MAGNIFICENT 7 FOR KLOPP
Poor Imps are demolished by rampant Reds
LINCOLN had waited 59 years to face Liverpool – and they won’t want to run into them again any time soon.
The last meeting was back in the old Second Division in 1961 – but a lot t has happened since then.
Liverpool are champions of England and the difference in class was glaringly obvious as they swamped the League One side with a ruthless and efficient display at Sincil Bank.
Perhaps it’s just as well the fans weren’t in for this one as Jurgen Klopp’s men went on the rampage.
Lincoln certainly couldn’t be faulted for effort but once Liverpool got their noses in front when Xherdan Shaqiri blasted a free- kick home, they put the result beyond reach with ease.
The Swiss star knew exactly what he intended doing when he stood behind the set- piece with only nine minutes gone and swept a left- foot shot over the wall. It wasn’t long before keeper Alex
Palmer was diving into thin air again when Liverpool cashed in on a mistake by Lewis Montsma.
He gave the ball away needlessly and Takumi Minamino seized on the gift, thumping a shot into the far corner of the net from the edge of the box.
That quick double always looked like being enough but there was more to come – but only after the Imps gutsily threw a couple of counter- punches.
First a cross from Max Melbourne caused temporary panic and new Greek defender Kostas Tsimikas came within a whisker of turning the ball into his own net.
Then a minute later it was Melbourne again causing problems with a sweeping cross which Ty Eyoma headed over Adrian’s crossbar.
Liverpool responded as you would expect by cuffing the minnows around the ear with another quickfire fi double to completely floor them. There was no way back this time – teenage midfielder Curtis Jones seizing on a Divock Origi knock back to curl a shot into the far corner to make it 3- 0 with 32 minutes gone.
Then Jones grabbed his second with a shot which took a wicked deflection on its way into the net to give the visitors a four- goal half- time advantage.
A minute into the second half Minamino added a fifth with a closerange shot just to rub salt into already open wounds.
Lincoln refused to throw in the towel, though, and were rewarded on the hour when Tayo Eden slid a low shot into the far corner after a neat assist from Anthony Scully.
Marko Grujic added a sixth with a low shot in the 65th minute which Palmer could only help on its way but the hosts were determined to go down fighting.
Just a minute later the plucky underdogs clawed another one back when Montsma headed home off the underside of the bar.
That only annoyed the big boys – who gave a 35- minute run- out to new signing Diogo Jota – and they had the final say on the night as Origi finished off the demolition with a low shot in the 88th minute.
LINCOLN ( 4- 3- 3): Palmer 6; Bradley 6, Melbourne 7, Eyoma 6, Montsma 6; Bridcutt 6 ( Hopper 59, 6), Edun 7, Jones 6 ( Mcgrandles 59, 6); SCULLY 7, Anderson 6 ( Archibald 67, 6), Grant 6. Subs: Ross, Jackson, Howarth, Roughan.
LIVERPOOL ( 4- 3- 3): Adrian 7; N Williams 7, R Williams 7, Van Dijk 8 ( Fabinho 46, 6), Tsimikas 7; Grujic 7, Shaqiri 8 ( Keita 75); Elliott 8( Jota 56, 6), Jones 7, Origi 7, MINAMINO 8. Subs: Kelleher, Wilson, Alexander- Arnold, Van den Berg.
REFEREE: Tony Harrington 7.