mathieu Valbuena for the injured Modeste M'Bami after 41 minutes.

Ben Arfa lasted until the 56th minute before his ankle problem forced him off, Karim Ziani taking over.

The game was still very open. Babel almost forced the ball around Mandanda at one end, while Liverpool were making too many defensive errors at the other for Benitez to rest easy.

Marseille could easily have been level when Vitorino Hilton met a corner with a fierce downward header that Jose Reina managed to hold on to.

Liverpool sent on Riera after 64 minutes for Torres, who had looked short of pace after his spell out, before Ziani struck a 12-yarder over the bar as Marseille searched for parity.

The Reds then withdrew Gerrard after 68 minutes, sending on Yossi Benayoun with Babel now the lone striker.

Liverpool had got the most possible out of their recently-injured stars, and it was now left to their colleagues to withstand a mounting Marseille onslaught.

Ziani fired over again before Mamadou Samassa replaced Bakari Kone.

Babel saw a golden chance to finish the contest go to waste after 74 minutes when Riera and Benayoun set him up close in, only for Mandanda to save the point-blank effort.

The youngster then struck the post after 78 minutes as he surged through on the left. But still Marseille came forward searching for the equaliser as Liverpool sought to punish them on the break.

With five minutes left, Kuyt was replaced by Keane, fresh legs to the cause as Liverpool continued to hang on.

Niang saw a diving header go wide from a right-wing cross, Marseille still fighting for an equaliser.

Reina saved superbly in injury-time from Niang and Liverpool had their victory.

Liverpool 2, MU 1

2008-09-15T09:36:00.004+08:00

Rafael Benitez today declared Liverpool's momentous victory over Manchester United as something the whole team can be proud of.

The Reds went down to a Carlos Tevez goal early on in the match but rallied to produce their best performance of the season and record a first league win over Alex Ferguson's side in over four years.

Benitez paid tribute to his players after the match and was happy with the amount of character his charges showed to come from behind and take the points.

"I think today is a game we can be really satisfied with because we were losing against a very good team," said Benitez. "But we showed character and played very well in the second half, so this was very positive.

"The team showed a lot of character after conceding an early goal. I was really disappointed when they scored so early because I wanted a high tempo from the start. They were passing the ball and keeping possession, so we needed to change a lot of things. I think it was really important to have chances and to improve a lot in the second half."

There were many stand-out performances during the match, but the Liverpool manager focused on the whole team and said: "Today you could see a lot of players working really hard, especially the strikers Dirk Kuyt and Robbie Keane, who were doing amazing work up front, and also Albert Riera in his first game played well – he is a lucky man.

"Physically he was not ready but we needed to use his ability. And after we used Steven Gerrard, he did well too. I can talk about a lot of players - Ryan Babel was really good too, but I think the overall play of the team was good."

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson admitted that his team couldn't cope with Liverpool's tackling and harassing in midfield.

Benitez agreed, saying: "In the last two years, I can remember that they were happy waiting and just playing on the counter-attack until we make mistakes," added Benitez. "And today was more or less the same situation. When you have players with the quality of Berbatov, Tevez or Rooney in front, sometimes they just need to wait and if we make a mistake they will kill us off.

"We didn't make many mistakes today. We can always improve and do things better, but the team played well.

"One thing that we needed to improve was our results against the top sides so now we have three points and we are in a better position than last season. We now have more wins against the top four so hopefully it will be the same against Chelsea and Arsenal. Everton is also another difficult game for us."

Gerard and Torress passed fit, ready to play against MU

2008-09-13T10:43:00.003+08:00

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard have both been passed fit to face Manchester United at Anfield this weekend.

Both players completed a light training session at Melwood this morning and have been included in the squad to take on Alex Ferguson's men tomorrow.

"They are both much better," confirmed Benitez. "They came through a full training session this morning. It wasn't a very hard session, but they will both be in the squad. If they are in the squad then they can play.

"It's important for us to have these two players of quality who can change a game. I'm not surprised they are available because the medical staff have done a good job and the players have been working really hard with the physios to get fit."

Benitez has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the showdown with United, although midfielder Lucas won't be involved after arriving back late from international action during the week.

Liverpool vs Manchester United Statistics

2008-09-12T10:44:00.004+08:00

Here are all the pre-match stats and facts ahead of Saturday's showdown with Manchester United at Anfield. Last season here United took all three points with Carlos Tevez scoring the only goal after 43 minutes. They went on to record a league ‘double' winning 3-0 at Old Trafford. Javier Mascherano was controversially sent off ten minutes after Wes Brown had opened the scoring for the home side. Ronaldo and Nani added goals the last 11 minutes. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last ten league games since losing at Old Trafford last March. There has been only one goalless draw between the sides in the Premiership – here in 2005/06. Liverpool have not scored in any of their last seven league games against United since John O'Shea scored an own goal at Old Trafford in September 2004. In fact, no Liverpool player has scored a league goal against United since Danny Murphy from the penalty spot at Old Trafford in April 2004. Harry Kewell in November 2003 was the last to score in open play. Liverpool's last league win here against today's opponents came in November 2001 when they won 3-1 with Michael Owen (two) and John Arne Riise scoring. Liverpool have been waiting since September 2004 to record a 50th league win over United. Should he play, Robbie Keane will play the 450th club game of his career. Liverpool's next goal will be their 400th scored under Rafa Benitez. Peter Beardsley scored the last of the six Liverpool hat-tricks against United in League meetings in September 1990 while Stan Pearson in 1946-47 has scored the last United hat-trick. If today's game finishes all-square it will be Liverpool's 50th draw in all competitions under Rafa Benitez. Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov scored 46 goals between them for Tottenham last season - each scoring 23. They both scored 15 in the Premier League. Last season Liverpool were the highest scorers in all four divisions with 199. Manchester United with 110 had the third best total. Liverpool have won just seven of the 32 Premiership meetings with United taking maximum points in 18. Rafa Benitez is looking to record his first league win over United at the ninth attempt. He did however oversee Liverpool's first F.A.Cup victory over United in 85 years thanks to a Peter Crouch goal on this ground in 2006. Albert Riera made his debut in English football in January 2006 for Manchester City against Manchester United. It was a dream start as City won 3-1 with Robbie Fowler scoring the final goal in the last minute. Liverpool's biggest ever win here was 7-1 in the first meeting between the two sides in October 1895 when United were known as Newton Heath. United's biggest win here was in December 1969 when they recorded a 4-1 victory.

	LFC V MAN UNITED: STAT ATTACK Ged Rea 11 September 2008

Of Liverpool's last 55 league games at Anfield they have lost only twice…both to Manchester United. There has not been a goal scored in the opening 69 minutes of any of Liverpool's five games this season with the Reds having to wait until the 83rd minute at least to open their account. They have not scored a first half goal in any of their last nine games. The last was a 43rd minute strike from Dirk Kuyt against Chelsea in the Champions League at Anfield back in April. All of Liverpool's goals have this season have been scored while Nabil El Zhar has been on the pitch. If United win today they will equal Everton by recording their 23rd league victory at Anfield. No club has won more. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are United's most prolific scorers in the Premier League. Both have scored 96 though Scholes has played 101 fewer games. If Liverpool fail to score today United will become the first visiting team ever to keep five successive league clean sheets at Anfield. United have lost only one of the last dozen league meetings home and away and at Anfield are unbeaten in the last six visits winning five. United have failed to score in only two of the last 12 league visits to Anfield. Dimitar Berbatov could make his debut for United today. The last players to play their first United games against Liverpool were Mikael Silvestre and Massimo Taibi on this ground in September 1999. United have lost just once away from home in the Premier League in 2008. That setback came at Chelsea in April when they were beaten 2-1. Darren Fletcher has scored both of Manchester United's league goals this season. Ryan Giggs is looking to score for the 19th successive season. United have scored in each of their last 26 Premier League since failing to find the net at Bolton back in November. United's league title last season was built on their home form as both Chelsea and Arsenal had better away records. They won 17 of their 19 games at Old Trafford with ten victories coming on the road. Given their home form in the league it is a surprise that they were eliminated from both the F.A.Cup (Portsmouth) and League Cup (Coventry City) at Old Trafford.

Rafa hopeful on star pair for Saturday

2008-09-10T12:43:00.000+08:00

Liverpool will give Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard every chance to prove their fitness for Saturday's clash with Manchester United. Hopeful manager Rafael Benitez, still awaiting his first league win over the Reds' arch-rivals, says both of his leading lights are 'improving' as they battle back from their respective injuries.

LaurenceGriffiths/GettyImages

Steven Gerrard: Said he would miss the game and return for Marseille.

Gerrard is the bigger doubt for the lunchtime clash after groin surgery but the Anfield club's medical staff are reportedly encouraged by Torres' progress in recovering from a hamstring injury.

Last weekend Gerrard said the United match would come too soon for him, and he was targeting the Champions League match against Marseille next Tuesday.

"It is always more difficult to prepare for the match with injuries because you know that if they are fit we will use them, but in this case you never know," Benitez said.

"It is better to avoid saying whether they can be available - it is difficult to say if they can play or not because they may have not played for 10 or 15 days.

"But they are both working hard with the physios and are improving, so there's still some time to decide."

Benitez remains optimistic about Gerrard, although he has confidence in the rest of the squad should his captain not make it.

"You never know, he is still progressing. The key is the fitness of the player - it makes a massive difference if he has confidence. That is the main thing for him," the Spaniard told the club's website.

"Clearly we have enough quality in the squad, so it is always important to look to the other players and sometimes they can give more to you than the big names.

"They can have the same quality and passion and they also have a lot to prove to the supporters."

Gerard desperate for a league title

2008-09-08T11:28:00.002+08:00

Steven Gerrard has admitted there is nothing he would like more in football than to lead Liverpool to the Barclays Premier League title.

While lifting the European Cup after the epic Champions League victory over AC Milan is his career highlight to date, the Reds skipper said winning the league would surpass that.

"The memories of Istanbul will go to the grave with me," said Gerrard. "There isn't a day goes by that I don't think about it, but I want more memories. I want to get on another open-top bus and see another million people on the streets of Liverpool, acclaiming the league title.

"The city will explode if we win the league, and I don't want it to happen when I'm retired. I'm 28 and realise the years are flying by. In November I'll have been a first-teamer for 10 years and yet it seems like I only made my debut two or three months ago, I've enjoyed it that much. I want from 28 to 35 to be even better, and I feel my best years are ahead of me.

"I don't want to retire and have just Istanbul and a couple of FA Cups to remember. It will be a disaster, personally, if I don't win the league here."

The Reds number eight believes there is a lot more to come from him and the team this season after admitting early performances have been below par.

"The performances so far haven't been that good, we're still only in second or third gear," he said. "A few of the lads haven't been 100 per cent and I've been nowhere near it myself.

"We played well in pre-season, but come the real deal we weren't at the level we wanted. The promising thing is that the results have been good."

Carra- I would rather miss for England rather than LFC

2008-09-06T13:22:00.001+08:00

Liverpool fans have given Jamie Carragher their backing after the Reds star admitted he has always put club before country.

Carragher came in for a storm of criticism yesterday after extracts of his forthcoming autobiography were published in a national newspaper in which he revealed an England defeat "never hurt me in the same way as losing for my club". He even went as far as saying he "would rather miss for England than LFC", when discussing his England penalty miss against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup. Former Liverpool player Stan Collymore, who won a total of three England caps before retiring at the age of 30 having never fulfilled his potential, was among those who criticised Carragher for his stance. But the Bootle-born defender won the backing of Reds fans with Les Lawson of the Liverpool Supporters Club saying: "I agree with Carra. My only thought when international breaks come around is that I hope the players come back uninjured. "I couldn't care less about England, I'm a Liverpool supporter. We are Scouse, not English!" Lawson even went as far as admitting Liverpool fans prefer to show allegiance to Spain because of the large contingent of Spaniards at Anfield. He said: "I have watched Liverpool reserves when England are playing. In fact, if England were playing Spain, you would probably find Liverpool fans supporting Spain." Carragher's attitude has been met with disappointment but not surprise by England supporters. Mark Perryman, of the England Fans' Group, thinks that European Cup-winners like Carragher, who play regular Champions League football, don't reach the pinnacle of their careers on the international stage. He said: "You do not want to hear things like that, but I do understand where someone like Carragher is coming from. "His view is no different to many fans, particularly those who support the big clubs. "If you asked most fans whether they would want their club to win the title or England to win the World Cup, they would back their own clubs. "It is an attitude that has arisen as the Champions League has got bigger and bigger. I know that as an England fan these days, I am in a minority. "The Champions League provides international quality football from September to March to players like Carragher. Success in it is crucial to the big clubs, so I understand his view."

