Soccer: Lowly Swansea ends Liverpool run
SWANSEA, WALES— A week after inflicting Manchester City’s first loss in the English Premier League, Liverpool lost at last-place Swansea 1-0 on Monday and ended its 18-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
Alfie Mawson’s 40th-minute strike secured one of the most surprising results of the season on a night Liverpool’s usually lethal attack toiled at Liberty Stadium.
It was a far cry from Liverpool’s devastating display in its 4-3 win over runaway leader City eight days earlier when Juergen Klopp’s team didn’t seem to miss the departed Philippe Coutinho, who joined Barcelona for $192 million (U.S.).
Liverpool could have done with Coutinho’s creativity against a Swansea side that defended stoutly and took its only real chance.
From a Swansea corner from the right, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk could head the ball only back into the danger area where it hit the shins of Federico Fernandez. His central defensive partner, Mawson, shot on the turn from eight meters and it flew into the corner past goalkeeper Loris Karius.
Liverpool nearly grabbed an equalizer in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time, when Roberto Firmino headed against the post.
Swansea stayed in last place but was tied on 20 points with West Bromwich Albion, three off safety.
Fourth-place Liverpool was only two points ahead of Tottenham in the race to secure one of four qualification spots for next season’s Champions League.
Liverpool hadn’t lost in the league since Oct. 22, a 4-1 defeat at Tottenham.
ITALY: Juventus closed the gap on Serie A leader Napoli back to one point as the six-time defending champion eased past Genoa 1-0 on Monday.
Douglas Costa scored in the 16th minute, the first conceded by Genoa in five league matches. Juventus was never really troubled, as goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny — standing in for the still-injured Gianluigi Buffon — was little more than a spectator.
“What was important was to win,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said.
Juventus, which moved 10 points clear of third-place Lazio, needed to win after Napoli beat Atalanta 1-0 on Sunday.