CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REDS LET IT SLIP AFTER FIRMINO’S BLUNDER
Penalty miss comes back to bite Klopp as Sevilla hit late equaliser
JURGEN KLOPP shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled ruefully. He then turned to his assistants and raised an eyebrow. It was the 72nd minute and Liverpool’s manager had just realised that what was potentially going to be a thrilling return to the Champions League was about to have its ending rewritten — and it wasn’t to Klopp’s liking.
Liverpool should have been out of sight. They had carved out enough chances to win two matches and take control of Group E but then Liverpool’s midfield dallied, their defence dithered and Joaquin Correa did the rest. In a flash, three points became one.
At the final whistle, Klopp’s emotions came tumbling out as he bickered with Sevilla’s coaching staff during the handshakes. It was petulant but it was obvious where the seed had been planted. Once again, Liverpool’s inability to defend had driven Klopp to distraction.
He knew a 2-2 scoreline did not reflect what had gone on but, equally, he has seen this so many times before. ‘Unnecessary,’ he called Sevilla’s goals. Avoidable and unacceptable might have been more appropriate. The same could have been said of his actions.
The pre-match music can often set the tone at Anfield, so it was curious that the DJ played a 10-minute Oasis montage four days after Liverpool had been slain by the Gallagher brothers’ favourite team. It turns out there was a clue. Some might say they will find a better day? Not if Liverpool defend as they did against Manchester City and not if they continue to be as naive as they were when Sevilla mounted their first meaningful attack.
Emre Can’s hesitated going for a tackle on the edge of his area and Sevilla quickly, moved the ball out to the left, with Joaquin Correa inviting Sergio Escudero to scurry behind Joe Gomez, who would end the night being dismissed for two bookable offences, and cross.
Dejan Lovren should have cleared but failed miserably and Wissam Ben Yedder inflicted maximum punishment from four yards. Klopp whacked his assistant Zelkjo Buvac on the shoulder in apparent surprise but isn’t this what Liverpool do more often than not? You all know the answer.
Finding themselves behind so early could have meant an evening of toil and you could not help but think back three years to when they were last in this competition and ended up being eliminated in the feeblest manner.
One thing you can say with certainty, though, is that this Liverpool team is vastly better equipped to progress on this stage. The defending bewilders you at times but the way they attack can be a joy to behold, a squadron of red arrows darting and diving in unison to cause mayhem.
From the moment they conceded, Liverpool made it their business not just to get back on level terms but to try to put the game out of sight before half-time. Such was Liverpool’s momentum, it seemed inevitable Sevilla would crack Sevilla and after Firmino and Mane had gone close, the Brazil striker had a task as simple as Ben Yedder’s to restore parity in the 21st minute.
Initially it seemed as if the chance had gone when Jordan Henderson failed to take on a shot but the captain’s deliberation had a reason. He exchanged passes with Alberto Moreno, the left back hurtled into the area and fizzed a ball in to Firmino, who instinctively side-footed past Sergio Rico.
This was what Klopp expected — fast and furious, noisy and intimidating. The football and the stadium came to life. Can should have scored after one breakneck counter-attack but he dragged a shot wide. No matter. Soon the lead and arrived and while it may have owed something to good fortune — Salah’s shot from 25 yards took a huge deflection off Simon Kjaer after the Egyptian mugged Steven N’Zonzi — it was deserved for the pressure they applied.
Two should have been three four minutes before half-time after Nicolas Pareja wrestled Sadio Mane to the floor but Firmino could not convert the penalty, his shot thudding against the post after he sent Rico the wrong way.
Klopp didn’t want the half to end and those on The Kop would have had similar misgivings about the interval, given what happened in Basle 17 months ago against the same opponents, when from a position of strength, the Europa League slithered from their grasp.
They ended up being pummelled that night after a second-half collapse but here Liverpool kept applying pressure kept and believing this swashbuckling sense of adventure would be rewarded.
If anything, Sevilla seemed most likely to short- circuit and in the 59th minute, their combustible manager Eduardo Berizzo flung the ball away for a second time and was sent to the stands.
Rather than wilting, however, they summoned a response and Correa was the man to take a pin to the occasion, his goal — which came from a Liverpool throw in — deflating the massed Red ranks. Not even the late substitute appearance of Philippe Coutinho could change the tone.
Things might have got even worse had Luis Muriel shown more composure when firing wide. It will always be this way until Liverpool learn to close the back door.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Karius 6.5; Gomez 7, Lovren 5.5, Matip 7, MORENO 8.5; Wijnaldum 7, Henderson 7, Can 7 (Coutinho 76min); Salah 7 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 89), Firmino 8, Mane 8 (Sturridge 84).
Subs not used: Mignolet, Milner, Klavan, Robertson. Scorers: Firmino 21, Salah 37. Booked: Moreno, Gomez. Sent off: Gomez. Manager: Jurgen Klopp 7. SEVILLA (4-3-3): Rico 7; Mercado 6, Pareja 6, Kjaer 6, Escudero 7; N’Zonzi 6.5, Banega 7, Piazarro 6 (Sarabia 45, 6); Navas 5.5 (Corchia 83), Ben Yedder 6.5 (Muriel 69, 6), Correa 7. Subs not used: Soria, Carrico, Krohn-Dehli, Vazquez. Scorer: Ben Yedder 5, Correa 72. Booked: Mercado, Pareja, Banega. Manager: Eduardo Berizzo 4. Referee: Danny Makkelie (Hol) 7. Attendance: 52,332.