SLACK REDS GIVE GAME AWAY
Now Liverpool face final-game decider after they blow 3-0 lead in the dying seconds 1,297
HOW did that happen? Jurgen Klopp looked befuddled and it was no wonder. There is something, after all, about Liverpool and three-goal leads that simply does not mix.
What should have been an evening of eulogies and platitudes to mark what appeared to be a glorious night in Spain became an emotional drain, a fingernail chewing, head-scratching, desperate finale.
After 30 minutes in Seville, Liverpool were careering into the knockout stages, having dismantled their hosts with a wonderful display of attacking football.
Roberto Firmino epitomised everything they did. But rather than doing a professional, mature job, Klopp’s team then left the backdoor open once again and invited Sevilla to ransack them.
They now face a final match decider with Spartak Moscow to determine whether they will progress. A double from Firmino and Sadio Mane’s first Champions League strike should have ensured they had enough in reserve — but a second-half blitz from Sevilla blew them apart. Wissam Ben Yedder scored twice before Guido Pizarro did the rest in injury time.
The locals had promised the evening would be spectacular and they had not embellished the truth.
The stadium was illuminated by a dazzling light show even before the teams came out.
That, though, was nothing compared to what happened when the action started. Liverpool roared out of the traps and the intensity of their first attack set the tone for the relentless nature of what would follow. From kick-off, Mane won a corner and Liverpool had Sevilla by throat.
The marking at Philippe Coutinho’s corner was appalling but Liverpool did not care as Gini Wijnaldum stole in ahead of Sergio Escudero and glanced a header to the back post where Firmino was waiting. He made no mistake. After 84 seconds, Liverpool had the lead. Now the home team were going to have to come out and attack — which would leave them susceptible to being pummelled by those lightning fast counter-attacks.
And that is precisely what happened. Sevilla made a spirited attempt to get back into the contest and had two opportunities to score in the 19th and 20th minute. First, Nolito saw Loris Karius push a shot onto the post then Wissam Ben Yedder pulled a shot wide when he was clean through.
Had either of those chances been taken, it is unlikely Liverpool would have gone three clear — and the arm-waving, teeth clenched fury of Klopp illustrated how precarious the position was at that juncture.
Sevilla did not learn their own lessons. Another Coutinho corner in the 24th minute was met by Firmino and he guided the ball into the area where he had pounced. Mane did the damage on this occasion, diving in to power his header beyond Sergio Rico.
Firmino had a game that showed why he is so adored by Klopp and is described by his manager as ‘the engine of our team’.
He was a pest, running, chasing and snapping, his every move taking Sevilla’s back four deeper and deeper into trouble.
He sometimes gets criticised for not scoring with the regularity that a Liverpool No 9 should but this was a perfect riposte, as Firmino plundered the killer third on the half-hour. He thumped his shot into an empty net after Mane had raced clear only to see his effort saved.
Had there been similar ruthlessness in the last 15 minutes — Mo Salah smashed a shot high over the bar then saw another chance stopped by Rico — the second period would have been stress free but, Liverpool being Liverpool, there had to be drama.
Again, it was self-inflicted. Did they remember nothing from the Europa League final?
As was the case that night in Basle, a position of dominance inexplicably became a fight for survival and to keep the narrative going, Alberto Moreno disintegrated against his former team.
First, he gave away a free-kick in the 51st minute that enabled Ever Banega to pick out Ben Yedder and his glancing header transformed the mood of the stadium, the whistles and jeers being replaced by impassioned pleas for all-out attack.
From cruising along serenely, Liverpool were now taking on water. Soon enough they were listing and lurching, Moreno failing to control a pass from Coutinho and exacerbating his error by standing on Ben Yedder’s foot. It was a penalty and nobody in red bothered to argue otherwise.
In the hullabaloo, several players encroached before Ben Yedder’s first spot-kick but the Frenchman kept his composure after he had been made to retake and put his shot to Karius’ right, having beaten him the first time to his left. With 30 minutes to go, Klopp was now staring at a calamity.
Standing with arms outstretched, bewilderment written all over his face, Klopp could not fathom why this was happening. Really, he should know by now. Liverpool will continue to be an accident in waiting because their defence is not good enough. Sevilla knew this and
they should have completed a stunning comeback in the 62nd minute when Escudero charged into the area and took a pass on his chest but Karius saved.
However, that comeback was completed right at the end when Pizarro lashed home a poorlycleared corner for 3-3. SEVILLA (4-3-3) Rico 7: Mercado 6, Geis 6, Lenglet 5, Escudero 7; Nzonzi 5 (Vazquez 45mins, 7), Pizarro 7, Banega 8; Sarabia 8, BEN YEDDER 9 (Correa 81), Nolito 7 (Muriel 73, 6). Subs not used: Soria, Corchia, Krohn-Dehli, Navas. Scorers: Ben Yedder 51, 60 (pen), Pizzaro 90+3 Booked: Mercado, Banega. Manager: Eduardo Berizzo 6. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3) Karius 7: Gomez 5.5, Lovren 5, Klavan 5, Moreno 4 (Milner 63, 6); Wijnaldum 6, Henderson 6, Coutinho 7 (Can 63, 5); Salah 7 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 87), Firmino 8, Mane 8. Subs not used: Mignolet, Sturridge, Solanke, Alexander-Arnold. Scorers: Firmino 2, 30, Mane 22. Booked: Henderson, Moreno, Can. Manager: Jurgen Klopp 6. Referee: Felix Brych (Germany) 7. Att: 43,000. Man of match: Wissam Ben Yedder.