UK Edition
Liverpool 2 Sevilla 2: Roberto Firmino misses penalty as Reds attack thrillingly and defend awfully
The rehabilitation of Philippe Coutinho was intended to be a gradual process but Jurgen Klopp was forced to call upon his little maestro mid-emergency, as his Liverpool side found themselves one goal short of victory in a Champions League game they had once seemed certain to win.
The Brazilian who had his heart set on Barcelona for much of the summer dusted himself down and tried to cast a spell over Sevilla, a team who had emerged from a disorientating first half to claim a point that even they seemed to accept with a degree of surprise. It was not simply that Roberto Firmino missed a penalty, although that did not help, it was that a Liverpool attack that had threatened to slice the visitors into pieces gradually ground to a halt.
In the first half, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, scorer of Liverpool’s second, looked like one of Europe’s great emergent attacking forces and the futile attempts of Nicolas Pareja in conceding a penalty before the break showcased it perfectly. First, he tried to dispossess Mane by handling the ball and when that did not work he wrapped a hand around the winger’s waist.
Having previously scored the first, Firmino clipped the post with his penalty just minutes before half-time. It was a game in which Liverpool finished with 24 attempts on goal, seven on target and just the two goals to show for it. Sevilla managed just two on target and scored them both, the 72nd minute equaliser from Joaquin Correa a beautifully executed finish, before Klopp unleashed Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from the bench in quick succession.
By then Sevilla’s coach Eduardo Berizzo had already been sent to the stands by the Dutch referee, having proffered the ball to Joe Gomez for a throw-in and then tossed it away as the full-back reached for it, the second time the Argentine coach had committed the offence. Berizzo offered the excuse that he did it the second time to even up his earlier mistake – an excuse that was hard to believe.
“I did throw the ball away and I was trying to waste time to stop the advantage [enjoyed by Liverpool],” Berizzo said. “When a similar thing took place and we were chasing the game I still decided to throw the ball away and make up for what I had done [even though Sevilla were losing]. I wanted to do the sportsmanlike thing. I explained that to my counterpart.”
His counterpart Klopp had ended the game in something of an emotional state, with Gomez also dismissed in the last few seconds for a second yellow card. The Liverpool manager said he was invited into the Sevilla dressing room afterwards to have a discussion with the opposition following a game in which both benches sniped at each other, and generally speaking the German was philosophical about the chances his team had missed.
They had conceded the first in the fifth minute, Correa playing in the overlapping full-back Sergio Escudero who cut the ball back to the near post where Dejan Lovren missed the cross and Wissam Ben Yedder squeezed it in from close range. Liverpool never looked like they would struggle with creating chances, the problem was evidently going to be converting them.
“That is not an illness,” Klopp said, “we can work on this like we work on all parts of the game.”
Their equaliser arrived on 21 minutes. Alberto Moreno fed the ball into Jordan Henderson and then pursued the captain’s perfectly weighted pass down to the byeline to cut the ball back for Firmino to score. The second Liverpool goal was fortunate, Salah, retrieving possession from Steven N’Zonzi and clearly fouling the former Premier League midfielder, before his shot took an outrageous deflection off defender Simon Kjaer and deceived goalkeeper Sergio Rico. Then came the penalty missed by Firmino.
In the second half, the longer it went on without a third home goal, the more the threat loomed that Sevilla could extricate themselves and so it eventually proved. The equaliser was a fine finish from Correa who controlled a throughball by substitute Luis Muriel with one glorious touch and stroked it past Loris Karius with the second. Muriel had a late chance to win the game, as Klopp staked everything on a victory with his substitutions.
There was a warm reception for Coutinho as he stepped off the bench, a sign from the Anfield crowd that whatever feelings he might have for Barcelona, they understood and forgave them and in the meantime could he please conjure a goal up to win this match.
Unlike in the performance for Brazil earlier in the month, this Coutinho looked a little rusty and the dramatic finale was just beyond him, although Liverpool do still have a vacancy for a match-winner.
Jordan Henderson
"Could have taken the three points with the chances we created. Disappointed. Reacted well after the weekend. Looked exciting going forward.
"Wanted to win the ball back quickly, get the crowd behind us. The lads reacted brilliantly, still a lot of positives."
"We needed to be more ruthless, we got done a little bit."
85 mins
Corchia down the right. Moreno launches himself into a wild challenge that would either have ended Corchia or got Moreno sent off. As it is, he misses. Everyone has sort of assumed that he's knocked it out of play, but in fact he keeps it in. Corchia has a chance to cross, but there's nobody in the box.
45 mins
A lovely flowing move brings the half to the end. ball into the Liverpool box, Karius punches clear (and ENglish goalie would probably have tried to catch that). Just one further development to think about post-Brexit. Anyway, the punch launches a counter attack. Salah runs quick and hard. It's fed to Firmino, who then sends it on to the overlapping Moreno, who drills a hard shot at the keeper. Good save. Hacked away, with Salah and Firmino lurking. Half time.
GOAL!
A goal from Mohamed Salah for Liverpool makes the score 2-1.
Gomez played it in to Salah, it was a good position but not a very good ball. Salah loses the ball in the area, chases after it, and wins it off N'Zonzi. Some would call that a foul on the Sevilla man. Salah has a shot, it takes a huge deflection off poor Kjaer, gives the goalie no chance.
