FT Summary: Liverpool 0-0 Utrecht

Sports - Football - Europa League - Liverpool 0:0 Utrecht

A young Liverpool side neither got nor created much of a challenge, bringing a rather uneventful and slow game to an end as the 0-0 scoreline suggests and confirms. Milan Jovanovic came closest for the Reds hitting the crossbar early on in the first half, whilst Utrecht lost their main striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel to a broken collarbone late on. Joe Cole came closest in the second half, but saw all his shots blocked, defended and stopped. The Dutch fans have been the stars of the night, chanting and singing non-stop. Meanwhile still, as already known at the start of the night, Liverpool are home and dry at the top of the group, Utrecht down and out at the bottom.

1st & 2nd half summary:

- Martin Skrtel is the only man who survived as 10 changes are made to the Liverpool side that was beaten against Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday, and he takes the captain's armband for the first time for Liverpool. It is the youngsters' chance to impress as Liverpool are already through, top of the group; star striker Fernando Torres and former Utrecht man Dirk Kuyt are both on the bench whilst David Ngog is out with a cut on his eye during the Tyneside defeat.

- Martin Kelly gives the ball away with a terrible backpass, but Skrtel recovers the ball from Ricky van Wolfswinkel, lucky escape for Liverpool.

- Clumsy tackle by Nathan Eccleston on Dries Mertens, who goes down hurt, Icelandic referee Kristinn Jakobsson plays advantage, but later comes back to book the Liverpool youngster. He is feeling the pressure by Utrecht and his stand-in skipper Skrtel.

- Milan Jovanovic hits the bar! Fine left-foot strike, after some fine touches to break him through and clear of the Utrecht lot, ball comes off the crossbar. Looked like the goalkeeper Michel Vorm got the faintest of touches on it, goal kick given though.

- Free kick to Liverpool just outside the box after Ryan Babel is brought down by Mihai Nesu, Fabio Aurelio takes it, left-foot curler, doesn't even beat the wall, disappointing, chance wasted for Liverpool, no worries for Utrecht.

- Brad Jones has to make his first save off van Wolfswinkel swing-in shot.

- Jan Wuytens clears Aurelio's swing-in shot, first corner of the night goes to Liverpool, Jonjo Shelvey takes it Danny Wilson heads it high and over.

- Liverpool keep pressure on, second corner soon follows, this time from the other side, Aurelio takes it, the ball is cleared by Wuytens, deflected, out for a throw-in.

- A wasted chance to break for Utrecht, Barrry Maguire's cross going too far and out.

- 10 minutes to go and neither side looking to take control and break through really, Liverpool enjoying just that bit more possession.

- Needless giveaway by Poulsen, first corner of the day for the Dutch guests, Jones jumps over everything and everyone to eventually clear the ball, makes it look very dramatic.

- Babel looked like he was up and away after Utrecht give away the ball and the Reds break, but a fine tackle by Michael Silberbauer makes a quick stop to that.

- van Wolfswinkel looks down and out after falling awkwardly on his arm/shoulder, spiraling and falling down heavily. Looks in terrible pain, strechter comes out and takes him out, Leon de Kogel comes on for the striker.

- The whistle is blown and half time declared after 3 minutes of time added on. 0-0 it is, and 0 action, 0 chances it was really, Johnson coming closest with the shot off the crossbar.

- Sotirios Kyrgiakos comes on and takes the captain's armband from Skrtel for the second half.

- Jones picks up a soft shot by Dries Mertens.

- de Kogel wins the ball against Wilson, the defender recovers well hanging onto the striker a little bit, lucky not to concede a free kick just outside the box.

- Balls wasted, crosses mis-hit, not much to uh and ah or cheer about at the moment.

- Babel, the booman at the moment, takes a shot from the right corner of the box, knocks it wide.

- Eccleston has impressed tonight, keeping the pressure on the Dutch guest, is taken off for Daniel Pacheco.

- Kelly breaks forward on the right hand side, drives it across, nobody can connect to it, Babel was covered well.

- de Kogel puts a fine shot through, blocked and held by Jones.

- Chance at the other end, Pacheco's soft shot easily held by Vorm.

- Joe Cole had a golden chance from a couple of yards out v the goalkeeper and his shot is blocked and deflected by a defender.

- Cole takes a free kick from outside the box, his shot is blocked and deflected, he takes another shot when the ball comes back to him in the box, easy catch for the goalkeeper. All frustration for the former Chelsea player.

- 3 minutes added on... Corner for Utrecht, pressure late on for Liverpool... Defended, blocked, nothing really close... Utrecht press,, shot straight to Jones...

- And that was the last move, 0-0 it ends, not much more to report on this half. Liverpool disppointing tonight, the youngsters not creating and impressing much. The Dutch fans have been the stars of the night, chanting and singing non-stop.

Liverpool: Jones; Kelly, Skrtel (Kyrgiakos HT), Wilson, Aurelio; Jovanovic (Kuyt 73), Poulsen, Shelvey, Cole; Eccleston (booked 6, Pacheco 56), Babel.
Subs not used: Hansen, Johnson, Meireles, Torres.

Utrecht: Vorm; Cornelisse, Keller, Wuytens, Nesu; Duplan (Oar 71), Silberbauer, Nijholt, Mertens; Maguire (Sarota 84), van Wolfswinkel (de Kogel 46).
Subs not used: Cummings, Van der Maarel, Vorstermans.

1st half stats:
Liverpool-Utrecht
Attempts: 4-1
On target: 2-1
Offsides: 1-0
Corners: 2-1
Free kicks: 4-4
Possession:
51%-49% after 30 minutes
49%-51% at half time

2nd half stats:
Liverpool-Utrecht
Attempts: 4-4
On target: 3-2
Offsides: 1-0
Corners: 1-4
Free kicks: 3-7
Possession:
44%-56% at full time

Referee: Kristinn Jakobsson (Iceland)
Man of the match: Dries Mertens