Reds scrape through against Trabzonspor

Sports - Football - Europa League - Trabzonspor 1:2 Liverpool

It was clear beforehand that it was never going to be easy travelling to Turkey with only one goal advantage - and it only took a couple of minutes into the game for it to substantiate. With only three minutes on the clock, Liverpool were cut open, to see Gustavo Colman's shot slotted in by Teofilo Gutierrez and their first leg lead quashed.

The first half continued as frustrating, Liverpool not able to coordinate an attack - showing a clumsy and lacklustre display similar to their absent performance against Manchester City in the Premier League match last Monday.



In the second half Liverpool came back looking much better, the Reds picking up on steel and determination. David Ngog missed a couple of sitters in the mean time though, putting one wide from only six yards out, seemingly taking the "You're alone here!" banner of the typically hostile Turkish crowd to heart.

The Reds left it late, for Giray Kacar to put a Glen Johnson cross from the right into his own net on 84 and Dirk Kuyt to slot in the rebound of Daniel Pacheco's shot on 88 and take the game to 3-1 on aggregate and beyond the Turks.

Liverpool seemed asleep for the most of the match - first half especially, losing the ball and all sence of the game. They got a grip in the second half and got it all together in the last 5-10 minutes, cruel on Trabzonspor who did their best and well to disable and frustrate their opponents which the results of both legs don't reflect.

I know they always say results count most, but if Liverpool continue in this fashion against stronger opposition, they won't last long, that's for sure!

1st half Stats
Trabzonspor-Liverpool
Attempts: 4-3
On target: 2-2
Offsides: 1-1
Corners 2-3
Free kicks: 3-2

2nd halfs stats
Trabzonspor-Liverpool
Attempts: 1-5
On target: 0-2
Offsides: 1-0
Corners: 0-1
Free kicks: 4-4

Trabzonspor: Kivrak; Cale (Jaja 86.), Gulselam (booked 39., Atas 65.), Korkmaz (booked 72.), Kacar, Inan, Yilmaz (booked 41.), Balci, Teofilo Gutierrez, Colman, Ibrahima Yattara (Alaozinho 46.)Subs not used: Zengin, Baytar, Badur, Oztorun.

Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Aurelio (Pacheco 77.), Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Kelly, Cole, Lucas, Poulsen (Skrtel 91.), Kuyt, Ngog (Babel 86.).Subs not used: Gulacsi, Spearing, Shelvey, Eccleston.

Referee: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
Man of the match: Daniel Pacheco

Pre-Season Friendly Match Report: St. Gallen 0-0 Liverpool

Sports - Football - Pre-Season Friendly - St. Gallen 0:0 Liverpool

It was nice and refreshing to see the new and young faces of Liverpool in action, in preparation to a new season full of expectations on Merseyside.

Glen Johnson made an impressive debut. The £17.5 million signing came on in the second half as part of a full new line-up of the Reds which took over most of the possession and territory. The right-back from Portsmouth put a chance wide just a couple of minutes later. Daniel Pacheco and Yossi Benayoun impressed, pressing through and creating room to take advantage from on numerous occasions throughout the second half.

But the stubborn Swiss side St. Gallen never gave way and put a couple of good chances wide themselves. They enjoyed most of the action and chances in the first half, hitting the post on one occasion and not being tested themselves at all in the first 40 minutes.

Liverpool youngster Jay Spearing impressed though, saw a lot of the ball and burst through the middle a few times. Mikel San José Dominguez learnt by the minute and backed up the Scouser Spearing very well.

It was a highly competitive match, both sides not giving anything away and refreshing their line-ups at half time. Both goalkeepers had hardly a save to make - until the last minute when Benayoun had a good chance saved by St. Gallen's goalkeeper Reto Bolli. Bolli maybe had that bit more to do, especially in the second half, but never looked worried, really.

Overall, Rafael Benítez can be happy with the first runout of his sides, using every player and substitution he had on hand, as always. It would have been cruel for either side to concede and lose out - eventhough it was only a friendly.

St. Gallen Bolli, Fernando (46 Hämmerli), Schenkel (46 Lang), Koubsky (46 Frrokaj), Zellweger (46 Oehri); Nushi (46 Pa Modou), Frei (64 Graf), Costanzo (46 Ciccone), Zé Vitor (46 Martic); Merenda (46 Abegglen), Cáceres (64 Frick).

Liverpool Cavalieri (46 Martin, 80 Gulacsi); Insua (46 Johnson), San José (46 Skrtel), Carragher (46 Kelly, 80 Ayala), Spearing (46 Darby); Babel (46 Benayoun), Voronin (46 Leiva), Gerrard (46 Plessis), Degen (46 Kuyt); Nemeth (46 Ngog), El Zhar (46 Pacheco).

1st half stats: St. Gallen-Liverpool
Attempts: 4-1
On target: 0-1
Offsides: 1-1
Corners: 5-3
Free kicks: 2-2

2nd half stats: St. Gallen-Liverpool
Attempts: 1-7
On target: 0-2
Offsides: 0-1
Corners: 0-4
Free kicks: 1-3

Referee: SR Zimmermann