Shaky Defence Costs Reds Again

Sports - Football - Champions League - LFC 2:2 SFC

Liverpool's leaky defence cost them two points as they drew their opening Champions League group game 2-2 against Sevilla at Anfield.

After being thrashed 0-5 by Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday, confidence was low for the Reds, their weaknesses bared for everyone to see.

So, the Kop was extra loud, wanting and urging their side to bounce back in style on their European return after three years absence.

Click here to read my ByTheMinute match coverage.

But it took only five minutes for those dreams to be shattered.

The first attack for the visitors, a fine counter, Wissam Ben Yedder gave the visitors the lead with an easy tap in.

There was no one covering him, too much space, an easy conversion after Dejan Lovren missed and messed up his interception to block and clear the pass from the left in the buildup.

Liverpool pushed and pressed well at the front and on the counter with some great team play, but shaky and dodgy every time the ball came to their back line or anywhere near the box.

Reds attack Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino came close a couple of times, Sevillistas keeper Sergio Rico doing well in denying and frustrating both.

21st minute, finally the Reds got the breakthrough to level the score, Firmino netting after quality interplay and connections in the buildup with Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson.

All the pushing and pressing and breaking payed off again after 36 minutes when Mohamed Salah gave the Reds the lead thanks to great running and crossing by Wijnaldum again.

The couple worked well together throughout the match. It was an evil deflection off defender Ever Banega though that took the ball up and over keeper Rico to make it 2-1, but it was just what the Red doctor ordered.

And just a couple of minutes before the break, the home side won a penalty after Mané was brought down by Sevilla skipper Nicolas Pareja.

However, LFC failed to take advantage and build on their lead, seeing Firimino's spot kick come off the right sidebar.

Liverpool finished the first half on top, Alberto Moreno seeing his shot saved by Rico after another lovely counter.

That first half showed signs and shines of the Red side that thrashed Arsenal 4-0 before the international break.

Ups and downs, tops and flops, shining at the front, shaking at the back, the first half showed some lovely football with the odd cringe at the back.

And the second half grew more and more frustrating with cringe after cringe, Sevilla blocking out Liverpool again and again, whilst stretching and shaking the Reds at the back creating more of a threat.

With an hour gone, Sevilla boss Eduardo Berizzo was sent to the stands after throwing the ball away from Joe Gomez. Needless, childish stuff.

Reds boss Jürgen Klopp grew more and more frustrated, too, seeing chance after chance go to waste.

Just under 20 minutes to go, the Spaniards levelled the score out of nowhere.

Off a throw-in, sub Luis Muriel passed to Joaquin Correa who smashed in the equaliser with his right foot, again not much defence threatening either of them.

The Reds were like frozen. A couple of minutes later, Philippe Coutinho was brought on for Emre Can.

The want-out Brazilian was met with cheers and applause all round Anfield, but did not make any difference.

Quite the opposite, every time the wannabe-Barca-man got the ball, he lost possession, adding to the frustration for the home side.

The only other chance of note came in injury time, Wijnaldum heading the ball into Rico's gloves.

On the other side, Liverpool were lucky to see Muriel's shot go wide after the defenders were again unable to recover or cover.

And then to add to the Reds' misery, Gomez was sent off seeing a second yellow card in the 94th minute.

Loris Karius easily caught the high curled free kick just before the full-time whistle.

The under-fire keeper actually had an all-right game and is not to blame for either goal.

Klopp had a shout-out with the opposition's staff on the sideline. He was not happy. Nein! Nicht gut!

The HT and FT stats show the dominance, but not the edgy nerves and shaky slips at the back. The score reflects less the prior, more the latter, sad but true.

In the other Group F game, Maribor came from behind with five minutes to go to draw 1-1 against Spartak Moscow. So it's all even to start off with.

Liverpool goals: Firmino 21' & Salah 36'.

Sevilla goals: Ben Yedder 5' & Correa 72'.

Liverpool line-up: 1 Karius, 12 Gomez (booked 64', sent off 93'), 6 Lovren, 32 Matip, 18 Moreno (booked 39'), 5 Wijnaldum, 23 Can (10 Coutinho 76'), 14 Henderson, 11 Salah (21 Oxlade-Chamberlain 88'), 19 Mané (15 Sturridge 82'), 9 Firmino. 4-3-3
Subs not used: 22 Mignolet, 7 Milner, 17 Klavan, 26 Robertson.
Manager: Jürgen Klopp

Sevilla line-up: 1 Rico, 25 Mercado (booked 35'), 21 Pareja (c) (booked 41'), 4 Kjaer, 18 Escudero, 15 N'Zonzi, 10 Banega (booked 42'), 14 Pizarro (17 Sarabia 45'), 16 Navas (2 Corchia 82'), 11 Correa, 9 Ben Yedder (20 Muriel 70'). 4-3-3
Subs not used: 13 Soria, 6 Carrico, 7 Krohn-Dehli, 22 Vazquez.
Manager: Eduardo Berizzo

HT stats: LFC 2-1 SFC
Possession: 51%-49%
Shots: 14-2
On target: 5-1
Corners: 5-1
Fouls: 5-6
Yellow cards: 1-3

FT stats: LFC 2-2 SFC
Possession: 49%-51
Shots: 24-7
On target: 7-2
Corners: 10-3
Fouls: 14-9
Yellow cards: 10-3
Fouls: 14-9
Yellow cards: 3-3
Red cards: 1-0

Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)
Assistants: Mario Diks (NED) & Hessel Steegstra (NED)
Additional assistants: Kevin Blom (NED) & Kamphius Jochem (NED)
Fourth official: Joost van Zuilen (NED)
Man of the match: Mohamed Salah
Ground: Anfield

Click here to read my ByTheMinute match coverage.

Click here to read my previous LFC match report.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match report, UEFA.com and beIN Sport match coverage.