Boss on Gerard form and Agger

2008-09-04T13:48:00.002+08:00

Rafa Benitez is backing his side to shift through the gears during what is set to be a crucial month in the club's season.

The Anfield boss knows the Reds have not totally convinced in their opening five matches despite an unbeaten run which has taken them to joint top of the league.

But with massive games against Manchester United and Everton looming in the next month, not to mention the start of our Champions League campaign, Benitez expects his side to start reaching full potential.

"Javier Mascherano, Lucas and Ryan Babel arrived late and I am sure that in a few weeks' time it will be better," the gaffer told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"We need to have better possession and work on having a higher tempo."

Liverpool's last outing brought a credible point at Villa Park without Steven Gerrard and, for the most part, Fernando Torres.

Benitez added: "Getting a draw without them showed the quality in the squad – but it could have been better.

"Having watched the videos, I thought we could have won. We had four chances – Alonso, Kuyt, Ngog and Keane. They had two and some set-pieces. So, the point was good but it could have been better.

"We changed the system to play 4-3-3 and give Xabi Alonso freedom, then when he was being pressed we changed to 4-2-3-1. People said, 'Oh, Robbie Keane wasn't playing well on the left.' But we had to think about winning the game, not just one player."

Gerrard is currently recovering from a groin operation due to keep him out 10-15 days.

On the skipper's race to face United on September 13, Benitez said: "Steven is okay. He's started with bicycle work and will start jogging, so I think he will be ready soon."

Meanwhile, the Liverpool boss is backing Daniel Agger to rise to the challenge of extra competition at centre-back.

The Dane has been absent from the starting XI since the first leg of our Champions League qualifier in Liege.

Benitez said: "Martin Skrtel is a good centre-back, Jamie Carragher is very consistent and Sami Hyypia is a good option also, so Daniel needs to work hard if he wants to play and he knows that.

"We want two players for each position but Daniel has a very good mentality and he will be ready."

New Boy Riera's unveiled

2008-09-02T11:51:00.002+08:00

He's a Spain international who has enjoyed an eye-catching spell with Espanyol - but what else do you know about our new left winger?

Liverpoolfc.tv endeavours to bring you up to speed with a list of 10 things you probably didn't know about Albert Riera.

1. Riera is known as Spain's answer to Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing but when among friends he goes by the nickname of 'Flossy'.

2. Albert was born on April 15, 1982 and shares his birthday with actress Emma Watson and former Blue Peter presenter Katy Hill.

3. Riera can boast to have matched new teammate Steven Gerrard's achievement of scoring in a UEFA Cup final. However, unlike Stevie, it would prove to be a bitter-sweet occasion for the winger, as Espanyol eventually succumbed to a penalty shoot-out defeat in the 2007 final against Sevilla. The match had ended 2-2 after extra-time.

4. Albert can already claim to have some Barclays Premier League experience having made 15 appearances for Manchester City after spending some of the 2005-06 season on loan at the club.

5. He made his Blues debut in a memorable 3-1 win at home to local rivals Manchester United on January 14, 2006. A similar result would be most welcome if he makes his Reds bow against the Red Devils on September 13.

6. Riera managed just one goal under City boss at the time Stuart Pearce, when he opened the scoring in a 3-0 win at home to Newcastle on February 1, 2006.

7. Guillem Balague believes the winger will make the most of his second spell in the Premier League after claiming City did not take full advantage of the 26-year-old's strengths. "He was not given the opportunity to play in his natural, attacking, position at City," he wrote on his website. "He spent his time there being used as a wing back: his natural position is a winger in a 4-2-3-1 formation."

8. Albert hails from the island of Mallorca and comes from a town called Manacor, which, incidentally, is the same place where tennis star Rafael Nadal was born.

9. Riera has already sampled the famous Anfield atmosphere after playing 77 minutes of City's 1-0 defeat away to Liverpool in the 2005-06 campaign. Harry Kewell was the Reds' goalscorer that day while Joey Barton was sent off for the visitors.

10. Albert scored his one and only international goal in Spain's 3-1 win away to Denmark in a European Championship qualifier on October 13, 2007. He has five caps for his country to date.

Reds face PSV, Marseille and Atletico Madrid in UCL Group D

2008-08-29T11:25:00.002+08:00

Liverpool have been drawn in Champions League Group D alongside PSV, Marseille and Fernando Torres' former club Atletico Madrid.

The draw will take El Nino back to the Vicente Calderon for the first time since his record transfer last summer.

Atletico, whose squad includes former Reds Luis Garcia and Florent Sinama-Pongolle, finished fourth in La Liga last term.

Marseille, meanwhile, were the third best team in France during 2007-08.

They twice faced the Reds in last season's group stages, winning 1-0 at Anfield before missing out on a place in the second round following a 4-0 home defeat.

Ex Red Bolo Zenden still plays at the Stade Velodrome.

Dutch champions PSV make up Group D, a side Liverpool faced four times en route to Athens in 2006-07, with Gerrard and co recording three wins and a draw.

Group A
CHELSEA
ROMA
BORDEAUX
CFR CLUJ

Group B
INTER MILAN
WERDER BREMEN
PANATHINAKOS
ANOTHOSIS FAMAGUSTA

Group C
BARCELONA
SPORTING LISBON
BASEL
SHAKHTAR DONESTSK

Group D
LIVERPOOL
PSV
MARSEILLE
ATLETICO MADRID

Group E
MAN UTD
VILLARREAL
CELTIC
AALBORG

Group F
LYON
BAYERN MUNICH
STEAUA BUCHAREST
FIORENTINA

Group G
ARSENAL
PORTO
FENERBACHE
DYNAMO KIEV

Group H
REAL MADRID
JUVENTUS
ZENIT ST PETERSBURG
BATE BORSOV

UCL - Reds to start at Marseille

2008-08-29T11:16:00.002+08:00

The Reds will travel to the south of France to take on Marseille at the Stade Velodrome on September 16 - the scene of their 4-0 victory last December when they sealed their place in the last sixteen of the competition.

That fixture is followed by a home game with PSV Eindhoven before a double header with La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.

Liverpool will kick-off their Champions League Group D campaign at the scene of one of their most impressive European performances of recent years.

An Anfield clash with Marseille follows with the group campaign ending with a trip to Holland to face PSV.

Liverpool's Group D fixtures are as follows:

September 16 v Marseille (a)
October 1 v PSV Eindhoven (h)
October 22 v Atletico Madrid (a)
November 4 v Atletico Madrid (h)
November 26 v Marseille (h)
December 9 v PSV Eindhoven (a)

Five-time champion Liverpool, which needed a 118th-minute goal Wednesday to qualify, was drawn into a group with PSV Eindhoven, Atletico Madrid and Olympique Marseille. That means Liverpool's star striker Fernando Torres, who scored the winner for Spain against Germany in June's European Championship final, gets a chance to face his former team.

"With Fernando and the other Spanish players, there will be huge, huge interest in that one," Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said. "It's great. That's what makes the Champions League so exciting. It's fantastic."

Kuyt goal secured The Kop place in 0809 ECL

2008-08-28T10:05:00.008+08:00

Liverpool left it late - very late - to secure their place in Thursday's Champions League draw and you can now enjoy Dirk Kuyt's 117th minute strike against Standard Liege online.
With the clock ticking towards a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out Ryan Babel's cross from the left finally unlocked a well organised Belgian defence and Kuyt celebrated his 100th game for the club with the most important goal he's ever scored.

Meanwhile benitez hails amazing Kuyt ..

Rafael Benitez hailed the 'amazing' energy of Dirk Kuyt after the forward marked his 100th game for the Reds with the winner against Standard Liege.

The Dutchman was on hand to fire home Ryan Babel's deep cross with just two min
utes of extra-time remaining to secure a 1-0 win and book Liverpool's place in the lucrative Group Stage of the Champions League.

It was a strike that ended the Belgian champions' brave resistance and the Reds boss admitted he was relieved that his side's efforts were eventually rewarded.

"I was really pleased because Kuyt scored the winning goal," said Rafa.

"His effort is amazing every game. I'm also really pleased because Nabil played well again.

"We knew it could be difficult. From the first minute they played well and we knew they would play well on the counter attack so we had to work really hard until the end.

"For me the most positive thing is that we played a little bit better against a good team who are sharp and we scored at the end. That means that the team are working really hard."

Benitez felt the overriding factor behind his side's late winner was their ability in the wide areas and was pleased that they kept going, despite suffering an evening full of frustration.

"The goal came from a good cross from Ryan Babel and Nabil also played well," he said. "You play with wingers because it gives you space for penetrating passes.

"It's important to have balance in defence but also in attack so that you have pace and quality in the wide areas, with Torres and Keane in the middle.

"We had confidence and we kept pushing. We knew from the first game they are really good and today they also played well. They were always a threat because you know you can concede from a free-kick or a corner but we were going forward well and controlling the game but we were missing the final pass to make the difference."

In an end to end first-half the Reds were twice grateful to Pepe Reina for producing two fantastic saves and while Benitez was delighted with his stopper's display he refused to heap too much praise on individual performances.

"Pepe was the key player in the first game but today it is not about just one player, it is about all of them," he said.

"You could see how hard they were working against a good team. When you play this kind of game you know the other team is training and playing thinking about just this game.

"We had the international break the other day and a lot of players weren't ready, so it was important to make sure we got through and we can now start work again with the group."

Benitez and co can now look forward to tomorrow's group stage draw safe in the knowledge they have once again boosted both the Anfield coffers and their chances of more silverware come May.

"To have the possibility to play for trophies is amazing and really important and also in terms of money," he added.

"We know it is important. If you play at this level you will have more chances of winning trophies and money."

Let's not blow our Rome dream - Gerard

2008-08-27T16:55:00.004+08:00

Steven Gerrard has urged his teammates not to blow the chance to play in a fairytale final in Rome next May
Liverpool tonight bid to qualify for a Champions League which reaches its finale in the stadium where Emlyn Hughes lifted our first European Cup back in 1977.

After a goalless draw in Liege two weeks ago, Gerrard isn't taking entry into the group stages for granted - but the skipper hopes the prospect of a dream final in nine months' time will inspire the Reds into the competition proper and beyond.

"We want to go one further than last year and we're confident we can do it," Gerrard told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"They were the better team on the night two weeks ago and you have to give them credit. It was a massive wake-up call that they can't be underestimated. They have some big, physical boys who can also play a bit.

"We need to make sure we improve from Saturday and see that we're on it – if not, we'll come unstuck.

"It's a massive game and we need to play very well. But we know we're at home and we're at a better level than two weeks ago, so we're very confident we'll win the game.

"The squad's even stronger this year and we know how good we can be in Europe over two legs. To go to Rome and get to another final would be an unbelievable achievement but that's the target we've set for ourselves."

Defeat or a score draw tonight would see Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time under Rafa Benitez.

Despite his confidence, Gerrard knows the pressure is on.

"An away goal would throw a spanner in the works so we have to defend properly," he added. "But we're capable of keeping clean sheets and we know we have match winners in the team.

"There certainly is respect for the opposition. We can't afford to start slowly and go a goal down – that would be a disaster.

"There is a bit of pressure but we have to play our own game. A first goal will help us settle but, you know, on paper we should win this game.

"It's easy to say that, though; now we've got to go out there and do it on the pitch."

Gerrard admits Liverpool have yet to leave "second gear" this season, but with six Barclays Premier League points already on the board, the 28-year-old is concentrating on the positives.

He explained: "It looked like we were going to lose points at home but now it's very nice to see six points on the board already. But we're not happy with how we're playing at the minute – we need to raise it a bit.

