RESULTS & FIXTURES
Liverpool on a mission as Burton are handed a thrashing
CLEARLY, Jurgen Klopp is intent on being a man of his word.
The German vowed to take Liverpool back to Wembley after the crushing penalty shoot-out defeat there last season.
Here at Burton, the first step towards keeping that promise was delivered with steely-eyed intent.
There was no messing about with the Reds line-up or with their focus, and they produced a disciplined, ruthless display to coolly dismantle their Championship hosts.
It was this competition – in its Capital One Cup incarnation which provided the heartbreak in February against Manchester City.
The only pain last night was for the home fans among the 6,450 packed into the Pirelli Stadium
Liverpool went about their business with dead-eyed focus.
Nigel Clough, the Burton boss and once a Red himself, must have groaned when he saw the visitors’ team-sheet. His opposite number was clearly taking no chances, bringing in Sadio Mane despite the £30million man being unfit at the weekend.
Such a gamble, if it was that, was justified, as the Senegal striker took control of the tie.
He destroyed the Brewers defence and in the process suggested the team felt his absence in Saturday’s defeat at Burnley.
With Mane on the right, and Daniel Sturridge relegated to the bench, Liverpool had pace, incision, and a vital touch of unpredictability, which rendered useless Burton’s attempts to organise and constrain.
It took the striker barely five minutes to show his intent, with a cross for Divock Origi whose effort was saved.
Burton’s reprieve lasted only until the quarter hour when Mane skipped past Damien McCrory with audacious ease, to allow Origi a tap-in via a cute back heel. That took the wind out of the Burton crowd, and turned the tide remorselessly toward the home goal, with Mane feeding Roberto Firmino whose header was saved, before Adam Lallana nodded wide from a good position.
Firmino turned provider for Mane with a delicious ball which the Senegalese should have converted.
It mattered little as the African made amends with an incisive ball that Nathaniel Clyne crossed for Firmino to turn home.
From there, it was a question of pride for Burton, and they salvaged some with spirited second-half resistance, though Liverpool’s quality eventually battered them into submission, thanks in no small part to Sturridge. Perhaps he needed the challenge of Origi’s fine display, with the Belgian contributing to the third by hustling Tom Naylor into an own goal following Emre Can’s flick on.
Sturridge looked hungrier than at Turf Moor, springing from the bench to score twice in five minutes by ghosting onto crosses from James Milner and then the impressive Mane, and leaving Klopp with the sort of selection headache he must enjoy.
Liverpool will face sterner tests on the road to Wembley, but with Klopp at the wheel, it is at least certain they will not take their foot off the gas. UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Play-off, 2nd Leg (selected) HAP BEER SHEVA (1) 2 CELTIC (0) 0 Sahar 21, Hoban 48 (Celtic won 5-4 on agg) LEGIA WARSAW (0) 1 DUNDALK (1) 1 Kucharczyk 90 Benson 19 (Legia Warsaw won 3-1 on agg) FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP 2nd Round BLACKBURN (1) 4 CREWE (2) 3 Akpan 42 Bingham 8 Wharton 69 Dagnall 39, 90 Conway 88 3,448 Duffy 97 (AET, 3-3 at 90mins) BURTON (0) 0 LIVERPOOL (2) 5 6,450 Origi 15, Firmino 22 Naylor og 61 Sturridge 78, 83 BRISTOL ROV (1) 2 Hartley 35 Harrison pen 48
Batshuayi 29, 41 Moses 31 39,276
C PALACE (1) 2 Dann 25 Wickham 47 DERBY (0) 1 Bent 56 9,860
BLACKPOOL (0) 0 7,533
CARLISLE (0) 1 Jones 90
(AET, 1-1 at 90mins) EVERTON (1) 4 YEOVIL (0) 0 Lennon 28 Barkley 69 Kone 83, 90 EXETER (1) 1 Taylor 24 4,037 LUTON (0) 0 7,498 MILLWALL (0) 1 Williams 77 4,009 NEWCASTLE (1) 2 Perez 45, 47 N’THAMPTON (1) 2 Diamond 36 Revell 82 5,516 HULL (1) 3 Diomande 26, 77 Snodgrass 81 LEEDS (1) 1 Denton 23 N FOREST (1) 2 Paterson 35 Veldwijk 88 CHELT’HAM (0) 0 21,972 WEST BROM (1) 2 McClean 45 McAuley 47
(AET, 2-2 at 90mins) NORWICH (2) 6 COVENTRY (0) 1 Lafferty 25 Lameiras pen 56 Canos 36, 80 10,510 Martin 58, Murphy 63 Godfrey 86 OXFORD UTD (1) 2 Thomas 28 Crowley 90 3,189 PETERBORO (0) 1 Da Silva Lopes 75 4,727 QPR (1) 2 Sandro 41, 74 3,928 READING (0) L Harriott 68 6,848 (1-1 at 90mins, Extra-time being played) SCUNTHORPE (0) 1 BRISTOL C (1) 2 Morris pen 60 Reid 35 2,397 Abraham 97
(AET, 1-1 at 90mins) STEVENAGE (0) 0 STOKE (2) 4 3,363 Crouch 14, 48, 70
Bardsley 32 GILLINGHAM (0) 2 WATFORD (0) 1 Ighalo 58 7,004 BRIGHTON (1) 4 Adekugbe 2 LuaLua 76 Manu 81, Hemed 85 SWANSEA (3) 3 Fulton 15 McBurnie 41, 44 ROCHDALE (1) 1 Lund 5
MK DONS (0) L Bowditch pen 34
(AET, 1-1 at 90mins) WOLVES (2) 2 CAMBRIDGE (1) 1 Helder Costa 6 Elito 14 Wallace 13 9,500 PRESTON (0) 2 OLDHAM (0) 0 Doyle 66, Hugill 81 VANARAMA NORTH AFC Fylde 3 Salford City 3 EVO-STIK NORTHERN Barwell 2 Mickleover Sports 1 Blyth Spartans 3 Ashton Utd 3 Buxton 2 Workington 1 Frickley 0 Stourbridge 2 Nantwich Town 1 Halesowen 2 Rushall Olympic 3 Grantham 1 Skelmersdale L Coalville Town L Warrington Town 0 Whitby 1 Matlock 3 Sutton Coldfield 1 RYMAN PREMIER Sudbury 2 Wingate & Finch 2 Billericay 0 Lowestoft Town 1 Bognor Regis 2 Staines Town 0 Enfield Town 3 Kingstonian 0 Folkestone Invicta 0 Merstham 0 Harlow 1 Dulwich 2 Hendon 1 Burgess Hill Town 1 Leiston 4 Grays Athletic 1 Met Police 1 Havant and W 2 Needham Mkt A Canvey Island A Tonbridge Angels 1 Harrow 0
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VUELTA A ESPANA, Stage 4 (Betanzos - San Andre de Teixido, 163.5km) 1 L Calmejane (Fra/Direct Energie) 4hrs 05mins 19secs, 2 D Atapuma (Col/BMC) +15secs, 3 B King (USA/CannondaleDrapac) same time General Classification: 1 D Atapuma (Col/BMC) 13hrs 23mins 10secs, 2 A Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +29secs, 3 C Froome (Gbr/Team Sky) at 33secs
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