Wednesday 16 September 2009
Champions League – Anfield – Result
Liverpool 1 (Kuyt 45+1) – Debrecen 0
Post-match quotes:
Jamie Carragher: “We didn’t play well, we know that, just the 1-0 tonight, but we wanted to get a win as quick as we could to qualify from the group. It’s not our best performance but we got the result.”
Dirk Kuyt: “It was difficult to create chances. In the first half we should have scored more than one goal to make the game a lot easier. Like Jamie said, it’s not the best performance, but we got the clean sheet and won the game. That’s the most important thing in the first game. It doesn’t matter which position I play if I can be important for the team. I have played there before. Last year I played most of the time on the right, and this year most of the time behind Fernando. Maybe on Saturday it will be a different position, but that is up to the manager.”
Rafael Benitez: “We had three or four good chances and if we take our chances it would be easier. But it’s 1-0, and the most important thing is to get the three points. In the first half we had two or three very good chances and in the second half it’s the same. People didn’t know what to expect because they didn’t know the other team, but they showed they’re not bad.
“We have confidence and we are winning games now which is important for the players. To start the Champions League group stage with three points was always the most important thing and hopefully we’ll see better things in the next game. We had some chances, we didn’t take them and as a result we put ourselves under pressure at the end. It was a game against a side who were working hard and were well organised. We scored too late in the first-half, so it was more difficult and at the end of the game it was the same.
“We were in control in the first half and they didn’t have too many options. The difference was that we couldn’t score the second goal. But I am really pleased because in the end we won. They have good players and are well organised. We knew it could be difficult. I said before we’d have to see how they played against a top side and they showed they are a good team. We knew we had to score an early goal and change the game. We didn’t and if that happens the other team keeps working hard until the end.
“When you don’t have too much confidence like before, you need to win. But we are winning games in a row now. The problem is that if you play against this type of team at Anfield and don’t score early, they are going to press for every ball from the first minute and because of that it wasn’t easy.”
Debrecen coach Andras Herczeg: “We did our best and our performance gives us confidence for our next match.”
Liverpool: 25 Reina, 2 Johnson, 22 Insua, 23 Carragher, 37 Skrtel, 8 Gerrard (booked), 11 Riera (19 Babel 80), 15 Benayoun (20 Mascherano 87), 21 Lucas, 9 Torres, 18 Kuyt (12 Aurelio 90+2)
Subs: 1 Cavalieri, 12 Aurelio, 16 Kyrgiakos, 26 Spearing, 10 Voronin
Debrecen: 1 Poleksic, 10 Bodnar, 16 Komlosi, 21 Fodor (booked), 4 Leandro, 6 Ramos (86 Laczko 67), 17 Meszaros, 30 Kiss, 55 Szakaly (11 Feczesin 79), 77 Czvitkovics, 39 Coulibaly
Subs: 12 Pantic, 2 Szucs, 81 Katona, 22 Bernath, 41 Olah
Referee: Pedro Proenca (Portugal)
Attendance: 41,591
Stats: (Liverpool – Debrecen)
Possession: 58% – 42%
Shots on target: 9 – 5
Shots off target: 15 – 6
Corners: 10 – 6
Fouls: 9 – 11