I tell you who would call it a foul on the Sevilla man: about eight Sevilla players, who surround the ref and protest bitterly. REf could have booked several but in the end singles out Baneja.
9 mins
Another good move from Liverpool, they are not sulking about that goal at least.
Salah good work down the right, centres, Mane shoots. Keeper makes a meal of it and they have to clear behind.
From the resulting corner, Firmino heads onto the roof of the net. Should have done better maybe, was unmarked.
GOAL!
Wissam Ben Yedder strikes early to open the scoring - it's 0-1 to Sevilla.
Down the left, they cross. Lovren's had a shocker! Just get it clear, man. Anywhere! He misses his clearance, and it's a tap in.
That is not to say that Dejan Lovren is alone in his shame here. Can and Gomez both had the chance to clear or get a foot in.
Jurgen Klopp
"Big defeat, it is hard to get the right information out of big defeats. I don't think it would be right if I spoke only about the bad game, when we have had so many good games."
"But that is how it is in life, if you get a big knock you have to respond."
Excellent from Klopp when he's fed one of those leading questions that football reporters favour, the BT guy says something like "you've got Coutinho on the bench is that so you can call on him if you need him?" Klopp: "yes. that is why he is on the bench." [LAUGHS]
Players warming up
Liverpool: Karius, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane. Subs: Mignolet, Milner, Coutinho, Sturridge, Klavan, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Robertson.
Sevilla: Sergio Rico, Mercado, Pareja, Kjaer, Escudero, Nzonzi, Banega, Pizarro, Jesus Navas, Ben Yedder, Correa. Subs: Soria, Corchia, Carrico, Krohn-Dehli, Sarabia, Muriel, Vazquez.
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Holland)
As for Liverpool
Mane's karate skills are not relevant to this match, so he will play in a trio with Firmino and Salah
From the team that were battered by City: Mignolet replaces Karius. Klavan drops to the bench in favour of Lovren. Alex-Arnold is not in the matchday squad. Joe Gomez starts.
This means tonight's team is the XI that walloped Arsenal so amusingly the other week, so that's a positive omen.
Who are we looking out for in the Seville side, then?
Well, I am hearing rumours - Sky Sauces - that Jesus Navas (yeah, the one from Man City) has actually been some use to man or beast this season and has even completed a cross or two! Whomever would a thunk it?
In addition, Steven N'Zonzi has started actually passing it rather than just getting booked every game. Lad Simon Kjaer at the back was a perennial Champ Manager wonderkid. Centre forward Wissam Ben Yedder has been attracting some positive notices.
Our preview
What is it?
It's the Group E opening game of the Champions League between five-time European Cup winners Liverpool and Sevilla who happened to beat Jürgen Klopp's side in their previous meeting in the 2016 Europa League final.
When is it?
Tonight, so Wednesday Sept 13, 2017.
What time is kick-off?
Dutch referee Danny Makkelie will get the match at Anfield under way at 7.45pm (BST).
What TV channel is it on?
BT Sport 2 will be broadcasting the match with their programme starting at 7pm. Alternatively, you can bookmark this here page and follow our live blog with Alan Tyers at the controls with all the team news, build-up and, of course, minute-by-minute commentary.
What is the team news?
Goalkeeper Loris Karius will start Liverpool's Champions League match at home to Sevilla in preference to regular No 1 Simon Mignolet.
Playmaker Philippe Coutinho will be in Liverpool's squad for the first time this season after his back injury and failed attempt to force a move to Barcelona.
Winger Mohamed Salah sat out training on Tuesday as a precaution because of illness but is expected to rejoin the squad on Wednesday, while centre-back Dejan Lovren is set to return at the expense of Ragnar Klavan.
Liverpool (possible starting XI): Mignolet; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Klavan, Moreno; Henderson, Can, Wijnaldum; Salah, Mane, Firmino.
Sevilla will be without Nolito, the former Manchester City player who joined the Spanish club in the summer, after the midfielder picked up a thigh injury while Johannes Geis will also miss out.
Jesús Navas, another former City player, however, is expected to start at Anfield.
Sevilla (possible starting XI): Rico, Mercardo, Lenglet, Kjaer, Escudero, Pizarro, Navas, Ganso, Krohn-Dehi, Correa, Yedder.
What are they saying?
“For me, the most important thing is this is a proper Champions League game and nothing else, not Europa League, not a final from two years ago, it is real – real Champions League.
“We have changed a lot of things since the final, but it is always this way and they have made progress. After a very successful season for them again a very good manager too, so it is a really interesting challenge for us.” Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp
"Players of a certain level and personality grow when they come to a stadium and atmosphere like this, they grow in strength.
"Few times in your career do you get to play in front of an atmosphere like this. I am confident the players in my squad are very brave and honest with lots of character and personality." Sevilla manager Eduardo Berizzo
What are the odds?
Liverpool to win: 3/4 Draw: 3/1 Sevilla to win: 19/5
What's our prediction?
Following their chastening defeat to Manchester City at the weekend and with the loss to Sevilla in May 2016 still fresh in the memories of Liverpool players and fans, we expect Klopp's side to come out with all guns firing which, let's face it, is pretty much the only way they know how to play nowadays. There will, we think, definitely be goals scored at Anfield tonight as the famous old stadium welcomes Champions League football back to L4. Match prediction: Liverpool 3 Sevilla 2