Month: August 2008

Liverpool’s 2008-2009 campaign got underway with a match that players, staff and fans would rather forget. Belgian champions Standard Liege came out fighting in the first leg of this Champions League qualifier, determined to ensure Liverpool didn’t get an easy passage to the group stages. With the game ending 0-0, Liverpool know there’s a risk of embarrassment in the return in two weeks’ time.

Pepe Reina was man-of-the-match; saving a penalty and clawing a ball back from either off or over the line, depending on your point of view. Replays weren’t too conclusive, but without Reina in goal perhaps there’d be no need to look at replays to decide if it had crossed the line or not. The point of view that mattered on the night was that of the referee and his officials, and the ‘goal’ was ruled out.

The official’s point of view again differed from that of some watching the game when it came to the penalty incident. There was no disagreement that new signing Andrea Dossena had handled the ball on his competitive debut, but not everyone agreed it had happened inside the area. Again though the referee’s decision was final, and so Pepe Reina faced a penalty. Dante Bonfim was handed the duty and the chance to put Liege in front, but to beat Pepe Reina from the spot it needs to be a good kick, and this wasn’t.

Liverpool’s starting line-up wasn’t the one Rafa Benitez would have liked to have chosen, with Lucas, Javier Mascherano and Ryan Babel all out of contention, on international duty in Beijing for the Olympics. Steven Gerrard was on the bench due to injury, the idea being that he’d stay there unless absolutely necessary. His arrival on 67 minutes shows that Liege had Rafa worried. Had Rafa’s transfer plans gone as he’d have liked, Gareth Barry would no doubt have been in the starting line-up, and Xabi Alonso would have been training with another team’s squad. Instead the one-time England captain was with Aston Villa, and the Spaniard started in the green away kit of Liverpool alongside the youngster Plessis. Whether Barry would have been used centrally or on the left is something that can only be speculated over, but along with Babel’s Olympic absence and Fabio Aurelio’s injury, Rafa is lacking choices on the left.

Up front it would be difficult for Rafa to complain about his choices – his decision to start with over £40m worth of talent for his front two shows how much respect he had for the Belgians. It was Keane who made way for Gerrard mid-way through the second half. Jamie Carragher captained the side, starting alongside Daniel Agger who made his first competitive appearance since suffering a metatarsal injury early last season. Sami Hyypia was on the bench; Martin Skrtel was still in the treatment room. Continue reading CL Qual: Standard Liege 0 Liverpool 0