"When we were losing 1-0 we'd have taken a point because Middlesbrough were defending well and we weren't playing well at all. If you look at our games last season, that's where we came unstuck – drawing and losing at home.

"To win the league you need to win when you're playing badly and that's what happened on Saturday.

"The pleasing thing at the moment is that we've won two out of two and yet we're still in second gear. We know we can step it up."

The remarkable comeback against Middlesbrough was secured thanks to an injury-time hit from Gerrard five minutes after Jamie Carragher equalised with a deflected strike which some credited as an Emanuel Pogatetz own goal.

Ever a good friend, the club captain is adamant the leveller should go down as Carra's fifth career goal.

He said: "You've got to give him it. If he hadn't had a shot from there then we wouldn't have got the goal. He deserves the credit and deserves the goal."

Standard Liege cannot be underestimated - Carra

2008-08-26T14:19:00.002+08:00

Jamie Carragher has warned Liverpool cannot take anything for granted when they face Standard Liege in a must-win Champions League qualifier at Anfield on Wednesday.

With the tie in the balance after a goalless first leg in Belgium, the vice-captain knows our Champions League qualification is far from a formality.

"They are definitely the toughest opponents we've had in a qualifier," said Carragher.

"I know people expect us to get through, but it's not as if we're playing a Mickey Mouse team.

"The Belgian league has a lot of quality and their champions are used to getting into the group stages.

"We had a tough match against Anderlecht a few years ago so I'm not surprised Liege caused us problems.

"They caught us a bit cold in the first leg. Their manager said we were sleeping but they deserve credit for the way they played.

"They were spot on tactically, hitting us on the counter-attack and trying to make us play like a home side. You have to remember they'd gone something like 30 games unbeaten in their own league – and they are a club with European pedigree.

"We didn't play well and we know we'll have to improve at Anfield. Everyone knows how important it is for our season to get into the group stage."

Carragher added: "It's always a funny time for us to have such a massive game before we've got going in the season. Some of our results have reflected that.

"We lost at home to AK Graz in the year we won the competition and had a narrow win in the last minute against Maccabi Haifa two years ago, so anyone thinking we'll win comfortably knows that's very dangerous.

"You have to bear in mind this is probably the biggest game of the season already, and in some cases it may be the most important match they've ever had in their career.

"That makes them very tough opponents so we will have to be on our guard. Any side which can keep Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane as quiet as they did in the first leg has quality. We didn't have any chances in the game.

"It would be unthinkable for us not to be in the Champions League. You just want to get this qualifier out the way, put Europe on the back-burner for a while and get focused for a couple of months on doing well in the league.

"As players we expect to be there and so do the fans. We know in this situation all the pressure is on us, but we don't want to get negative about that.

"All the hard work finishing in the top four last season was geared towards reaching the group stages, so there's no way we want to let that slip.

"If we go through it gives us a bit of momentum and confidence and gives us those six group games to look forward setting up our season."

Gerard stuns Boro

2008-08-24T10:08:00.002+08:00

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard fired a stunning stoppage-time winner to floor Middlesbrough 2-1 after they threatened an Anfield shock.

Empics
Steven Gerrard slides in on Tuncay Sanli
England head coach Fabio Capello suggested in midweek that Gerrard is not fully fit, but he was still going strong late in the game against Boro as Liverpool came from behind to claim three points.

• Benitez lauds skipper Gerrard
Boro had not won in the league at Anfield since 1976 and when Mido came off the bench to put them ahead with 20 minutes left, that record looked likely to be consigned to history.

But Jamie Carragher saw a 20-yard cross-shot deflect home off Emanuel Pogatetz for an own goal with five minutes of regulation time remaining and then Gerrard rifled home a 20-yard winner deep into injury-time.

Liverpool replaced the injured Sami Hyypia with Martin Skrtel in defence for the match, while Gerrard shrugged off worries over a groin problem to start in a match which saw Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena make their home league debuts.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate initially named the side which beat Tottenham last week, with new signing Justin Hoyte on the bench.

But a pre-match injury to goalkeeper Brad Jones meant Ross Turnbull was thrust into action at the last moment.

He was put under immediate pressure by Liverpool. After three minutes Fernando Torres surged towards the penalty area and fed Dirk Kuyt, whose fierce drive was turned aside at full stretch by Turnbull.

Then Dossena fired over a swirling cross-shot which Turnbull pushed behind.

Torres saw a flicked header go wide, before there was a lengthy delay when Dossena and Jeremie Aliadiere clashed heads, both leaving the field.

Boro's French forward returned with his head heavily bandaged, while Dossena needed a stitch before being allowed back into the fray.

It then took a fine flying save from Jose Reina to touch over an 18-yard shot from from Boro's Andrew Taylor.

Tuncay and Afonso Alves gave Liverpool central defenders Carragher and Skrtel plenty to think about before Gerrard almost scored at the other end when his dipping drive flashed just over, following neat build-up play between Torres and Kuyt.

Middlesbrough's England winger Stewart Downing, a possible target for Liverpool, cut inside two defenders from the left before sending a shot just wide of the far post.

The pace barely dropped and only fine defending by David Wheater twice stopped Torres in the box, the second time after the Spaniard had been put clear by Kuyt.

Torres should then have given Liverpool a half-time lead, but his shot was deflected wide by Emanuel Pogatetz.

Boro sent out Turnbull for a half-time warm-up in front of the Kop, the goal the visitors were due to defend in the second period.

But despite having the majority of possession, Liverpool were not making clear chances.

All the effort in the world was there from Keane and Kuyt, but Boro's defence was standing firm.

Liverpool's set-plays were weak and ineffective, and corners in particular were repeatedly wasted.

Boro sent on Mido for Alves on the hour mark, the Teesside club clearly believing they could get something out of the game.

And they almost took the lead after 62 minutes when Mido crossed from the left and Tuncay produced a clever turn and flick before forcing Reina into a sharp save.

Liverpool sent on Ryan Babel, fresh from his Olympic campaign with Holland, in place of Yossi Benayoun after 65 minutes.

Torres immediately went close with a 25-yard strike, but it was Boro who grabbed the lead after 70 minutes.

Xabi Alonso conceded possession and the ball was switched from Aliadiere to Mido, some 30 yards out. His fierce, low drive beat Reina and found the bottom right corner.

Liverpool replaced Dossena with Fabio Aurelio, with Boro sending on Hoyte for Taylor.

Keane was booked for dissent after Liverpool were denied a penalty when Gerrard's fierce drive was deflected wide, seemingly off a Middlesbrough player's arm.

Then Mido found his way into referee Mike Riley's book for time-wasting.

Liverpool sent on Nabil El Zhar for Arbeloa with seven minutes left and they finally managed to pile on the pressure.

They drew level when Carragher made the most of Riley playing an advantage after a shot from Alonso hit Gary O'Neil's arm.

Amid loud appeals for a spot-kick, Carragher unleashed a shot which looked to be going off target but deflected past the unlucky Turnbull off Pogatetz.

Turnbull made a fine save from a Gerrard free-kick in injury-time. But in the fourth minute of added time, Liverpool's talisman smashed home the winner, driving the ball into the right corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area after Wheater's poor defensive header.

Benitez lauds skipper Gerrard
Rafael Benitez hailed the winning mentality of his skipper Steven Gerrard after Liverpool stole the points with two late goals against Middlesbrough.
Boro took the lead in the 70th minute with a Mido strike before Jamie Carragher's drive was deflected home by Emanuel Pogatetz with five minutes of normal time left.

Liverpool looked relieved to have saved a point, but Gerrard crashed home the winner four minutes into added time.

Benitez said: 'I was very pleased with the first 15 minutes or so, we created a lot of chances and could have scored a couple.

'But after that we did not play well, and we allowed them to control our attacks. They did not create too much themselves, but it was not a good performance from our team.

'Then in the second-half they scored a good goal and we had to throw people forward to get ourselves back in the game.

'I am sure that Jamie Carragher will be claiming that goal, despite the deflection, but afterwards he was only really concerned that we had got ourselves level.

'But it was Gerrard who showed the winning mentality, he has done that so many times from a similar position. Many other players would have put it high over the bar, but you know Gerrard will hit the target.

'Last season we drew far too many games at Anfield, but this time we have sent out a message that in such situations we can win the game. We have winners here.'

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate admitted his side were bitterly disappointed to have lost the game.

He said: 'That was hard to take. The players are heartbroken in the dressing room.

'We deserved more, we certainly deserved a point. We produced a disciplined performance and the two matches we have played so far have given me plenty of confidence.

'We beat Spurs last weekend and now we have very nearly beaten a side who can win the title.

'Their equaliser was a freak, and we should have been able to see out the game even at 1-1.

'But I have told them that they can leave Anfield with their heads high.'

Southgate revealed that goalkeeper Brad Jones dislocated a finger in the warm-up.

He said: 'It was just one of those things, but Ross Turnbull came in and did very well, he can be pleased with his performance.'

Hyppia not for sale -Rafa

2008-08-23T12:10:00.002+08:00

Rafa Benitez has revealed that one of our Barclays Premier League rivals has made an approach regarding defender Sami Hyypia – only to be quickly rebuffed.

The boss claims top flight new boys Stoke City wanted to sign the legendary Finn.

"Yes, Stoke City were very interested in Sami," said Benitez. "But we said we wanted him to stay and we want to keep him so it was very clear.

"He has signed a new one-year deal and we are very happy with him.

"If I was to talk about Sami Hyypia I could be talking for half an hour because he is a fantastic professional, a nice person and a really good player, so we don't want to sell him."

Sami Hyypia will miss the first home game of the season this weekend with a hamstring injury.

The centre-back is Rafa Benitez's only fitness worry for the visit of Middlesbrough on Saturday, with the likes of Martin Skrtel and Philipp Degen now back in contention after injury.

International round-up: Xabi and Robbie score

2008-08-21T17:11:00.004+08:00

Xabi Alonso netted twice as European champions Spain beat Daniel Agger's Denmark 3-0 on Wednesday night.
The midfielder volleyed home five minutes after coming on at half-time following an assist from Fernando Torres.

Torres then made way, while Pepe Reina entered the fray on 76 minutes before Alonso added his second as the final whistle loomed.

Meanwhile, Robbie Keane bagged his 34th international goal as the Republic of Ireland drew 1-1 with Norway. The game also saw Steve Finnan make his international return.

At Wembley, Steven Gerrard played 58 minutes as England drew 2-2 with Czech Republic in a final friendly before kicking off their World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign.

Elsewhere, Andrea Dossena won his second international cap when he came on at half-time during Italy's 2-2 draw with Austria.

Sami Hyypia and Yossi Benayoun both started in Finland as Israel were beaten 2-0.

Over in Ukraine, Andriy Voronin hit the bar during a first-half outing as Poland were dispatched 1-0.

The evening ended miserably for Martin Skrtel as Slovakia were beaten 2-0 at home to Greece, the Liverpool man playing 90 minutes.

And Dirk Kuyt came on for the last half an hour of Holland's 1-1 draw with Russia.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will have two of his three Olympic stars back in the squad for Saturday's game with Middlesbrough.

Ryan Babel's Holland were beaten in the quarter-finals by Argentina at the weekend, which puts Javier Mascherano in with a shout of a second successive gold medal.

Argentina now face Brazil in the semi-finals tomorrow where Mascherano will clash with club-mate Lucas.

Benitez said: 'It has been good for the three players to be involved in the Olympics and we are proud of them.

'But it is also good for Liverpool that Argentina and Brazil clash in the last four, because only one of our lads will be in the final.'

Mascherano and Lucas ready for Olympic semifinal battle

2008-08-19T14:34:00.003+08:00

Liverpool midfielders Javier Mascherano and Lucas will go head to head in a mouthwatering semi-final of the Olympics football competition at 2pm UK time today.

Mascherano helped Argentina to an extra time victory over Holland, while Lucas and Brazil overcame Cameroon 2-0 in their quarter-final.

With both players proving instrumental in their respective countries' march to the final four, this afternoon's battle in the middle of the field could well go a long way to determining which of the two nations will book their place in this weekend's final.

