Champions League - Atletico peg back Liverpool

Eurosport - Thu, 23 Oct 10:49:00 2008

Liverpool conceded a one-goal lead and saw Robbie Keane go off injured as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid in Group D of the Champions League.

FOOTBALL Liga de Campeones 2008-2009 Atlético de Madrid-Liverpool Simao / Foto EFE - 0

Steven Gerrard and Xavi Alonso were also withdrawn after picking up slight knocks on a mixed night for the Merseyside team.

Keane gave Liverpool the lead in the first half, but had to go off early in the second with a groin injury leaving him doubtful for Sunday's crucial trip to Chelsea.

What had initially looked like being a great night for the Reds then got worse when Simao Sabrosa, who has been repeatedly linked with a move to Anfield, fired home an equaliser seven minutes from time.

However, both sides can be reasonably happy with the result as they remain unbeaten at the top of the table with seven points apiece, with the Spanish side ahead on goal difference.

Liverpool can also count themselves lucky that they benefited from some woeful decisions from the Danish officials.

Keane's goal had more than a hint of offside about it, while after the break Maniche had an effort wrongly chalked off for offside by the referee's assistant.

Liverpool decided to leave Dirk Kuyt on the bench and play Keane up front on his own, and in the first half the formation allowed Rafael Benitez's side to control the play in midfield.

Their crisp passing was in stark contrast to Atletico's nervy play, and it was no surprise when the Reds took the lead in the 23rd minute.

Keane calmly finished low when faced one-on-one with Leo Franco, but he did appear to be offside when he ran onto to Gerrard's clever low ball in behind the defence.

Liverpool were on cruise control for the rest of the half, and while they were not creating bucket loads of chances, they were ensuring a comfortable night for Pepe Reina at the other end.

The Reds should have gone 2-0 ahead, but Keane fresh-aired an elaborate close-range effort from a Gerrard cross when he should have just side-footed it home.

The best that Atletico could manage in the first 45 minutes was a shot from distance from Diego Forlan that screwed just wide of the target.

However, the Spanish side looked much brighter after the break as they brought on Sergio Aguero. The star Argentine had been rested at the start by Javier Aguirre, with the Mexican coach deciding to shuffle his line-up after three consecutive defeats in La Liga.

Liverpool could have gone 2-0 up early in the second-half, but this time a borderline offside decision went against them as Yossi Benayoun was flagged after sweeping the ball in when it looked like he might have been level.

However, the far more questionable decision-making was occurring at the other end; first Forlan saw an attack called back despite looking clearly onside and then Atletico were denied an obvious goal when the referee's assistant wrongly flagged in the 56th minute.

The Spanish side worked the ball superbly from left to right and Maniche side-footed home what looked to be the equaliser, but it was called back to the bemusement of the home team.

It just didn't look like it was going to be the Liga side's night as moments later Simao cracked a fine shot off the post. The fizz seemed to be evaporating out of their comeback bid.

However, the home side again started to get back into things as the game came to a close, and they finally levelled matters in the 83rd minute when Simao swept home a left-foot drive after a checked pass from Forlan.

Jamie Carragher will be disappointed with the goal as he let a long ball drop over his head which set up the attack for Forlan.

Reina then had to make a decent stop from Miguel near the end, but the best late chance fell for Liverpool when Dutch substitutes Kuyt and Ryan Babel launched a counter attack.

Kuyt whipped in a low cross and Babel got in ahead of his man but he headed wide from close range.

With Keane limping off and Fernando Torres also on the sidelines, the duo may have to link up again at Stamford Bridge, although Benitez said afterwards that he hoped that all three players that went off would be fit for Sunday.

PSV 2-0 Marseille

Danny Koevermans struck twice after the break to earn PSV Eindhoven a 2-0 home victory over Marseille in the other Champions League Group D match.

The win gave PSV their first points of the campaign after Stijn Wuytens had gone close in the first half.

After the break PSV completely overwhelmed their opponents and should have settled the match within five minutes with Ibrahim Afellay and Wuytens both missing from close range.

