Topic: CL Sevilla 3 -3 LFC (Firmino 2 30, Mane 21 Ben Yedder 50, 60 (Pen) Pizzaro 93 )

[smicer07]

Spartak now have to beat Liverpool 4-0, is that right?

No, 1-0 to them will see us sail in to the Europa.

[Adam_LFC]

And for the doom-mongers out there, this team will be revolutionised in midfield once Naby Keita is in there. We'll have to grit our teeth through this season but I'm convinced we'll be different class next season. Hendo and Wijnaldum will need to keep looking over their shoulder methinks.

Oh right so just fuck this season off while we wait then aye?

He's not going to save that defence either

[stevo747]

Moreno apart, I'm not sure what the rest  of the defence did particularly badly. Everyone in front of the defence seemed to give up, they couldn't keep the ball in the middle or up front, hence invited pressure on. The first two goals are totally on Mereno, the last is on the whole team defending the corner.
It was in truth a hapless 2nd half performance and I think Lovren' Klavan and Gomes can't just be blamed for this.
If I'm honest I'd be more likely to take the man in the middle of midfield who's meant to be leading the team to task. It smacks of lack of direction and control  on the field.

[Always_A_Red]

Klavan did really well to jump in the air and turn away from the ball for the 3rd goal. 

I've said it before - with any of Mignolet, Moreno, Klavan & Lovren in our backline, we're only a moment away from an error that will cost us points.

We could have won tonight, won the game, then played a 'half team' in what is a busy schedule, but these lot couldn't do that. So, so weak its unreal.

[SMASHerano]

Not sure how anyone expects us to compete for anything with that midfield.

[Kashinoda]

But we're through no? Even if we lose to Spartak we'll be level on points with them with a superior goal difference unless they beat us by 4 goals... What am I missing???

You're missing the fundamental understanding of how the group stage works.

[Gnurglan]

No, no it didn’t.

We were through. Now we need to get a point in the final game. The way we gift points in this CL run is bound to hurt us. We should beat Spartak, but we should have beaten Sevilla twice and we didn't. When we get our opportunities, we need to take them.

[jooneyisdagod]

Naby Keita cannot arrive soon enough. Will bring more mental toughness. Certainly more than Coutinho. At least Klopp got the subs right, even if it should have happened earlier.

One of our best big game players lacks mental toughness apparently. Such shit. Look at our captain for lack of composure on the ball. Just cannot play football under any sort of pressure. That's where the problem lies.

[Kennys from heaven]

Don't matter who it's against, although we should know what to expect from Seville by now, but when we start languid and passive like we did from the kick off, you know you're in the shit.

The other side are 3 down.

You know they've got fuck all else to lose

So you know they'll come flying at you.

Any other side would play in their half and not invite them on to you, but not us! No!

Come on lads - have the ball we don't mind.

CONTROL THE FUCKING GAME AND BALL!

So many times tonight we looked to offload the ball as they were flying at us. Hold the ball up and let them kick you for fucks sake - we were scared shitless of having the thing.

Anyway, we're still top and we've got Spartak at home. Infuriating, but the cold light of day it's ours to fuck up. All in our hands.

We didn't win a second ball all night. Can makes a break and should have hit the fucker - game over. Milly puts the ball across an open goal and all a lot of ours done was stare are it.

They cheated like fuck and got away with it and yes, the ref bottled it, but that's making excuses.

FUUUUCK. FUCK. FUCK!!!

And hearing the "experts" reveling in it as well. Worst thing is, they're right. We should have had that sewn up.

And if not for Karius, we'd have lost that, so fair play to the lad after all the knockers.

Let's twat Spartak now anyway. Frustrating as fuck.

[garumn]

Spartak now have to beat Liverpool 4-0, is that right?

I think they count matches between the two teams on equal points first. If Sparta beat us they will have done us in one game with the other a draw and they therefore go through. Might be wrong though.

[Iloveyoumamadou]

Legs went 2nd half because the manager didn't rotate enough.

Mane, Salah and Firmino could all barely run on 60. No pressing from the front.

No counter attacking.

Should have made changes at half time.

That was my observation too: Firmino, Salah, Mane and Wijnaldum could barely run near the end

[kasperoff]

If the ref is taking an eternity to decide whether it's a penalty or not, is he being influenced by the crowd? If you've instantly decided it isn't a penalty why the fuck have you then changed your mind? Shocking performance. The refs in these European games never fail to deliver do they.

Moreno himself probably made his mind up. Stood their looking at him like a naughty school boy.

[1892tillforever]

Spartak now have to beat Liverpool 4-0, is that right?

No, any win by them and we are out.

[John C]

RAWK has it'very own I never knew that thread.

I'll have to go in and tell everyone I didn't know you're not allowed to make a mistake. If you do you get crucified and your career is over 

[Sat1]

Positive. Top of the table.

Negative, no leaders. I watched our captain and he just isn’t good enough. Then see can come on and his mind is elsewhere.

[RedSince86]

Banega was sublime.  We need a player like that in the middle of the park because we just cannot keep the ball under pressure from a good team.  Countless long balls aimlessly punted up the pitch in the second half.

He should have been signed after Xabi left when he was at Valencia.

Always been a class act,showed again he's one of the best controllers in the game.

We need a player like that in our midfield asap.

[kennedy81]

What makes this worse that twat Gary Neville called it on twitter at half time. He said it would end 3-3 and was getting abuse for it. He'll be revelling in it now.

why even mention that in here?

[d.arn]

The compaints in here will be about individual errors...but our midfield got cut through as easy as cheese. That was why we were panicked for 45 minutes.

Yeah, Banega absolutely cut our midfield to threads. We needed someone to just chop him down, and take a yellow card if necessary. Make a couple of late fouls to try to put him off a bit. Masch would have.