Stay tuned for full reaction to today's game on Liverpoolfc.tv later today.

If you were to select an ideal group of semifinalists, you'd probably want a healthy dose of the tournament's big guns along with an overachieving team that has played the role of ultimate party crasher.

On that basis, the four teams that have reached the semifinals of the men's Olympic soccer tournament are as absorbing a quartet as you'll find. In Argentina and Brazil, you have two teams who were on everyone's list of favorites. Nigeria was also tipped as a team to watch prior to the competition's start. Then there is Belgium, which ignored its curfew and has decided to stick around a while longer.

EPL 1st match result : Liverpool 1 (Torres 83"), Sunderland 0

2008-08-17T09:29:00.004+08:00

A dramatic strike from Fernando Torres has given Liverpool a 1-0 victory over Sunderland on the opening day of the Barclays Premier League season.

The Spanish striker hit a 25-yard scorcher on 83 minutes following a much-improved second-half performance from Liverpool.

Victory comes as a welcome tonic for Benitez - who today responded to newspaper speculation by talking of his contentment on Merseyside - following Wednesday's disappointing display in the Champions League qualifier.

The Anfield boss made two changes from Liege, recalling Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypia for Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger - the latter pair having to settle for a place on the Premier League's new seven-man bench.

Sunderland, meanwhile, were without injured striker Kenwyn Jones, though Roy Keane was able to call on summer signings Steed Malbranque, Pascal Chimbonda and El-Hadji Diouf.

Like his new boss, Diouf is always up for a bit of needle, and a pre-match claim that his former teammates would be scared of his 'magic' surely raised the odd eyebrow in the away dressing room.

His boast might have been dubious, but the visiting backline did indeed look nervous in the opening exchanges, not least when a Hyypia backpass almost gave Diouf a free run on goal. Jamie Carragher had to be at his very best to save the day.

Another scare arrived on 13 minutes and, yes, Diouf was again in the thick of it, this time sending a perfect cross towards Daryl Murphy, who probably won't SkyPlus the season's first Match of the Day following a tame header into the arms of Pepe Reina.

Liverpool had still to threaten by the time Diouf sent a curling effort narrowly over on 26 minutes. In fact, it took more than half an hour for the visitors to record a first shot of the campaign, Gerrard dragging wide from distance.

The skipper, and therefore Liverpool, began to exert more control on proceedings as the half wore on, while teammate Robbie Keane almost broke the deadlock with a superb turn and shot on 40 minutes.

Not that Benitez would have been appeased as Alan Wiley signalled half-time. The Spaniard introduced Alonso for the second half, a decision which gained universal approval among the travelling fans who sang his name throughout the first.

If Alonso's presence ensured Liverpool's passing improved, it was Gerrard who probed whenever the ball entered Sunderland territory.

The number eight shot wide on 51 minutes after a one-two with Yossi Benayoun - who seconds later tested Craig Gordon from close range.

Whatever Benitez said at half-time, it seemed to be doing the trick, though a let off in the form of a scuffed shot from Diouf showed Sunderland still had life in them yet.

A gilt-edged chance arrived on 72 minutes when a Dirk Kuyt effort was spilled by Gordon, with Keane and Torres getting in one another's way as they pounced on the rebound.

Keane was withdrawn shortly after, with Kuyt moving into a central position and Nabil El Zhar entering the fray on the right.

Liverpool were throwing everything at their hosts - even a 60-yard effort from Alonso which, with Gordon in limbo, was only just off target.

Never mind, for the breakthrough, late and dramatic, was just minutes away, and the sweet feet of Alonso again played their part with a searching pass to Torres, who turned before beating Gordon with a 25-yard shot.

The travelling Kop bounced and bounced until the final whistle arrived seven minutes later, and for the second successive season their men have kicked off the campaign with a win.

Watch highlights of our opening day win from 12am BST on Sunday.

Teams

Liverpool: Reina, Dossena, Hyypia, Carragher, Arbeloa, Benayoun, Gerrard (captain), Plessis, Kuyt, Torres, Keane. Subs - Alonso, Aurelio, El Zhar, Ngog, Cavalieri, Agger, Skrtel

Sunderland: Gordon, Bardsley, Collins, Nosworthy (captain), Chimbonda, Richardson, Tainio, Reid, Malbranque, Murphy, Diouf. Subs - Whitehead, Ward, Leadbitter, Higginbotham, Chopra, Edwards, Stokes

Referee: Alan Wiley

Conditions: Breezy

Attendance: 43,259

Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Xabi Alonso

Breakdown

16:32 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : The first game of the season is underway
4 mins : Hyypia's header is weak and Diouf has a chance which he can't make anything of. Bit of a let off though
6 mins : Diouf gets a cross in from the right but it's tame and Reina gathers
9 mins : Gerrard delivers a cross which is well defended and then loses control when he receives possession again
10 mins : Richardson charges through midfield but fails to test Reina with his long range shot
12 mins : First save of the game is made by Reina from Murphy who has space inside the box to direct a header goalwards
17 mins : Gerrard does well to track back and win the ball after Sunderland threaten to hit us on the break
24 mins : Sunderland asking most of the questions at the moment. We've offered little going forward
25 mins : Good corner kick delivery from Gerrard but Chimbonda heads clear
28 mins : Kuyt and Torres link up in the area but the ball rolls out for a goal kick
32 mins : Gerrard fouled on outside of area giving us a free kick in a great position
33 mins : Diouf charges out from the wall to block Gerrard's kick - TV replay show we should have had a penalty in original move for foul on Benayoun
39 mins : Plessis has a knock and could be replaced by Alonso
40 mins : Dossena's deep cross from the left is well defended by Bardsley at the expense of a corner
41 mins : Keane works space cleverly on the edge of the area but drives his low shot wide
45 mins : One extra minute to be played
17:18 GMT : Half Time Reached
17:34 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Substitution: Xabi Alonso for Damien Plessis:
50 mins : Gerrard bombs down the right but the attack comes to an end. Slow start to second half from both sides
53 mins : Gerrard has the ball on the edge of the box and fires a low shot wide of the far post
55 mins : Great chance for Diouf on his left foot but he can't get pace into the shot and it's easy for Reina
56 mins : Benayoun shot is saved and Keane wins a corner with the follow up attempt
56 mins : First Booking: Alvaro Arbeloa:
56 mins : Substitution: Dean Whitehead for Teemo Tainio:
58 mins : Benayoun lays the ball into Gerrard's path and the skipper's shot is blocked as it heads towards goal
66 mins : Liverpool win a corner - can we make it count?
67 mins : Sunderland deal well with Gerrard's delivery and clear their lines comfortably
70 mins : Free kick right on the edge of the box after foul on Benayoun. Great chance to work the goalkeeper
73 mins : Gerrard's free kick goes into the wall
73 mins : Benayoun's shot is saved and Torres' goalbound follow-up hits Keane and the ball rolls wide
74 mins : Substitution: Carlos Edwards for Steed Malbranque:
77 mins : Substitution: Nabil El Zhar for Robbie Keane:
80 mins : Oh so close for Alonso as he goes for goal from his own half and doesn't miss by much
80 mins : Substitution: Fabio Aurelio for Yossi Benayoun:
80 mins : Substitution: Michael Chopra for El-Hadji Diouf:
83 mins : GOAL! Fernando Torres: Great strike from Torres from outside the area into the corner
88 mins : First Booking: Nabil El Zhar:
18:23 GMT : Match Over

0808 Fixtures

2008-08-16T18:09:00.003+08:00

Date Opposition Competition Home or Away Kick Off e-Season Ticket Coverage Result

12 Jul, 2008 Tranmere Rovers Friendly A 15:00 1-0
16 Jul, 2008 FC Lucerne Friendly A 18:35 2-1
19 Jul, 2008 Wisla Krakow Friendly A 17:00 1-1
22 Jul, 2008 Hertha Berlin Friendly A 18:45 0-0
30 Jul, 2008 Villarreal Friendly A 20:30 0-0
02 Aug, 2008 Glasgow Rangers Friendly A 15:00 4-0
05 Aug, 2008 Valerenga Friendly A 18:00 4-1
08 Aug, 2008 Lazio Friendly H 20:00 1-0
13 Aug, 2008 Standard Liege Champions League Qualifier (1) A 20:05 0-0
16 Aug, 2008 Sunderland Barclays Premier League A 17:30 - 1-0
23 Aug, 2008 Middlesbrough Barclays Premier League H 15:00 -

27 Aug, 2008 Standard Liege Champions League Qualifier (2) H 20:05 Y Y Y -
31 Aug, 2008 Aston Villa Barclays Premier League A 16:00 Y N Y -
13 Sep, 2008 Manchester United Barclays Premier League H 12:45 Y N Y -
20 Sep, 2008 Stoke City Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
27 Sep, 2008 Everton Barclays Premier League A 12:45 Y N Y -
04 Oct, 2008 Manchester City Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
18 Oct, 2008 Wigan Athletic Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
26 Oct, 2008 Chelsea Barclays Premier League A 13:30 Y N Y -
29 Oct, 2008 Portsmouth Barclays Premier League H 20:00 Y N Y -
01 Nov, 2008 Tottenham Hotspur Barclays Premier League A 17:30 Y N Y -
08 Nov, 2008 West Brom Barclays Premier League H 17:30 Y N Y -
15 Nov, 2008 Bolton Wanderers Barclays Premier League A 12:45 Y N Y -
22 Nov, 2008 Fulham Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
01 Dec, 2008 West Ham United Barclays Premier League H 20:00 Y N Y -
06 Dec, 2008 Blackburn Rovers Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
13 Dec, 2008 Hull City Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
20 Dec, 2008 Arsenal Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
26 Dec, 2008 Bolton Wanderers Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
28 Dec, 2008 Newcastle United Barclays Premier League A 14:00 Y N Y -
10 Jan, 2009 Stoke City Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
17 Jan, 2009 Everton Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
27 Jan, 2009 Wigan Athletic Barclays Premier League A 20:00 Y N Y -
31 Jan, 2009 Chelsea Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
07 Feb, 2009 Portsmouth Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
21 Feb, 2009 Manchester City Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
28 Feb, 2009 Middlesbrough Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
04 Mar, 2009 Sunderland Barclays Premier League H 20:00 Y N Y -
14 Mar, 2009 Manchester United Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
21 Mar, 2009 Aston Villa Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
04 Apr, 2009 Fulham Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
11 Apr, 2009 Blackburn Rovers Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
18 Apr, 2009 Arsenal Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
25 Apr, 2009 Hull City Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
02 May, 2009 Newcastle United Barclays Premier League H 15:00 Y N Y -
09 May, 2009 West Ham United Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
16 May, 2009 West Brom Barclays Premier League A 15:00 Y N Y -
24 May, 2009 Tottenham Hotspur Barclays Premier League H 16:00 Y N Y -

Rafa First pre EPL Match 0809 Press Conference

2008-08-16T17:54:00.005+08:00

The new season is almost upon us and Rafa Benitez has given his first pre-match press conference of the Premier League campaign.

Reporters quizzed the gaffer on everything from Steven Gerrard's fitness and our title hopes to whether fans can expect any further additions during the current transfer window.

Here's what Rafa had to say in full:

Can we start with injury news, Rafa?

We had some problems the other day with Xabi Alonso and Yossi Benayoun receiving dead legs, and Fabio Aurelio and Martin Skrtel are improving, so we will see this afternoon and then decide. Steven Gerrard was training really well yesterday and he is okay.

Good news that Fabio is nearly back?

Yes, I think so. We need these players. Competition for places is good.

You've had a good pre-season in terms of results but are you happy that all your players are ready for the season?

Yes, I think it was important to see all the players training and we are really close to that. Philipp Degen is still injured but the rest of the squad is nearly there. If we see the Olympic players back soon, it'll be fantastic for the rest of the season.

Robbie Keane was your major signing over the summer – how is he fitting in?

He is okay - training really well and hard. He will need time, as always, to get an understanding with Torres and get to know all of his teammates.

What sort of system do you expect to play with those two?

It depends on the games. Keane has good movement in between the lines but also up front. We can play with both up front or maybe just one.

How excited are you by their partnership?

