Liverpool have to wait until the final round of games to qualify for the last 32 in the Europa League after drawing 2-2 against the Young Boys at Anfield. A win would have seen them through one game to spare, but the draw means they will have to beat Udinese in the last group fixture to guarantee qualification.
Brendan Rodgers lined up a much changed side from the Reds' win against Wigan, Oussama Assaidi, Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Cole starting up front of a 4-3-3 formation with star man Luis Suarez and captain Steven Gerrard both left on the bench.
The visitors started the brighter and almost scored from kick-off as Gonzalo Zarate put a bicycle kick over the bar. But after seeing their defender Dusan Veskovac carried off with a hamstring injury and replaced by Juhani Ojala, it seemed to disrupt the Swiss side's flow, allowing the hosts to gain control of the match.
Jordan Henderson was denied by Marco Wolfli, a fine save by the Swiss skipper after the England midfielder was put clean through by his team mate Shelvey's cheeky back-heel pass. Suso also had a shot saved before Rodgers was forced to bring on the skipper Gerrard for the apparently injured Andre Wisdom, just half an hour into the game.
Cole and the Reds were buzzing and in total control after that and it was not until after the break the Young Boys made a comeback. Cole had another chance from Suso's through-ball but Wolfli smothered his shot and the visitors raced down the other end to equalise thanks to a superb left-footed strike across Pepe Reina by Raul Bobadilla.
With the game now delicately poised, Suarez replaced Suso on the hour-mark breathing some new life into the Reds. The hosts took control and pinned the opposition back and a breakthrough seemed inevitable when Suarez and Gerrard exchanged some passes, a nice one-two, the latter picking out Cole's run. The number ten took the ball with his back to the goal, spun around before stabbing it beyond Wolfli into the back of the net and celebrating in total ecstasy.
The Reds thought they had the points in the bag after that but with time running out Elsad Zverotic levelled the score for the visitors by blasting home the ball from the edge of the box, meaning Liverpool's Europa League fate now rests on the outcome of their trip to Udinese in a fortnight's time.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers:
"It is a little frustrating. It is disappointing that with three or four minutes to go we didn't control the game better.
"It would have been a good win for us against a good team. But we still control our destiny. It just makes it a wee bit harder than we would have liked.
"It's a competition we want to qualify in. We had a good chance tonight but we didn't close it out."
Reina into the history book:
Pepe Reina made his 81st European appearance for Liverpool on Thursday. That saw the Spanish international pass Ray Clemence's club record for a goalkeeper.
*The images taken from the BBC and Sky Sports website's match reports respectively
Liverpool 2-2 Young Boys
Liverpool Goals: 1: 32:35 min Jonjo Shelvey (33), 2: 71:38 min Joe Cole (10).
Young Boys Goals: 1: 51:21 min Raul Marcello Bobabilla (9), 2: 87:48 min Elsad Zverotic (13).
Liverpool Lineup: 25 Reina; 19 Downing, 23 Carragher, 37 Skrtel, 47 Wisdom (8 Gerrard - 31.min); 14 Henderson, 4 Sahin (booked 78.min), 30 Suso (7 Suarez - 60.min); 11 Assaidi, 33 Shelvey, 10 Cole (31 Sterling - 75.min). 4-3-3
Subs not used: 1 Jones, 3 Jose Enrique, 16 Coates, 24 Allen.
Young Boys Lineup: 1 Wolfli; 33 Lecjaks, 22 Veskovac (3 Ojala - 23. min), 4 Nef, 23 Sutter; 8 Farnerud, 13 Zverotic (booked 89.min); 29 Nuzzolo (20 Frey - 77.min), 14 Schneuwly (7 Vitkieviez - 82.min), 19 Zarate; 9 Bobadilla. 4-2-3-1.
Subs not used: 18 Mvogo, 2 Gonzalez, 10 Constanzo, 30 Doubai.
BBC Match Stats: Liverpool-Young Boys
Attempts: 17-14
On target: 12-8
Corners: 14-5
Free kicks: 13-9
Possession: 57%-43%
Referee: Alon Yefet (Israel)
Man of the Match: Joe Cole
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