With 19 minutes remaining Koevermans broke the deadlock when he headed home a corner kick and five minutes before time Edison Mendes set up the striker for his second goal. PSV move to three points while Marseille are yet to register a point.

Sean Fay / Reuters

Comment 60 - 79 of 79

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  1. Daily Post investigating reports that linesman...sorry, referee's assistant... lives in Toxteth and is known by name of Scally...

    From GW, on Thu 23 Oct 10:29PM
  2. blahblahblah

    From jamesak, on Thu 23 Oct 9:59PM
  3. liverpool needs a little more confidence and co-ordination.

    From mrprince, on Thu 23 Oct 5:53PM
  4. Liverpool to win EPL this season..
    Come on The Reds...

    You'll Never Walk Alone...
    You'll Never Walk Alone...
    You'll Never Walk Alone...

    From deddi a, on Thu 23 Oct 4:09PM
  5. Chelsea stinks of cole or boo,chelsea stinks of POO/BOO.
    I hope Chelsea get slaughtered and i hope wee see the end of the chelsea tractor.

    From e=mc squared, on Thu 23 Oct 3:49PM
  6. I am futbollix,you are just a load of old @#$%.
    Up the L-I-V-E-R-P-O-O-L.
    Chelsea to drown.

    From e=mc squared, on Thu 23 Oct 3:47PM
  7. the only thing liverpool will lose on sunday is there awful record at your dump,but i feel a change on sunday and a scoreline of 1-3 should do it.

    From Stevie, on Thu 23 Oct 2:29PM
  8. top off europe and take the top spot in the prem with a win at the bridge, NO PROBLEM.

    From Dave worsell, on Thu 23 Oct 12:41PM
  9. I actually watched the two games the Atletico Madrid lost to Barca and Real... and in both cases I must say that A.Madrid were unbelievably sloppy defensively. People keep saying that Barca played a good game, that is not true, it was an average game where they capitalised on a dreadful defense.

    So obvoiusly in the derby with Real they had looked at most of these errors that they were making and it showed. A.Madrid were very unlucky to concede that late goal after missing so many chances ealrier in the match.

    So it would only make sense that Liverpool would really struggle to beat them especially away. I say congrats to A.Madrid they showed a lot of fighting spirit.

    From Dex Genius, on Thu 23 Oct 12:18PM
  10. @#$% LIVERPOOL
    they are cheat's athletico won tht match 2-1 tht linesman is a @#$%

    From ANONYMOUS, on Thu 23 Oct 11:33AM
  11. no.70
    Respect & Chelsea in the same sentence... you don't see that everyday

    From busybee, on Thu 23 Oct 11:30AM
  12. You will never walk alone ,yes all you Liverpool fans will walk together back home after we teach you some respect at the Bridge , you have no chance ,it is a battle for the top and Chelsea shall win it ,you shall be the losers on Sunday ,start swallowing the bitter pill !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From Leo, on Thu 23 Oct 10:14AM
  13. POST 67 WHOREHOUSE DATING AGENCY..CHECK FOR YOURSELVES!!!!

    From Terence P, on Thu 23 Oct 10:09AM
  14. lancau

    From Yus666, on Thu 23 Oct 9:20AM
  15. gutted liverpool, ur not much threat without torres. like every1 says ur a two man team!!

    From doubt.it.man, on Thu 23 Oct 8:46AM
  16. TBH I would have taken an away point before last night's game started

    So anything else would have been a bonus, and we are still on course to win our group or at worst come second

    Andy Gray however is as big a Man United fan as you'll ever see

    From daniel, on Thu 23 Oct 7:32AM
  17. Pool (Fool) can't win a game unless they're trailing with ten minutes to go with help from the refs. No Anfield, no penalty, no sending off, no win

    From tom h, on Thu 23 Oct 6:43AM
  18. and barcelona - madrid match was fixed!@

    From shizzelez, on Thu 23 Oct 5:58AM
  19. to all people here if you get a invalid comment just type it again , it works for me

    From shizzelez, on Thu 23 Oct 5:57AM
  20. chalk, let's wait and see .

    From emmanuel, on Thu 23 Oct 3:23AM
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