For a manager, when the ball is in attack, everything depends on the players you have. When you have players with quality and game intelligence like Keane and Torres it makes it easier for me, so maybe I will enjoy it.

Are you happy that you have the right sort of strength in depth now?

The squad is better and that was my idea. We do have some problems on the left because we have lost John Arne Riise, Harry Kewell and Sebastian Leto – because of his work permit. Okay, we will see what happens in the future but yes, the squad is better.

Another young player you've brought in is David Ngog, who's caught a lot of people's eye. Is he one to watch this season?

Yes, we knew when we bought him that he was a good player. Watching him in every training session, you see different things. You see his quality and I think he's also been pretty good in the games. He will be a good player for us for the rest of the season and hopefully for the future.

Rafa on priorities
Our priority is always to try to win every game, then you see where you are a contender or whether you can win this trophy or another. We will try to do our best in all the competitions but if you had to decide which one you wanted, I think all the fans would say the Premier League.
The years go by and every season people say it will be Liverpool's year, but do you feel that this season – do you feel it could be your year?

As I said, we have a better squad, but it always depends on the other teams too. We can be really good, but look at a few years ago when we got 82 points but still finished third. There are very good teams in the Premier League.

Is the Premier League your priority this year?

Our priority is always to try to win every game, then you see whether you are a contender or whether you can win this trophy or another. We will try to do our best in all the competitions but if you had to decide which one you wanted, I think all the fans would say the Premier League.

Last season you rested some of your major players in Premier League games – is it going to be the same this time or can we expect a more settled side?

It depends on the game and the players. Last season people talked about Torres but he was injured for two or three games and then on the bench for one or two. If you win, nobody talks about rotation. We will try to win and then you can talk about victories and not rotation.

Do you expect to make any more signings before the end of the transfer window?

Really, I don't know. We will continue working and then see.

Is any deal for Gareth Barry dead given the fact he played in the UEFA Cup?

I will try to be very clear because I would like to talk about the next games and Sunderland. Everybody has been talking and it is clear some newspapers and journalists – and all our supporters know this – blame me for everything: global warming; rises in petrol prices; everything. In this case, I want to be clear: since I talked with Martin O'Neill in April, I didn't talk with anyone else at Aston Villa. All the talks have been between Rick Parry and the owner and chief executive of Aston Villa – and they have been pretty good. If someone wants to talk about Barry in the future, they will have to talk to the owner or chief executive of Aston Villa, or Rick Parry. I was not doing the talks about Barry; I was not doing the talks about Alonso and Arsenal.

Has the situation been frustrating for you?

If you want to talk about players, you have to talk to Rick Parry; if you want to talk about football, talk to me.

In terms of football, are the players keen to get that Standard Liege performance out of their system this weekend?

Yes, the reaction of the players in training yesterday was fantastic. We were very happy to see them back on the pitch after a bad performance, and they showed a high tempo and determination. That is what we wanted to see.

And do your scouting reports suggest Sunderland are a better side this season?

Yes, they have clearly signed some good players. It is always tough to play away at Sunderland because they have some quality players. It could be a physical game but also a game with good football.

Back to the title race, and you say you have a better squad but the other three teams will have as well, won't they? Is the gap between you and them narrower?

You really don't know. We are pleased with the people we have signed but it will be the same with the other managers. For me, good teams have signed good players, and maybe we will see some surprises.

Tonny Barret Previews Of New Season

2008-08-15T12:49:00.002+08:00

The banner hung over the away end at Ibrox may have been tongue in cheek but it certainly provided a window into the souls of the Liverpool fans.
"Thank you Rangers for your efforts in destroying Manchester," it read, much to the amusement of just about everyone in the ground for Liverpool's pre-season walk in the park against Scotland's second best team.

It was a joke and a decent one at that but it also offered an insight into the mindset of the hordes in red and white who follow their team all over Europe in massive numbers - they know full well that Manchester must be destroyed, in a sporting sense, if Liverpool's wait for a league title is not to reach 20 years.

The most chastening of all thoughts is that this could be the season when it is the Stretford End and not the Kop which takes great pride in bellowing "18 times" to belittle their greatest rivals.

Since 1990, that chant has been the shield which has protected Reds fans even when their team has not lived up to the glorious standards set by their illustrious predecessors.

Glorifying the past because the future had dried up was their crutch and they were going to hold on to it even as United - and Chelsea and Arsenal to a lesser extent - voraciously vacuumed up league title after league title.

But this season Liverpool's past could come back to haunt them. All of a sudden, the combination of history and basic mathematics which has given them a comfort blanket to hold on to for so long may not be enough to protect them.

United are just one Championship trophy away from drawing level and if that isn't enough to inspire that long awaited title challenge from Anfield then God only knows what is.

There is now no escaping the challenge which faces Liverpool. Their rivals from the wrong end of the M62 have thrown down the gauntlet and unless the Reds do something about it there is a major possibility that they will lose their cherished title as England's most successful club come next May.

Sharing is not the Liverpool way as anyone foolishly peddling the ridiculous idea of a shared stadium with Everton has found out to their cost in recent years.

Liverpool set the standards for others to follow and the idea of no longer being singularly known as England's finest is one of the few things in life more depressing than a DVD of last season's European Cup Final.

The positive thing is Liverpool's fate remains in their own hands and they have it within their gift to retain their status as the nation's history boys.

They can also count on their strongest squad of players since Alan Hansen last lifted the league championship trophy above his head back in May 1990.

And they have a manager who has proven with Valencia that he has what it takes to defeat the biggest of boys and who has grown in confidence with every passing year he has spent in this country.

Rafa Benitez knows that the time has come for a genuine title challenge and not one which flatters to deceive or fizzles out when the business end of the season comes around.

Liverpool have to be in the mix next Easter. They must go into Alex Ferguson's infamous "squeaky bum" time with their buttocks clenched and handle anything that comes their way.

The platform has been built for them to spring from over the last four seasons and the big question now is has enough been done during the summer transfer window to see their status change from also rans to competitors?

Fans of Robbie Keane will tell you it has and that the acquisition of Ireland's record goalscorer can be the final piece of the seemingly never ending jigsaw which Liverpool have been putting together for oh so long.

Even at £20m the former Spurs man still has the potential to provide value for money and should Keane perform with the kind of élan and skill which is his trademark then no-one will complain about his price tag.

The arrival of Keane has only served to strengthen the spine of the Liverpool team which was already one of the best around.

Right down the middle of Benitez's side there is a quality that makes others envious and which gives Kopites hope.

Just putting the names down on paper is an exercise in belief building - Reina, Carragher, Agger, Skrtel, Hyypia, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Torres and now Keane are all undoubtedly good enough to be part of a title winning side.

The arrival of Andrea Dossena and Philipp Degen proved that Benitez was in agreement with the majority of fans who follow his team that Liverpool were crying out for attacking full backs.

It is still far too early to say whether either or both have the necessary talent to take the Reds to the next level but at least a weakness has been addressed and if all Dossena does is not score a calamitous own goal in the last minute of a European Cup semi-final progress will have been made.

In all likelihood, it will be the usual suspects who will have the biggest say in whether or not Liverpool can end their ongoing title drought.

At times, the importance of Gerrard and Carragher to this Liverpool side is easy to underestimate because they have been around for so long and because the high standards they set are sometimes taken for granted.

But make no mistake about it, if a challenge is to emerge at Anfield it will be the long serving local pair who will be at the heart of it.

Their leadership and their top class talent will be needed as much as it ever has been and should the standards they set be reached by others around them it could just be enough to light the fuse on a very special season.

Torres has already proven that he can live with the best and should Spain's Euro 2008 hero enjoy another goal-laden campaign Liverpool will certainly not be wanting when it comes to firepower.

If anything, the addition of Keane only adds to Torres' potential and their partnership has all the ingredients that any manager would be looking for in a dream team attacking pair.

Pace, flair, imagination, creativity, bravery, power, ingenuity, strength, aerial ability, finishing prowess - you name it, the Torres and Keane pairing has it.

They are at the attacking edge of a Liverpool team which is undoubtedly packed with quality but now they have to take the next step.

Should they do so, then legendary status will be assured, not to mention the not so trivial matter of ensuring Liverpool retain their status as England's most decorated domestic club.

Knocking United off their perch may be the tallest of orders but it can be done and should history made then the Liverpool fans will be thanking their team for "destroying Manchester."

REINA HEROICS SECURE LIEGE DRAW

2008-08-14T13:46:00.010+08:00

STANDARD LIEGE 0 - 0 LIVERPOOL
Wednesday 13 August 2008 20:05 , Champions League Qualifier (1)

REINA HEROICS SECURE LIEGE DRAW

Liverpool's Champions League dream is still alive after Pepe Reina's first-half penalty save secured a goalless draw with Standard Liege in a tense third round qualifying tie at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

Rafael Benitez's side struggled to impose their game on the Belgian champions throughout a tight contest and will now head into the second-leg at Anfield in two weeks time knowing victory is imperative if they are to progress to the group stage of the competition.

Ahead of the match the Reds were greeted by a wall of noise as the Liege faithful did their best to imitate Anfield's famous 12th man, a fact boldly highlighted by the 'Kop Rouches' banner that was decked across one of the stands of the 'Chaudron de Sclessin'.

It was a reception that illustrated the level of respect they have for a club with such similar traditions to their own, although they did not allow themselves to be overawed by the 2005 winners as they set about making life uncomfortable for Rafael Benitez's side from the start.

Indeed, it was the Reds of Belgium who were playing with the authority that had been expected from the Merseysiders and within seven minutes they left Liverpool shaken when a free-kick from the left was whipped into the penalty area allowing Marouane Fellaini to ghost in unmarked and bounce a free header against the post; with Pepe Reina performing miracles to somehow palm the rebounding ball to safety.

It was a warning for the visitors but one they did not take heed of and three minutes later they conceded a spot-kick when Wilfried Dalmat's cross from the right was harshly adjudged to have been handled in the area by Andrea Dossena - although the Italian's protests that the incident took place outside the area seemed more than justified.

A roar of anticipation greeted Dante Bonfirm Costa as he stepped up to face Reina, but the full-back never looked confident and the Spaniard further enhanced his reputation as a penalty-saving expert when he dived to his right to block a tame effort with his legs.

As the half progressed the Reds began to settle, but they did struggle to create any openings of note and the much-vaunted strike force of Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane - who was making his competitive bow for the Reds - rarely gave the Liege rearguard much to worry about.

A 35-yard Xabi Alonso free-kick that curved onto the roof of the net was the best Liverpool had to show for their first-half efforts and Benitez must have been relieved to get his side in at half-time with the game still scoreless.

The visitors needed to silence the buoyant home support with a more sustained spell of possession in the second period but it was Laszlo Boloni's men that continued to look the more threatening.

Reina twice had to be alert to deny Dieu Mbokani after it looked like the long ball over the top would set him free, while only an offside flag prevented Dirk Kuyt's last-ditch block on Igor De Camargo from being more meaningful.

It was one-way traffic in terms of chances and only De Camargo will know how he failed to give the Belgians the lead just past the hour mark when he contrived to guide Dante's delightful cross inches wide of the far post.

The five-times winners of the competition were in need of some inspiration, and it came as no surprise when Steven Gerrard, who had been a doubt ahead of the match with a thigh strain, emerged from the bench with just over 20 minutes remaining to replace Keane alongside Torres.

It didn't take long for the England man to get amongst it either and within minutes he had sent a curling 25-yard free-kick just wide of Aragon Espinoza's right-hand post.

However, not even a player who has so often been Liverpool's hero over the years could turn the match in the away side's favour and they will now head back to England determined to put the record straight at Anfield where the Belgian side will come face-to-face with the real 12th man.