[xhaxhi]

True, the owners really should have spent more this summer, we could certainly be higher up the table

OK. Lets blame the owners because the money was not there in the summer 

[Dench57]

Would've taken a point before kick-off but this is fucking wank but sadly not surprising. The moment he pointed to the spot for the 2nd I knew we'd let it go. Absolutely must beat Moscow to finish top now so this doesn't come back to bite us.

[Marcel]

Big difference between those two statements.

Not really. We're in 2 competitions, 3 if you count the league, and sure I'll be happy with a top 4 finish, but that means writing off our chances in the other two competitions.

Unless he means we should sign someone in January, in which case he should just have said that.

[killer-heels]

A 2-2 draw or higher is enough for them I think.

You do know they are 3 points behind us.

[vicar]

His head did go....

Question is now, can he pull it back again.

If that’s a one off, then no worries, if it happens again then its not..

How does he respond?  That’s the question.

I think Robertson/MIlner needs to play at the weekend, just take him out of the limelight. Another mistake might break him.
He will know its his mistakes that have cost us.

[Charles Foster Kane]

Stop blaming the defenders. Neither Henderson or Gini got hold of midfield and we gave them too much time and space.

You're not wrong, but are you serious? Moreno and Klavan ran around like headless chickens at time.

[DHKopper]

Spartak now have to beat Liverpool 4-0, is that right?

No.

[Caligula?]

Absolutely appalling game management from Klopp and the players in the second half.

They’re decent. But nothing more. Two brain farts from Albie gave them the impetus to believe they could get something from the game - and they duly did.

Bitterly disappointed in so many players in that second half. It was reverse Istanbul 2005.

It won’t, in all probability, prevent us progressing. What I really hope it does do, is cause the manager and players to have a good long look at themselves.

And where, in the annals of football folklore, is it written, as it certainly is, that in the dying minutes of extra time, a team in front shall ALWAYS, and without exception, provide one last chance to the opposition?

I just knew in my bones that Sevilla would equalise. And they deserved it for our shabby and feeble second half.

I don't disagree with that. But where was our midfield? Why couldn't we string a single pass together until around 65 minutes? We could barely get out of our half either. Collectively, we were awful. From front to bottom. It's happened against almost all the top sides this season.

[Kekule]

Just watched the replay of the penalty. Fuck me, not only does he fall over four steps after being clipped, he gets up onto his knees pleads with the ref, then dives onto the ground again holding his shin... and that's when the ref points to the spot. Jesus.

[Purple Red]

Some rockets in this thread. It's a shambolic result and performance but take a breath.

[BobPaisley3]

How? They have to beat us.

Sorry was reading the table at the wrong time. Yes you’re right, just hope we play on the front foot.

[Alan_X]

Everyone was poor today, even in the first half. Team was getting praised for the performance, but i was really surprised we were 3 up. Our build up play was non existent and only scored because Sevilla was really poor in the first half.

In the second half we picked up where we left off in the first half  but the only problem was that Sevilla woke up. Well done them. Poor performances all around and the less is said about Moreno the better, but I felt Mane was really poor in the second; his fault for the corner which led to the equaliser.

No you’re absolutely spot on mate. Leading 3-0 away at half time is a classic sign of a poor team.

[Phil M]

RAWK has it'very own I never knew that thread.

I'll have to go in and tell everyone I didn't know you're not allowed to make a mistake. If you do you get crucified and your career is over 

Some players who didn't make mistakes and actually played quite well get crucified too. 'dems da rulez.

[Henry Gale]

After the 1st half the result is disappointing but keeping things into perspective it's not the end of the world. I can't see us having many problems beating SP Moscow at home and wining the group.

[lgvkarlos]

Gave the ball away far too often second half. We needed him to hold onto it but he kept trying flicks and tricks.

Looked like everybody was told to hit long, never tried to keep possestion at any time in the game.

[WorldChampions]

Why oh why doesn’t someone get their foot on the ball and calm everyone the fuck down when it’s backs against the wall.  We continued to hoof it to nobody inviting them to attack again. It’s no wonder they eventually scored another.

[Charles Foster Kane]

The ref was a big help for them, to be fair.

No, he wasn't. Stop blaming the ref ffs.

[sms1986]

why even mention that in here?

Same with that guy posting a screenshot of the BBC ticker, just looking for shit to be offended about.

[Gazza-LFC]

Since Dossena’s 4th I’m 2009 against Real we’ve only beaten Debrecen, Ludogorets, and Maribor in the Champions League. 

Good lord that’s shocking

[Studgotelli]

So just to get this right:

We scream into a 3-0 lead at half time in the toughest game of the group.
A win at home against a Spartak team that drew with a Maribor team (that we beat 10-0 on aggregate) will see us win the group.
And err... that’s it really.

Onwards and upwards.  A win would have been nice but hey ho.

Sorry it wouldn’t be right to pretend everything is hunky dory. Some glaring issues with this team. Especially in the midfield.

[Upinsmoke]

Firmino was sensational that first 45 and Joe Gomez was solid throughout.

Disagree, Gomez went to bits second half. Lost count the amount of times the ball got slid down the side and he looked like he was walking through treacle at times. I think much like the rest of the team the doubts crept in and his positional sense and decision making suffered that second half.

[RedAtHeart]

Yeah, exactly.  That late Maribor goal is important.  Means that Spartak need to be beat us by 4 goals to finish above us (assuming Seville win).

And never convinced about it being better to finish to of your group or second - Real Madrid and one of PSG / Bayern will be second of their group.

Except its not.

Article 17 Equality of points – group stage
17.01 If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches,
the following criteria are applied in the order given to determine their rankings:
a. higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the
teams in question;