Tuesday March 10, 2009 Last 16 Finished Anfield
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Liverpool crush Real Madrid
Liverpool thrashed Spanish champions Real Madrid 4-0 at Anfield to cruise into the quarter-finals of the Champions League. More
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Live Commentary
Time:90'- Liverpool
- Real Madrid
90+2 That's the whistle, a huge, huge result, both in terms of sealing Liverpool's progress but as a statement of intent - whatever happens in the league, the Reds are still one of the favourites for this competition.
90' Liverpool want more, as Skrtel gets forward, Babel flicks it on and Lucas fires a shot just over. Deflected though, corner.
87' Liverpool counter again, they have men over, it's Babel in the middle, he holds it up for Mascherano who plays it across the face of the box AND DOSSENA ARRIVES AT THE FAR POST TO HAMMER IT UNDER CASILLAS FOR FOUR! A spanking! Europe raises a collective eyebrow as Liverpool utterly thrash the Spanish champions.
84' Dossena is booked, not sure what for...
83' LIVERPOOL SUB: Torres comes off for Dossena.
82' Higuain has the ball in the back of the net after a Madrid corner but he was offside when Ramos initially headed the ball on goal.- 81' The corner almost sees Babel fly in to add a fourth but Casillas gets across to palm it to safety.
- 80' Liverpool swarm forward again and Torres is free on the left to sweep a curler towards the top right but another great save from Casillas to put it behind for a corner.
- 78' Higuain almost gets through but Carrager gets ahead of him. Skrtel kicks off at the Argentine, giving him a shove one assumes for saying something, but it clears up quickly enough.
- 76' Marcelo on the left after a good crossfield pass by Heinze, he pings a great cross over to GAGO WHO MUST SCORE but oh dear he fires well over from close range and is immediately hauled off for Guti.
- 73' LIVERPOOL SUB: An excellent day in the office for Gerrard, who comes off the Jay Spearing.
- 71' Marcelo with a shot from distance that goes well over.
- 67' Sneijder is over it... but he sends it 10 yards over from the edge of the box. Rubbish.
- 66' The referee fails to play an advantage that could have seen Raul score after a silly tackle by Skrtel on the edge of the box takes Van der Vaart down.
- 64' Cannavaro off for Van der Vaart as Madrid try to get some kind of confidence-boost from this. Marcelo drops to full-back and Heinze goes to centre half.
- 62' Marcelo is carded for a clumsy one on Mascherano.
- 60' LIVERPOOL SUB: Alonso off for Lucas.
- 58' Madrid counter gamely but Higuain's low drive is wide of the far post with Reina having it covered.
- 57' Sneijder and Raul combine on the edge of the box, Ramos is in on the right and they're queuing up but a poor cross straight at Reina. Liverpool break, they have men over with Babel free on the right and he drills it across goal but Casillas dives out to the edge of the six-yard box to palm it away to safety!
- 55' Diarra with a left-wing cross into Raul but he can't connect and Reina gathers at the back stick.
- 54' Madrid break from that let-off and Higuain is in and he lobs it but just wide with Reina stranded!
- 53' Liverpool come forward after a Pepe pass goes astray, Torres on the left, inside to Kuyt who controls and noncholantly side-foots it to GERRARD but his drive is saved in style by Casillas! What brilliant football!
- 50' it just isn't Madrid's day. Ramos gets in loads of space on the right, swings over a brilliant, dipping, curling cross which Raul arrives to poke past Reina but he gets the finish all wrong, sending it miles over for a goal kick.
- 47' Well that's the end of that then. Babel gets in space down the left after a clever diagonal pass from Alonso, he drills it across goal and - BOOM!! - Gerrard arrives to hammer a side-footed finish into the roof of the net for 3-0.
46' Second half underway!- 45+2 Reina pumps the goal kick downfield and the whistle goes, Liverpool in control, 2-0 up on the night and 3-0 on aggregate.
- 45+1 Higuain with a good turn under pressure on the edge of the box and it drops to RAUL but he toe-pokes it well wide.
- 45' Chance for Liverpool but side netting for Kuyt. They should be four up to be honest, Casillas has kept them (vaguely) in this tie.
- 44' Heinze takes down Torres but the ref waves play on as Liverpool have the advantage, winning the corner. Heinze claims he played the ball and Torres's lack of complaint implies this was the case.
- 43' The referee mistakenly books Mascherano after a foul by Alonso. Terrible, and Gerrard tries to tell him his error but the ref ignores him... Mascherano will miss the next game too. No doubt the ref will try and claim it was for kicking the ball away as Mascherano cleared following the tackle.