Teams

Liverpool: Reina, Dossena, Carragher (captain), Agger, Arbeloa, Benayoun, Alonso, Plessis, Kuyt, Torres, Keane. Subs - Hyypia, Pennant, Insua, Cavalieri, El Zhar, Voronin, Gerrard

Standard Liege: Espinosa, Bonfim Costa, Mikulic, Sarr, , Witsel, Defour (captain), Fellaini, Dalmat, Mbokani, De Camargo. Subs - Goreux, Ingrao, Benko, Dembele, Nicaise, Toama, De Vriendt

Referee: Tom Henning Ovrebo (Nor)

Conditions: Windy

Attendance: Unknown

Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Pepe Reina

Breakdown

19:05 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpool kick off wearing their new green European kit
2 mins : Great atmosphere inside the stadium in the early stages
5 mins : Keane is muscled out of possession on the touch-line. No chances to speak of so far
6 mins : Arbeloa concedes a cheap free kick, giving the home side the chance to get the ball into Reina's area
8 mins : Feillani comes within inches of opening the scoring with a header from 6 yards which hits the post and appears to cross the line before Reina palms it away
9 mins : Alonso goes for goal from a free kick but strikes the ball into the wall
10 mins : Dossena concedes a penalty with a handball inside the area
11 mins : Dante's spot kick is poor and Reina saves with a dive away to his right hand side
15 mins : Feillani heads tamely wide from a corner as the home side continue to ask the early questions
19 mins : Liverpool have a free kick in a great position on the edge of the area after foul on Benayoun
19 mins : Alonso curls in the kick but Dante is well placed to head clear
24 mins : De Camargo goes on a mazy run but is well tracked by Alonso who recovers possession
26 mins : First Booking: Xabi Alonso: Late challenge earns a yellow card
30 mins : First Booking: Marcos : Bad tackle on Torres - Liverpool win free kick 22 yards from goal
31 mins : The free kick comes to nothing as Alonso strikes the wall with his effort
40 mins : Torres drives the ball into the area but it comes to nothing as the home side clear
42 mins : Torres is fouled again as Liverpool win another free kick on the left
19:52 GMT : Half Time Reached
20:08 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : The home side get the second period underway
47 mins : Darfour floats in a free kick which Reina deals with, but he's fouled and we have a free kick
50 mins : De Camargo has a chance clear in the area but can't make proper contact with his shot
54 mins : Arbeloa concedes a corner as the home side pour forward again to pose us problems
58 mins : Torres almost latches onto a long ball forward but the home 'keeper is out quickly to smother the danger
62 mins : Alonso finds Keane who wins a corner - chance for us
63 mins : Alonso's corner is well defended by a well organised home defence
65 mins : Another chance for Liege goes begging as De Camargo heads wide with only Reina to beat
67 mins : Substitution: Steven Gerrard for Robbie Keane:
68 mins : Gerrard's corner is punched away as far as Alonso who shoots wide, but he's fouled as he shoots as we win a free kick on edge of the box
71 mins : Gerrard bends the kick over the bar
73 mins : Reina does well under pressure to deal with another dangerous situation in his area
74 mins : Alonso is down and needs treatment as the game comes to a stop
82 mins : Substitution: Nabil El Zhar for Dirk Kuyt:
87 mins : First Booking: Tomislav Mikulic:
90 mins : Gerrard goes for goal with a late free kick which is easily saved
20:56 GMT : Match Over

Strike duo can be Europe's best - Rafa

2008-08-13T20:30:00.001+08:00

The Reds boss has been pleased by what he has seen from the duo during their brief time together in pre-season and expects them to prove their quality in the forthcoming campaign - with the Spaniard hopeful that Standard Liege will be first on their hit-list.

"I think the two strikers are top class and on the same level as anyone," he told reporters at a press conference ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League qualifier with Standard Liege at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

"If they play together a lot I think they can go on and get better and better.

"If you ask me, I would prefer them to have played together more in pre-season, but Torres came back late and we only signed Keane recently so it wasn't ideal.

"Both players are clever and it is clear that if they play together for a long time, it will be easier for them to develop an understanding. I think they will be okay and can show their quality.

"In the time they have had together they have played well and we have been scoring goals. They need time but we have confidence in them and I think we played well in the last game against Lazio."

Standing in the way of Torres and co's progress to the Group stages of Europe's elite competition are Belgian champions Standard Liege.

Benitez admits his side must be wary of any opponent they go head-to-head with in the Champions League but is confident his side will not fall to the same fate that saw last's season's UEFA Cup finalists, Rangers, come unstuck.

"I have confidence in my players and you must always be careful of any team you come up against in Europe," he said.

"I know Liege lost to St Etienne in a friendly but they also won the Belgian Super Cup the other day so we need to be careful.

"Any top side competing in this competition must be aware of the quality of the teams involved. We must be focused every game and make sure we do not make any mistakes.

"We know it's important to qualify every year and hopefully it will be the same this year."

He continued: "We have been trying to learn a lot about Liege and have been watching the games they have been playing recently and of course analysing last season too. We have some information.

"My staff have been watching games from last season but they have changed coach from then so to see them now is more important."

Benitez also revealed that he would assess Steven Gerrard in tonight's training session at the Sclessin before making a decision on whether to field him in tomorrow's first-leg encounter.

"He will train today so hopefully he will be okay for the match," he said.

While the Reds captain looks likely to win his fitness battle, one player who won't feature is full-back Steve Finnan, who Benitez feels is still short of match practice.

"He is not on the bench and has not travelled but we have Arbeloa in that position," said the Anfield manager.

"He was injured at the beginning of pre-season and had an operation and although he is now training with the team, he is still a bit behind in fitness."

LFC Statement on Gareth Barry

2008-08-11T11:01:00.001+08:00

Liverpool Football Club have today released the following press statement.

Liverpool FC chief executive Rick Parry said: "There has been a lot of comment today regarding our position with regards to Gareth Barry.

"This is not about questioning the manager's judgement or the ability of a particular player. The owners have clearly demonstrated throughout the year they are willing to back Rafa in the transfer market and will continue to do so.

"It is obviously the selling club's prerogative to put whatever price they want on the player, but on this occasion Liverpool think the price quoted is too high."

Olympic joy for Liverpool triplets

2008-08-11T10:48:00.005+08:00

There was joy for Lucas Leiva and Javier Mascherano as the duo helped Brazil and Argentina qualify for the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games while Ryan Babel was on target in Holland's 2-2 draw with the USA.

The Reds number 19, who played the full 90 minutes, put the Dutch 1-0 up against the USA, but they came back in the second half to lead 2-1 courtesy of goals from Sacha Kliestan and substitute Jozy Altidore. However, with almost the last kick of the game substitute Gerald Sibon levelled for the Dutch.

Meanwhile Lucas was in good form as he played the full 90 minutes in Brazil's 5-0 win over New Zealand. Ronaldinho scored twice, while Anderson, Alexandre Pato and Augusto Rafael Sobis were also on the mark.

Mascherano also played the full game as a 76th minute goal from Ezequiel Ivan Lavezzi saw off Australia.

Argentina and Brazil are next in action on Wednesday when Mascherano and co take on Serbia, while Lucas and his country face China. Both games kick-off at 12.45pm BST. Babel's Holland take on Japan at 10am BST.

Liverpool 1, Lazio 0 - Andriy hits winner as Keane makes home bow

2008-08-09T12:57:00.002+08:00

Andriy Voronin struck a last-gasp winner to ensure Liverpool ended their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 win over Lazio at Anfield.

The Ukrainian striker, who had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes as a substitute, kept his cool to thrash a dipping shot beyond Juan Pablo Carrizo to give the Reds a deserved win.

It was the perfect way to sign off ahead next week's Champions League and Barclays Premier League double header against Standard Liege and Sunderland, when the real business will get underway.

On a night when the Anfield faithful came out in force, Liverpool's first sight of goal came on nine minutes when Fernando Torres - back on home turf for the first time since his Euro 2008 winning exploits with Spain - drilled a ferocious 25-yard effort just over the crossbar.

It was the highlight of a bright start from Rafael Benitez's side, with the Reds boss using the clash with the Italians to give a first taste of L4 action to two of his new boys.

Andrea Dossena made a good impression down the left flank, pouring forward at every opportunity, while another man fulfilling a boyhood dream, Robbie Keane, saw his first shot at goal fly aimlessly wide after great link up play with Dirk Kuyt.

The home crowd's buoyant mood ahead of kick-off lifted to a crescendo of noise as they responded to this flurry of activity with the full repertoire of Anfield hymns; but despite all their efforts they could not inspire an early goal.

Torres could have changed that on 18 minutes but he delayed his shot when Yossi Benayoun presented him with a good opportunity in the Lazio box and the Spaniard was again left to rue his luck when he headed Xabi Alonso's centre well over Juan Pablo Carrizo's near post minutes later.

The visitors were struggling to provide any serious threat to Pepe Reina and co but could have snatched a surprise lead soon after when Stefan Mauri glanced a free header well wide of the Kop end net.

The first-half came and went without the breakthrough although an acrobatic volley from Yossi Benayoun should have seen Dirk Kuyt provide Liverpool with an interval lead on 44 minutes - but the striker somehow failed to connect with the ball as the goal lay gaping.

The second-half began in similar fashion to the first, with Liverpool on top and Kuyt again went close when his low effort from the right was well held by Carrizo after great play from Benayoun and Alvaro Arbeloa.

On 54 minutes the moment the Kop were craving nearly arrived but Keane lashed his effort just wide of the near post after an exquisite one-two with Kuyt sent him powering into the right-hand side of the penalty area.

For all Liverpool's dominance, the visitors remained a rare but very real threat on the counter attack and Stephen Ayodele Makinwa gave Reina a scare just shy of the hour mark when he guided a header just over the frame of the Spaniard's goal.

The excellent Xabi Alonso was next to try his luck with a 25-yard free-kick that deflected just wide of target while Daniel Agger brought a magnificent save out of Carrizo from the resulting corner.

Substitutes Pasquale Foggia and Mauro Zarate both warmed the fingertips of Reina before Voronin struck to snatch victory in stoppage time.

TEAMS

Liverpool: Reina, Dossena, Carragher (captain), Agger, Arbeloa, Benayoun, Alonso, Plessis, Kuyt, Torres, Keane. Subs - Hyypia, Ngog, Cavalieri, El Zhar, Voronin, Darby, Pennant, Insua, Finnan, Spearing, Nemeth

Lazio: Sorin, Radu, Siviglia (captain), Rozenhal, Lichsteiner, Matuzalem, Dabo, Mauri, Ledesma, Pandev, Makinwa. Subs - Zarate, Diakite, Tuia, Mendicino, Cinelli, Faraoni, Manfredini, Meghni, Foggia, Muslera

