Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BAD JOAQ FOR KLOPP
Late equaliser provides a bad punchline for Kop as penalty miss lets Sevilla off the hook
WE all know about about damn lies and statistics but, as Liverpool made their return to the Champions League last night, they told the whole story.
Liverpool totally dominated this first group game with Sevilla and at times took the Spanish side apart. But that quality wasn’t matched where it mattered – in front of goal.
The Reds had 24 attempts yet scored only twice.
And it is not as if those stats were misleading because so many of those chances were gilt-edged, not least when Roberto Firmino missed a firsthalf penalty with Liverpool already 2-1 up.
The profligacy handed Sevilla a lifeline they simply didn’t deserve, and a brilliant finish from Joaquin Correra 18 minutes from time made Liverpool pay a massive price.
Even the late introduction of Philippe Coutinho (left), to a warm reception from the forgiving Anfield faithful, couldn’t change the depressing narrative.
And it could have been worse for Liverpool. Moments before Joe Gomez was sent off in injury time for a second yellow, Luis Muriel fired wide for Sevilla when scoring seemed easier.
Jurgen Klopp will still be trying to work out how Liverpool didn’t win. Under him the Mersey men are close to being a truly devastating side but they are simply not clinical enough – a conversion rate of about 20 per cent is poor for a team of this technical ability.
It was a point skipper Jordan Henderson stressed afterwards.
“We need to be more ruthless,” he said. “We should have got a third and a fourth.”
Liverpool could have had the game done and dusted by halftime, but wasted several outstanding opportunities.
The most obvious miss was Firmino’s penalty of course. The Brazilian (right) was given virtually the whole of the goal to aim at by an eccentric keeper who had dived early, but he thumped his attempt against the post.
Emre Can was equally culpable. He had an outstanding game on the ball and he looks increasingly assured around the penalty area, but when he got a sight of the keeper’s eyes after being set free by Sadio Mane, his left-foot effort was wide of the far post.
There were so many more chances. Georginio Wijnaldum’s shot was deflected narrowly wide, Mane and Mo Salah were inches away from the excellent Alberto Moreno’s cross, and Mane turned and shot wide soon after. For all that, Liverpool were
still outstanding. They toyed with Sevilla at times, to the extent their manager was sent to the stand after the break when he tried to keep the ball from Gomez on the touchline to deny them another lightning break.
The speed of Mane and Salah, the rapid thinking of Firmino, the energy of Wijnaldum, Henderson and Moreno, all created a wonderful, flowing, fluid Liverpool attacking formation, that bewildered Sevilla at times.
And all that after they home side conceded a stupid early goal. There seemed no danger as Dejan Lovren shaped to clear a Sergio Escudero cross, but he took his eye off the ball and allowed it to creep through for Wissam Ben Yedder to tap in. If that created fears of another frustrating night, then the response suggested this Liverpool team at least have desire and heart.
After spurning so many chances they drew level on 21 minutes when Moreno and Henderson combined brilliantly to allow the full back to cross for Firmino to roll the ball in.
When the lead came, it did so fortuitously. Salah may have fouled Steven N’zonzi when he stole the ball, and then saw it spin off Simon Kjaer to deceive the stranded keeper Sergio Rico and loop into the net.
It should have been over but with Liverpool it never is.