Liverpool labors to 2- 0 Champions League victory over Midtjylland
LONDON ( Reuters) – Liverpool labored to a 2- 0 win over Denmark’s Midtjylland on Tuesday night as a goal from Diogo Jota and a Mohamed Salah penalty secured a hard- fought Champions League Group D victory at Anfield.
The win came at a cost, however, as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp suffered another defensive blow with Brazilian Fabinho limping off in the first half with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Fabinho had been in for central defender Virgil van Dijk, who is out with a long- term knee injury, and he was replaced by 19- year- old Rhys Williams.
“It is exactly the last thing we needed,” said Klopp, who added that the seriousness of the injury would not be known until after a scan and praised Williams for the composed way in which he coped with being thrown into the game.
Liverpool made a slow start and suffered an early scare when Anders Dreyer broke through the middle, but shot straight at ’ keeper Alisson.
With Klopp having rested his usual front three and given starts to Jota, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri, Liverpool struggled to break down the determined Danes.
The breakthrough came in the 55th minute when after a swift exchange with Shaqiri, Trent Alexander- Arnold crossed low to Jota who had a simple tap- in.
The goal was Liverpool’s 10,000th in all competitions.
Substitute Roberto Firmino should have settled the contest near the end, but blasted over the bar after more good work from Alexander- Arnold.
Then Dreyer had the best chance of the game when he jinked into space in the Liverpool box but, with Alisson to beat, he could only find the side- netting.
Salah made sure of the win, in stoppage time, from the penalty spot, converting after he had been brought down by Paulinho inside the box.
Liverpool has the maximum six points from its opening two games while Midtjylland has yet to get off the mark.
Guardiola confident Man City will find consistency
Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was confident his team would find the consistency it needs after a 3- 0 victory at Olympique de Marseille in the Champions League.
City took control of Group C with six points from two games, leading Porto and Olympiakos by three points while Marseille is bottom of the table after two defeats.
Guardiola’s side got off to a slugglish start in the Premier League, sitting in 13th place with eight points from five games, five behind leader Everton.
“We have to accept the criticism. We play every three days, when you win it’s good but if you don’t people want to destroy everything. But it’s about the chairman and everyone else understanding,” said Guardiola.
“Part of the criticism was right, but you’ve got to accept it. It’s part of our job. I’m sure we’re going to find that consistency.”
While Marseille proved to be an easy target on Tuesday, City was lively throughout and they made its domination count and defended well when the hosts briefly threatened after the break.
“We played really well, we didn’t concede much and we were in control, patient and aggressive without the ball. I’m so satisfied with the performance and result, it’s always difficult to win away,” said Guardiola, who hinted City liked playing against teams fielding a five- man defense.
“We can play on both sides, we tried to play high and wide to stretch the pitch. Raheem Sterling was exceptional, Phil [ Foden] as well,” he said.
“We were so stable defensively. I’m so satisfied with the way we played.”
Barcelona president Bartomeu resigns after Messi row
On Tuesday, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned from the club ahead of a vote of no confidence that was due to be held next month after some 20,000 fans signed a petition demanding that he step down.
The rest of the board of directors also resigned.
“It’s a thought- out, serene, informed decision” to resign, Bartomeu said in a televised speech.
The 57- year- old has been facing growing resentment in the last year due to the club’s worsening finances and the team’s decline on the pitch, which came to a head with an 8- 2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals in August.
He has been widely criticized after talisman forward Lionel Messi requested a transfer following the European humiliation and was facing a vote of no confidence from the club’s board.
“The easiest thing after the [ Champions League defeat] was to resign, but one had to take decisions amid an unprecedented
global crisis,” said Bartomeu, adding that later on, in the wake of the Messi spat, he could not let the club be run by external, temporary figures.
“Who would have ensured that Messi stayed? Who would have hired a new coach?” said Bartomeu, who took over at Barca from Sandro Rosell in 2014.
Having appointed former player Ronald Koeman as manager in the close season, Barca has won only two of its opening five league games and lost 3- 1 at home to rival Real Madrid on Saturday in the Clasico.