Referee: Andre Marriner

Conditions: Fine

Attendance: 43062

Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Xabi Alonso

BREAKDOWN

19:14 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Lazio, who attack the Kop end first half, kick off at a packed Anfield
1 min : Xabi Alonso's name is echoing around the Kop...and it's followed by Robbie Keane's Father Ted number
2 mins : Kuyt wins a corner after a nice throughball from Yossi
2 mins : Cleared
4 mins : Class defending from Dossena and Agger
7 mins : Dossena finds Yossi with a tidy backheel but the Israeli is dispossessed
9 mins : Kuyt searches out Torres with a long ball but the Spaniard's low cross is cleared
9 mins : Torres shoots from 20 yards...over
13 mins : Corner...Alonso steps up...cleared at the near post
14 mins : Free-kick in a good area...it's effectively a corner...again it's cleared at the near post. Come on, Xabi
15 mins : Alonso spreads the ball to Keane out right...the number seven plays a one-two with Dirk before shooting over. Good play
17 mins : Brilliant ball by Plessis to Kuyt sets Liverpool on the attack but it comes to nothing
17 mins : Torres in the box...takes one touch too many but it's a corner
18 mins : Dossena takes it this time...it's better but again headed clear
19 mins : Arbeloa swings one in...Torres ducks to get his head on it but it's just over
21 mins : First real chance for Lazio as free-kick is swung in but Mauri heads the wrong side of the woodwork
23 mins : Free-kick for the visitors in a dangerous position...the ball's on it's way...was that a push by Alvaro? Could have been a pen, that, but no one seemed to see
26 mins : Dossena wins the wall back well...he's playing really well
27 mins : El Nino is through...no he's not - offside
28 mins : Keane drives it to Yossi...he cuts inside but can't find space to shoot...comes to Torres...wide. Offside anyway
31 mins : Good tackle by Dossena...he and Alonso have been top drawer
32 mins : Lichtsteiner slips theatrically, much to the amusement of Anfield
33 mins : Kuyt crosses towards Keane...he's beaten in the air
38 mins : Torres brought down in the box...the Lazio man got the ball - Anfield isn't happy with referee Andre Marriner, though
40 mins : Keane sets Torres free...he's felled in the box but again the ref says no. Would have been harsh
41 mins : Dossena is beaten for pace but no Lazio player is there to meet the low cross
44 mins : Play is stopped as two Lazio men are on the floor
45 mins : Yossi plays it in...it's bouncing...Kuyt must score...but the Dutch forward doesn't get a decent contact
20:01 GMT : Half Time Reached
20:17 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Substitution: David Ngog for Fernando Torres:
46 mins : Substitution: Mourad Meghni for Francelino Matuzalem:
46 mins : Substitution: Mauro Zarate for Stefano Mauri:
49 mins : Kuyt crosses but it's too long for Keane
49 mins : Great dribble from Yossi across the edge of the box...finds Alvaro, who beats a man before giving it to Kuyt. His shot is saved
51 mins : Corner to the Italians...flicked on...cleared
52 mins : Dirk looks hurt...he fell with the full back and got a boot in the eye...gonna be a shiner, that
54 mins : Keane sprints forwards...give and go to Kuyt...Kuyt gives it back...that could be it...weak effort in front of the Kop, who sing his name regardless
56 mins : Makinwa heads over
56 mins : Alonso corner is touched on to Agger but the Dane isn't expecting it
57 mins : Alonso wins a throw in by hassling the Lazio defence...the Kop sings his name once more - they love him more than Torres tonight
59 mins : Dirk puts Ngog through...his cross is blocked...it comes back to Dirk...his control takes it away from him
60 mins : Alonso fouled on the edge of the box
60 mins : He's gonna take it...25 yards out...deflected wide for a corner which the Spaniard will take
61 mins : The ball comes in...Kuyt must score...scuffs his shot...comes to Agger...scissor kicks it...good save
62 mins : Substitution: Pasquale Foggia for Goran Pandev:
62 mins : End to end stuff...Makinwa fires one towards goal and Reina has to tip it over
67 mins : Low cross by Zarate...cleared by Carra
69 mins : Substitution: Christian Manfredini for Ousmane Dabo:
71 mins : Fierce effort by substitute Foggia...well save by Pepe
74 mins : Substitution: Diego Cavalieri for Pepe Reina:
74 mins : Substitution: Sami Hyypia for Daniel Agger:
74 mins : Substitution: Emiliano Insua for Alvaro Arbeloa:
74 mins : Substitution: Nabil El Zhar for Yossi Benayoun:
75 mins : Substitution: Jay Spearing for Xabi Alonso:
75 mins : Substitution: Jay Spearing for Andrea Dossena:
81 mins : Substitution: Ettore Mendicino for Stephen Makinwa:
71 mins : Substitution: Krisztian Nemeth for David Ngog:
81 mins : Substitution: Andriy Voronin for Robbie Keane:
81 mins : Substitution: Steve Finnan for Jamie Carragher:
81 mins : Substitution: Krisztian Nemeth for Damien Plessis:
83 mins : Substitution: Mobido Diakite for Stephan Lichsteiner:
87 mins : Substitution: Marco Davide Faraoni for Stefan Radu:
88 mins : The game died about 15 minutes ago
89 mins : Substitution: Alessandro Tuia for Sebastiano Siviglia:
90 mins : Substitution: Antonio Cinelli for Cristian Daniel Ledesma:
90 mins : GOAL! Andriy Voronin:
21:08 GMT : Match Over

Benayoun, Kuyt not leaving Anfield - Benitez

2008-08-08T12:02:00.004+08:00

Rafael Benitez today responded to speculation linking Yossi Benayoun and Dirk Kuyt with moves away from Anfield and insisted: "Neither player will be leaving."
Benayoun is reportedly attracting interest from Italian giants Roma while Kuyt has this morning been linked with a switch to Hamburg in Germany.

The Liverpool boss has spoken with both players over the past 24 hours and is adamant each has a big part to play in the club's quest for honours this season.

He said: "It is true that Roma are interested in Yossi. I was talking with him yesterday and told him I want to keep him. He is a player with quality and has shown that during pre-season. I have no more news about Yossi - he will be staying with us.

"I also talked with Dirk Kuyt this morning. I am really pleased with him and he will be staying with us."

Liverpool 4 , Valerenga 1

2008-08-06T13:35:00.001+08:00

Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and David Ngog were all on the scoresheet in Oslo as the Reds secured a 4-1 victory over Valerengen in their penultimate pre-season friendly - and you can watch all of the goals online now. Alonso opened the scoring midway through the first half with a well guided shot which curled away from the Valerenga goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

The Norwegians levelled early in the second period when Zajic fired home from close range - but their joy was short-lived as Torres latched onto a chance inside the box and finished with his customary style.

Yossi Benayoun added to his impressive pre-season goals tally with a magical strike on the hour mark when he dribbled his way into space before clipping a brilliant chip over Troy Perkins in the home side's goal.

And youngster David Ngog completed the rout with a calm finish late on when he slotted the ball into the far corner of the net.

If you've got an e-Season Ticket simply click on the links below to enjoy the best moments from our latest pre-season success.

European tie warm up : Liverpool thrash Rangers 4 nail

2008-08-04T13:43:00.001+08:00

Rangers manager Walter Smith wanted a stern test ahead of Tuesday's make-or-break Champions League qualifier against FBK Kaunas - and Liverpool were happy to oblige by handing out a 4-0 thrashing in a glamour friendly at Ibrox.

David Ngog opened his goalscoring account for the Reds after Fernando Torres claimed the only goal of the first half.

• Torres and Keane impress Benitez

Yossi Benayoun then found the back of the net, before Xabi Alonso completed the rout from the penalty spot.

Rangers failed to score once again after Wednesday's Ibrox stalemate and know an improvement will be needed when they travel to Lithuania for the crucial second leg, as they bid to keep their European hopes alive.

New signing Madjid Bougherra was named on the bench but failed to make his Rangers debut, while Kyle Lafferty made his first home start.

New goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri started between the sticks for the Reds while, at the other end, Rangers faced the daunting prospect of trying to halt a strikeforce worth a combined total of £40million in the shape of new signing Robbie Keane and Torres.

Rangers had the best of the early chances. Lee McCulloch's ferocious long-range shot whistled inches past Cavalieri's right-hand post, before Kenny Miller hooked over after pouncing on a Nacho Novo lay-off.

Torres then came close for Liverpool when he threw himself in front of a cross from the left from Andrea Dossena, only to send his header screaming over the crossbar.

The breakthrough came with 23 minutes on the clock when a powerful Damien Plessis shot was blocked by Allan McGregor - but the goalkeeper could not hold the effort and Torres was on hand to rifle home the rebound.

Steven Gerrard then embarked on a decent run before unleashing a 20-yard drive that McGregor did well to parry but, this time, the danger was cleared with Keane loitering with intent in front of goal.

Then it was Rangers' turn to threaten when Sasa Papac's audacious attempt at lobbing into the top left corner was only just touched out of play by a full-stretch Cavalieri.

A flurry of activity from Rangers followed but the home side failed to restore parity before the half-time whistle.

The best chance came when Miller released Novo into the box, who rounded Cavalieri at the near post, only to somehow be denied from about a yard out by a sliding block from Dossena.

The good news for Rangers was that Torres was one of several players withdrawn at the interval, with both sides making five changes each.

The bad new was the arrival of Ngog, who helped himself to a goal of his own after 57 minutes. The French striker pounced on a loose pass from Kirk Broadfoot and left McGregor with no chance from 12 yards.

Liverpool added to their lead further three minutes later. McGregor managed to swipe at a Christian Nemeth effort only for Benayoun to come racing in at the back post and bury the rebound from close range.

Cavalieri made way for Jose Reina, while McGregor was swapped for Neil Alexander - and he was plucking the ball out of the net with 20 minutes to go.

Broadfoot was deemed to have tripped Nemeth in the box and Alonso stepped up to convert from 12 yards, with Alexander well beaten.

Torres and Keane impress Benitez
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez declared himself pleased with the first outing of new strike force Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane after the Merseyside club cruised to a 4-0 win over Rangers in their challenge match at Ibrox.

Keane, who cost Liverpool £20million when he moved from Tottenham last week, linked well with the Spaniard in a first half which Liverpool bossed for long spells.

Torres gave the visitors the interval lead from close range after Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor had fumbled a long-range drive from French youngster Damien Plessis.

After both sides made five substitutions each at half-time, with Torres staying inside, 19-year-old striker David Ngog struck from the edge of the box for his first goal since signing from Paris St Germain before Yossi Benayoun made it three at the far post on the hour.

More substitutions followed before Xabi Alonso slotted the fourth from the penalty spot after Ibrox defender Kirk Broadfoot had clumsily pulled down Krisztian Nemeth in the box.

Benitez, who declined to comment on the continuing speculation about Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry coming to Anfield, was pleased with the way his front two led his side to an easy victory.

'Both players showed good movement and so did (Steven) Gerrard,' he said.

'Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun were coming inside so I felt we had five offensive players, very clever and with quality so we were a threat all the time.

'Keane is very clever and he worked hard. He is very happy here and hopefully we will see a lot of good movement and also goals from him.

'Gerrard, Torres and Keane playing together was one of the keys to keeping possession.

'But I feel we have some good players in the team, different players with different qualities and a good mentality.'

Despite the scoreline, Benitez, who also straight-batted questions about the continual booing of Keane by the home fans due to the former Spurs player being a Republic of Ireland international, insisted the Ibrox side offered a difficult challenge.

He said: 'The first half was okay but in the second half they needed to go forward in front of their supporters.

'We had more space and we scored the second goal on the counter-attack.

'But from the start of the game we wanted to impress and we wanted to win.

'We worked hard, had plenty of possession and wanted to keep a high tempo with the ball.

'We scored once and had one or two problems near the end of the first half but we controlled it.

'In the second half, with the game more open, it was easier for us to keep the high tempo.'

Keane and Ngog start at Vilareal draw 0-0

2008-07-31T12:23:00.001+08:00

Robbie Keane missed the best chance of the night on his Liverpool debut, just 24 hours after his £20million move to Anfield. Keane played the first half of the friendly in Castellon, Spain, where his appearance was upstaged by the heroes' reception for the members of the Euro 2008 winners. In the end Liverpool maintained their unbeaten record in pre-season matches, aware that their chances of adding Gareth Barry to their ranks seem to be dead. Aston Villa's decision to end the negotiations over Barry earlier in the day was met with a strict 'no comment' from Liverpool but still dominated the pre-match discussions. Whether that is the end of the matter only time will tell. The game was held up for several minutes as seven of Spain's victorious Euro 2008 side received ovations and presentations. Four of those players were from Liverpool, Jose Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres. Villarreal had Marcos Senna, Santi Cazorla and Joan Capdevila. All seven were amusingly given small yellow submarine toys to mark the occasion, due to Villarreal's nickname. Keane made his debut up front alongside another new boy, French teenager David Ngog, and both could have got their names on the scoresheet in the first period. First, Keane was set up by fine work from Steven Gerrard - back following injury - and Yossi Benayoun. The new £20million man beat two players but lifted his shot over the bar. Ngog, signed from Paris Saint Germain, saw a side-footed effort saved by Diego Lopez after Benayoun's pass. Lopez had saved well from a Gerrard curler, but Villarreal had their moments. The Spanish league runners-up forced Diego Cavalieri into good saves from Cani, ex-Arsenal man Robert Pires and Angel before Ariel Ibagaza hit a post with Joseba Llorente's follow-up deflected over by Stephen Darby. Liverpool made nine changes at the break, including two teenagers on up front, the excellent Spanish youngster Daniel Pacheco and Hungarian striker Krisztian Nemeth, the reserves' top scorer last term. Keane and Gerrard were among those taken off, leaving Benitez with a very youthful side including Jay Spearing and Emiliano Insua against Villarreal's experience. Liverpool were under a lot more pressure in the second period, but Pacheco should have scored when put clear, only to drag his shot wide. Then Nemeth fired over from 20-yards. With 20 minutes left Torres, Arbeloa and Alonso finally appeared - to a massive ovation from the home support. Then with 10 minutes left, former Villarreal goalkeeper Reina came on for a cameo appearance, having rushed to the Madrigal stadium after being at the birth of his second child. He too was given the hero treatment, the game now little more than an exhibition. Benitez evaded questions over the Barry saga. Benitez, though, insisted on his 'party line' response to questions about Barry, saying, 'I would prefer to concentrate on the game and my squad'. He added: 'I was really pleased with the situation on the pitch tonight. Robbie Keane did well, he had every chance to score but could not manage a goal.' And when questioned again on the Barry subject, he said: 'I think we have quality in the squad and I would prefer to concentrate on the game.' Benitez added: 'I feel the quality is improving, it is better than last season, and this match has been of benefit to the squad and for me to see several young players in action.'