- 42' Heinze gets it on the overlap after good play from Robben, he drills it low and SNEIJDER ARRIVING WITH THE DRIVE but parried by Reina.
- 41' It just isn't working out for Madrid - a ball from wide left should have been left for Ramos flying in far post but it was controlled by Raul, who had his back to goal, and the chance goes.
- 39' Another slick piece of play from Liverpool sees Gerrard find Torres, who lays it up for Babel to go wide to Kuyt who fires into the side netting.
- 39' Pepe fouls Babel on the Liverpool left but Aurelio's cross is straight into the arms of Casillas.
- 37' Almost the chance Madrid hoped for as Ramos surged down the right, but Raul could only divert his cross into the arms of Reina.
- 35' Raul is livid, convinced that Carragher fouled him as he got across to intercept and play it back to Reina, but the free-kick goes the other way.
- 32' Torres is angry with Heinze and they're touching flowing blond locks... no action from the ref though, who probably tells them to get a haircut.
- 30' Madrid have a free-kick around 30 yards out, definitely the range of Sneijder... he sends a brilliant shot over the wall and tipped around the post by a flying Reina! Great save, great strike, great game - provided you don't support Madrid.
- 28' Gerrard steps up... no mistake, he sends Casillas the wrong way and the ball to the left side of the goal, 2-0, 3-0 on aggregate and Liverpool are cruising. Madrid need to score thrice now.
- 27' Babel does really well to keep the ball in but then shows too much of it to Pepe. Throw to the Reds though, worked inside to Alonso who swings it right to Arbeloa, he takes a touch and was that a handball by Heinze? Yes it was! Penalty! Blatant handball and he is booked for dissent.
- 26' Gerrard is booked for a needless late tackle on Ramos.
- 25' Cannavarro lucky not to be shown yellow for a tasty lunge on Alonso.
- 23' Ramos caught in possession by Torres in acres of space on the right, he turns Ramos inside out, hits the byline and swings over a cross that's just over Babel's head BUT GERRARD FLIES IN WITH A VOLLEY AND A TERRIFIC SAVE BY CASILLAS! He was heading the other way when get got back across to deny Gerrard!
- 21' Free-kick to Liverpool which Aurelio will take... he swings it over to SKRTEL WITH THE HEADER but Casillas is well-positioned to claim.
- 18' First card of the evening goes to Pepe for dissent, still complaining that he was fouled during the goal.
- 15' Long ball over the top which Cannavaro lets bounce and Torres races through, Pepe slips and it's with Kuyt who just plays it across goal for Torres to poke into the net with Casillas stranded! 1-0 to Liverpool and 2-0 on aggregate! Rotten defending from Madrid though.
- 13' A rare attack for Liverpool as Pepe finds space on the left but the crossfield pass evades Heinze and spins out for a throw.
- 9' Free-kick to Madrid, right-centre around 35 yards out, Sneijder to whip it in then... good delivery which Ramos rises to meet, but he heads well over.
- 8' Indirect free-kick then, on the edge of the box... Alonso touches it to Gerrard but his low drive is straight at Casillas.
- 7' Brilliant one-touch passing from the Reds coming forward, Gerrard breaks towards the area, feeds Torres who backheels it to nobody but that's because Gerrard was tripped on the edge of the box. Free-kick Liverpool in a very dangerous position.
- 5' Madrid are totally under the cosh here as another shot is blocked behind for a corner. The next delivery is again half-cleared but there's an offside as Liverpool try to walk it into the net.
- 5' Real fail to fully clear the corner and it drops to MASCHERANO WITH A LEFT-FOOT VOLLEY FROM THE EDGE OF THE AREA AND TIPPED ON TO THE BAR BY CASILLAS! What a save! The Spain keeper has kept Real in this tie twice in a minute!
- 4' Gerrard om the left, he cuts inside and threads it across to Torres WHO SPINS CANAVARRO WITH A BRILLIANT TURN AND IS CLEAN THROUGH BUT THE LOW FINISH COMES OFF THE LEGS OF CASILLAS! Should have been 1-0.
- 3' Sneijder fouls Mascherano as the Argentina midfielder attempts a clearance.
- 2' Heinze clears the corner against the side he tried to join after leaving Manchester United. Still with Liverpool though as Babel turns inside and shoots, blocked though and loops into the arms of Casillas.
- 1' Torres with an early charge towards goal but behind by Pepe for a corner.
1' The first half is underway at Anfield!!- - Click on the link for photos as they come in from tonight's Champions League matches! Champions League photo gallery
- - REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS: No surprises for Real, although Fernando Gago starts in central midfield with Wesley Sneijder wide left. Raul and Gonzalo Higuain continue their successful partnership up front.
- - LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS: Fernando Torres starts after recovering from injury in time for this crucial clash in Liverpool's faltering season. Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso are in central midfield with Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt on the flanks, while the back four is Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio.
- First-leg result: Real Madrid 0, Liverpool 1 (Benayoun 82)
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Summary
- 90' Liverpool want more, as Skrtel gets forward, Babel flicks it on and Lucas fires a shot just over. Deflected though, corner.
- 87' Liverpool counter again, they have men over, it's Babel in the middle, he holds it up for Mascherano who plays it across the face of the box AND DOSSENA ARRIVES AT THE FAR POST TO HAMMER IT UNDER CASILLAS FOR FOUR! A spanking! Europe raises a collective eyebrow as Liverpool utterly thrash the Spanish champions.
- 80' Liverpool swarm forward again and Torres is free on the left to sweep a curler towards the top right but another great save from Casillas to put it behind for a corner.
- 57' Sneijder and Raul combine on the edge of the box, Ramos is in on the right and they're queuing up but a poor cross straight at Reina. Liverpool break, they have men over with Babel free on the right and he drills it across goal but Casillas dives out to the edge of the six-yard box to palm it away to safety!
- 53' Liverpool come forward after a Pepe pass goes astray, Torres on the left, inside to Kuyt who controls and noncholantly side-foots it to GERRARD but his drive is saved in style by Casillas! What brilliant football!
- 50' it just isn't Madrid's day. Ramos gets in loads of space on the right, swings over a brilliant, dipping, curling cross which Raul arrives to poke past Reina but he gets the finish all wrong, sending it miles over for a goal kick.
- 47' Well that's the end of that then. Babel gets in space down the left after a clever diagonal pass from Alonso, he drills it across goal and - BOOM!! - Gerrard arrives to hammer a side-footed finish into the roof of the net for 3-0.
- 42' Heinze gets it on the overlap after good play from Robben, he drills it low and SNEIJDER ARRIVING WITH THE DRIVE but parried by Reina.
- 30' Madrid have a free-kick around 30 yards out, definitely the range of Sneijder... he sends a brilliant shot over the wall and tipped around the post by a flying Reina! Great save, great strike, great game - provided you don't support Madrid.
- 28' Gerrard steps up... no mistake, he sends Casillas the wrong way and the ball to the left side of the goal, 2-0, 3-0 on aggregate and Liverpool are cruising. Madrid need to score thrice now.
- 23' Ramos caught in possession by Torres in acres of space on the right, he turns Ramos inside out, hits the byline and swings over a cross that's just over Babel's head BUT GERRARD FLIES IN WITH A VOLLEY AND A TERRIFIC SAVE BY CASILLAS! He was heading the other way when get got back across to deny Gerrard!
- 15' Long ball over the top which Cannavaro lets bounce and Torres races through, Pepe slips and it's with Kuyt who just plays it across goal for Torres to poke into the net with Casillas stranded! 1-0 to Liverpool and 2-0 on aggregate! Rotten defending from Madrid though.
- 7' Brilliant one-touch passing from the Reds coming forward, Gerrard breaks towards the area, feeds Torres who backheels it to nobody but that's because Gerrard was tripped on the edge of the box. Free-kick Liverpool in a very dangerous position.
- 5' Real fail to fully clear the corner and it drops to MASCHERANO WITH A LEFT-FOOT VOLLEY FROM THE EDGE OF THE AREA AND TIPPED ON TO THE BAR BY CASILLAS! What a save! The Spain keeper has kept Real in this tie twice in a minute!
- 4' Gerrard om the left, he cuts inside and threads it across to Torres WHO SPINS CANAVARRO WITH A BRILLIANT TURN AND IS CLEAN THROUGH BUT THE LOW FINISH COMES OFF THE LEGS OF CASILLAS! Should have been 1-0.
- - First-leg result: Real Madrid 0, Liverpool 1 (Benayoun 82)
Team Line-up & Ratings
LiverpoolCaptain: Steven Gerrard
Real Madrid
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Line-up
Live Team Line-Up
Starting line-up
- J. Reina
- Á. Arbeloa
- M. Škrtel
- J. Carragher
- Fábio Aurélio
- X. Alonso
- J. Mascherano
- D. Kuyt
- S. Gerrard
×2 - R. Babel
- F. Torres
Subs
Starting line-up
- I. Casillas
- S. Ramos
- F. Cannavaro
- Pepe
- G. Heinze
- L. Diarra
- F. Gago
- A. Robben
- W. Sneijder
- Raúl
- G. Higuaín
Subs
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Rate Players
83′