Red Star beat Liverpool 2-0 in big CL shock

Red Star Belgrade produced one of the biggest upsets of this season’s Champions League by beating Liverpool 2-0 yesterday, reviving memories of their time as one of Europe’s top football teams.

Milan Pavkov scored in the 22nd and 29th minutes as the Serbian champions earned a first win in their debut appearance in the Champions League group stage. They last played in the European Cup in 1991 as holders, when beating the likes of Liverpool would not have been regarded as such a surprise.

Back then, Eastern European teams were genuine contenders for club football’s biggest prize — Steaua Bucharest of Romania were European champions in 1986 — and Red Star had some of the world’s best players like Robert Prosinecki and Dejan Savicevic.

Nearly three decades on, Red Star don’t have a household name in their squad and needed to qualify for the group stage through the playoffs. They were also thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield in the previous round when the gulf between the sides was huge.

Two weeks later, Red Star — playing in front of a loud and passionate home crowd — kept Liverpool’s fearsome attacking unit quiet and, in Pavkov, had their own star striker.

He leapt highest at a corner to head in a rightwing delivery from Marko Marin and put Red Star ahead. Pavkov then showed another side of his game, shrugging off Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum to get the ball on to his right foot and smash a fierce shot past goalkeeper Alisson from 25 metres.

LOST TWO AWAY GAMES

Daniel Sturridge, who started up front for Liverpool in place of Roberto Firmino, sidefooted over the bar from close range in the first half and Mohamed Salah saw his shot strike the post after half-time. A deflected cross from Liverpool left back Andrew Robertson also bounced on to the crossbar after the break.

The English club has now lost both of its away games in the group stage, having been beaten 1-0 at Napoli last month. They arrived in Belgrade in first place in the group and remain at the top through goal advantage after Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain played to 1-1 draw. Napoli and Liverpool are now on six points.

Red Star moved onto four points, two behind Liverpool, and their home form means they still have a chance of a top-two finish. Red Star drew 0-0 with Napoli in their previous home game.

Liverpool finish the group with a trip to PSG and a home game against Napoli.