Welcome to Liverpool FC Mr Keane

2008-07-30T10:32:00.001+08:00

Robbie Keane has spoken of his determination to fire Liverpool to a first league championship since 1990.
Click here to watch all eleven minutes of Robbie's press conference>>

Click here to watch exclusive interviews with both Robbie and Rafa>>

The new number seven is desperate to turn his solitary club medal – collected when Spurs beat Chelsea in the League Cup final last term - into a glittering collection here at Liverpool.

Asked at his unveiling this morning if he thought a title-winner's medal was realistic, Keane replied: "I certainly do think we can challenge Manchester United and Chelsea.

"If you look at the squad of players that were already here, along with the addition of a few more, then there is no reason we shouldn't be challenging for the Premier League and other trophies.

"Liverpool is a massive, massive club and people expect this of us. The fans expect it.

"I have come here to win things."

The lifelong Red was just nine years old last time the club won the league back at a time when he slept under Liverpool bedsheets and walked around in his club tracksuit.

Keane added: "I was a little bit too young to fully remember the last title. Hopefully I can contribute to changing that as part of this team. Obviously that would be great for the people of Liverpool.

"My whole family are Liverpool fans. I remember every Christmas asking for jerseys and tracksuits – it's great now that I get the tracksuits for free!"

Meanwhile, reporters quizzed the new boy on how he would deal with squad rotation.

Keane responded: "If you want to be the best, you have to have a big squad. In the last few seasons my managers have done it – Juande Ramos and Martin Jol. I still had some great seasons there.

"It is up to the manager what he wants to do but I am here for the team – not Robbie Keane."

Excerpt from http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N160691080729-1016.htm

LFC Greatest Managers

2008-07-28T14:34:00.001+08:00

No two men have done more for Liverpool Football Club than Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley but which of them can lay claim to being our greatest ever manager? On The Great Debate on LFC TV, you can decide.

At 9pm on Thursday, July 31, LFC TV will be hosting only the second ever Great Debate show, where we will pose the question: Shankly or Paisley? Who was Liverpool's greatest ever manager?

Was Shankly's achievement in transforming Anfield, the home of a team going nowhere fast when he arrived in 1959, into 'a bastion of invincibility' by the time he left in 1974, enough to earn him the title of Liverpool's greatest ever manager?

Or does that honour have to go to the man who followed him into the Anfield hot seat? Does Paisley's incredible trophy haul – including six league titles and three European Cups – place him above the man he loyally assisted in the Anfield Boot Room?

For years, Paisley has been English football's most successful ever boss but amazingly, that title is no guarantee supporters will vote him Liverpool's greatest manager on July 31.

Shankly's unique vision, incredible rapport with the supporters and socialist outlook on both life and football captured the imagination of Liverpool fans everywhere and even today, his name is still the most revered in Anfield history. To many of his disciples, Bill Shankly was more than a manager – he was, and still is, an icon of football and when it came to talking the talk, only Muhammad Ali could rival him.

Bob Paisley certainly never tried to match the Scot's charisma – he let his players do the talking for him on the pitch and if you believe you can only judge a football man on the number of trophies he's won, Paisley has to be the greatest. Shankly won six trophies in 15 years; Paisley captured a staggering 14 in just nine.

So, who is it to be? By 11pm on July 31, we hope to be able to provide the answer.

The minute The Great Debate kicks off on LFC TV, a poll will go live on the official website, liverpoolfc.tv, asking supporters the very same question we'll be asking our two studio guests and viewers at home: Who is Liverpool's greatest ever manager?

Visitors to the website will be able cast their vote up until 10.50pm, while all fans will be welcome to call up the show and debate the subject with our two special guests, Ian St John and Phil Neal, two men who owe many of their greatest achievements in life to Bill and Bob.

While fans vote on the website, the show on LFC TV will present a case for each manager with classic match action and contributions from special guests. We'll be updating viewers on how the voting is going throughout the show and we'll also be sharing some of the views posted by supporters on not only the official website's message boards but also the forums of various independent LFC websites. If you've got something to say, we want to hear from you – either live on the night or posted up on a message board. We also want you to vote on the night – it's LFC TV's Great Debate but only you can decide the outcome.

The show starts at 9pm on Thursday 31 July with the vote opening simultaneously on liverpoolfc.tv.

Click here to join the debate on our message boards>>

As well as asking you which manager is Liverpool's greatest, as a side issue, we'll also asking you to vote on your Shankly and Paisley achievement at Liverpool.

World Cup 2006 Soccer Online

2008-07-28T13:35:00.000+08:00

Lucas target double glory

2008-07-27T15:14:00.003+08:00

Lucas Leiva is eager to force his way into Liverpool's starting line-up on a more regular basis next season and has already set his sights on helping to end the club's 18-year wait for the Barclays Premier League title.

The Brazilian midfielder, who started 12 league matches in his first campaign with the Reds, admits competition for places in the centre of Liverpool's midfield is more intense than ever, but hopes he can go on and make more of an impact in his second year with the club.

"Of course it's going to be difficult but I will be trying my best (to get regular starts)," said Lucas.

"We had a good second half of the season but we didn't win the title. Hopefully this year we can win the title and this is our challenge now.

"I think that winning the league is most important because it's been an 18 year wait since we last won it.

"The focus is to win something but the most important thing now is the Premier League."

While Liverpool begin to step up their preparations ahead of the big kick off at Sunderland on August 16, Lucas will now turn his attention to Brazil's bid for Olympic glory.

He admits it is frustrating to miss the Reds' opening matches of the season but insists representing his country was an opportunity he could not turn down.

"Of course Liverpool would have wanted me playing in Liverpool because I will miss some games - some important games - but they know that this (the Olympics) is important for me and for the country.

"Hopefully, we will win this title and then I can return to Liverpool and think about the Premier League, the Champions League and the other cups."

Brazil head to Beijing as the favourites to claim the Gold medal and while Lucas would love to secure that honour with his country, he is keen to remain cautious and take each game at a time.

"It's good to be favourites but now we just have to think about taking it game by game," he said.

"It's difficult but now we have to focus on our two friendlies against Singapore and Vietnam and then think about the Olympics.

"It's normal for Brazil to be thought of as favourites so we just have to take it game by game and try to do our best."

LFC Records

2008-07-26T15:39:00.000+08:00

APPEARANCES
Most first team appearances Ian Callaghan (857)
Most League appearances Ian Callaghan (640)
Most FA Cup appearances Ian Callaghan (79)
Most League Cup appearances Ian Rush (78)
Most European appearances Jamie Carragher (91)
Oldest player Ted Doig, 41 yrs & 165 days v Newcastle United (A), 11 April 1908
Youngest player Max Thompson, 17 yrs & 129 days v Tottenham Hotspur (a) 8 May 1974
Most seasons as an ever-present Phil Neal (9)
Most consecutive appearances Phil Neal (417) 23 October 1976 to 24 September 1983
Longest serving player Elisha Scott – 21 yrs & 52 days: 1913 to 1934
Oldest debutant Ted Doig, 37 yrs & 307 days v Burton U (H) 1 September 1904

GOALS
Most first team goals Ian Rush (346)
Most League goals Roger Hunt (245)
Most FA Cup goals Ian Rush (39)
Most League Cup goals Ian Rush (48)
Most European goals Steven Gerrard (23)
Highest scoring substitute David Fairclough (18)
Most hat-tricks Gordon Hodgson (17)
Most hat-tricks in a season Roger Hunt (5 in 1961-62)
Most penalties scored Jan Molby (42)
Most games without scoring Ephraim Longworth (371)
Youngest goalscorer Michael Owen, 17 yrs & 144 days v Wimbledon (a) 6 May 1997
Oldest goalscorer Billy Liddell, 38 yrs & 55 days V Stoke City (h) 5 March 1960

INTERNATIONALS
Most capped player Ian Rush (67) with Wales
Most international goals Ian Rush (26)

HONOURS
Most medals Phil Neal (20)

MATCHES
Record victory 11-0 v Strømsgodset
Record defeat 1-9 v Birmingham City

TRANSFER FEES
Record transfer fee paid Fernando Torres
Record transfer fee received £12.5 million for Robbie Fowler

ATTENDANCES
Highest League attendance: 58,757 v Chelsea, 1949/50
Highest FA Cup attendance 61,905 v Wolves, 1951/52 fifth round
Highest League Cup attendance 50,880 v Nottingham Forest, 1979/80 semi-final 2nd leg
Highest European attendance 55,104 v Barcelona, 1975/76 UEFA Cup semi-final 2nd leg
Lowest League attendance 1,000 v Loughborough Town on 7 December 1895
Lowest League attendance (post-war) 11,976 against Scunthorpe United for a Division 2 game on 22 April 1959
Lowest FA Cup attendance 4,000 v Newton on 29 October 1892 2nd Qualifying Round
Lowest FA Cup attendance (post-war) 11,207 v Chester City, 1945-46 3rd rd 2nd leg
Lowest League Cup attendance 9,902 v Brentford, 1983/84 2nd rd, 2nd leg
Lowest European attendance 12,021 v Dundalk, 1982/83 European Cup 1st rd, 1st leg
Record highest attendance 61,905 v Wolves, 1951/52 FA Cup fifth round
Record lowest attendance 1,000 against Loughborough Town on 7 December 1895

Gerard received honorary fellowship

2008-07-26T15:14:00.000+08:00

	Steven Gerrard was celebrating today after being the proud recipient of an Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in recognition of his services to sport, during a graduation ceremony at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.

Gerrard, whose achievements on the pitch have already earned him an MBE, said: "I'm really privileged to be here today but without my team-mates at Liverpool Football Club this wouldn't be possible. A lot of the things that I've achieved in football with the team and also individually wouldn't have happened without my team-mates so I would like to say a big thank you to them.

"I'd also like to thank the pro-Chancellor and the vice-Chancellor for welcoming me into the university family. I am really proud to come from Liverpool and I always try to do my best for this city, on and off the pitch, and I promise to continue to do that.

"I would like to say what an honour it is to receive the scroll today. I will look after it for the rest of my life and also what an experience this has been for myself. The staff at the university have really made me feel so welcome and everyone on the stage has made me so relaxed."

The Reds skipper also paid a personal tribute to all of the graduates who were honoured by the university.

"I would also like to congratulate all of the graduates," said Gerrard. "I think this day belongs to them more than me. I've achieved this with great help from a number of players and a number of coaches - everyone at Liverpool Football Club and at international level - and my family who have been with me from day one.

"They have had to work so hard individually to achieve their dream today so congratulations."

Professor Michael Brown, who is vice-chancellor at LJMU, said: "Steven epitomises the university philosophy of 'Dream, Plan, Achieve'.

"As a young boy he excelled in the sport he loves and ensured his talent was recognised, looking upon challenges as opportunities and pursuing each available avenue.

"As a result he has become one of the best sportsmen in the country, if not the world, with a reputation for integrity both on and off the pitch.

"As a prominent sporting figure and a son of the city, it is fitting that LJMU, an international leader in sports and exercise science and a major contributor to Liverpool's success and growth, should award Steven with this Honorary Fellowship.

"We are delighted to welcome him into the university family."