Liverpool ease through in Eindhoven
Goals by Ryan Babel, Albert Riera and David N'Gog took Liverpool FC
comfortably into the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as the
winners of Group D and left PSV Eindhoven languishing at the bottom of
the table with only three points.
PSV ahead
The
first half was a relatively even affair but the home side took the lead
on 36 minutes, Danko Lazoviæ sidefooting in after Liverpool failed to
clear a corner. Unfortunately for the Dutch champions they could not
maintain the advantage for long, former AFC Ajax striker Babel heading
in on the stroke of half-time. A fabulous long-range strike by Riera
put Rafael Benítez's men in the driving seat and N'Gog's composed
finish put the matter beyond doubt.
Slow start
Neither
side was able to gain the upper hand in the early exchanges, with the
flow of the game often interrupted by fouls. Robbie Keane, desperate to
impress Rafael Benítez, often dropped deep looking for the ball but his
efforts were to little avail. The first opening of any note came after
15 minutes, PSV captain Timmy Simons firing in a rising drive from the
edge of the box that Diego Cavalieri, on his UEFA Champions League
debut, parried to safety. With half an hour gone the game was still
lacking momentum with PSV struggling, and the visitors reluctant, to
break the contest open.
Lazoviæ strikes
Then,
out of nothing, Huub Stevens' side conjured a goal nine minutes before
the interval. Balázs Dzsudzsák curled in his side's first corner of the
evening from the right, and Javier Mascherano's headed clearance
cannoned off Dirk Marcellis into the path of Lazoviæ. The Serbian
striker kept a cool head and stroked the ball through Cavalieri's legs
from close range to give his side a somewhat unexpected lead.
Babel equalises
N'Gog had a decent chance to
level matters just before the break, but his free header from Andrea
Dossena's cross was straight at Andreas Isaksson, who held it
comfortably. Immediately after, his striking partner Ryan Babel showed
him the way by rising among a crowd of players to nod Lucas's free-kick
down past Isaksson for the equaliser.
Magnificent Riera
The
second period was much more lively, with the Merseysid outfit creating
two chances in quick succession. Babel's low centre was whipped off
Keane's toe by Simons inside the box, then N'Gog was stopped by a fine
sliding interception from Carlos Salcido. Otman Bakkal had a firm drive
from a distance saved by Cavalieri just before the hour and PSV
threatened again when Álvaro Arbeloa almost headed Dzsudzsák's cross
into his own net. Yet it was the visitors who struck on 68 minutes,
Riera firing in a magnificent swerving effort from all of 30 metres.
Clinical N'Gog
PSV
immediately brought on Danny Koevermans to bolster the attack, but it
was a defender, Marcellis, who came close, hitting the outside of the
post with 15 minutes remaining. Soon after it was all over, though,
N'Gog running clear and beat Isaksson with a confident low finish,
denying the Eindhoven side the consolation of a UEFA Cup place.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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