Liverpool vs PSV Eindhoven, 2008/09 UEFA Champions League, 2008 First Phase

· UEFA Champions League

Liverpool

4': Dirk Kuyt
34': Robbie Keane
76': Steven Gerrard

FT
3 - 1

PSV Eindhoven

78': Danny Koevermans

About

Liverpool are hosting PSV Eindhoven at Anfield, Liverpool, England, starting on . The match is a part of the UEFA Champions League.

Match Timeline

0': Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez recalled Fabio Aurelio at left-back in place of Andrea Dossena for this Champions League group D clash - the only change from the side that won the Merseyside derby at Everton on Saturday.
0': Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Carragher, Aurelio, Kuyt, Gerrard, Alonso, Riera, Torres, Keane. Subs: Cavalieri, Dossena, Agger, Benayoun, Babel, Mascherano, Leiva Lucas.
0': PSV: Isaksson, Kromkamp, Simons, Marcellis, Salcido, Brechet, Mendez, Culina, Bakkal, Amrabat, Wuytens. Subs: Cassio, Rodriguez, Zonneveld, Koevermans, Pieters, Nijland, Dzsudzsak.
0': With last season's top scorer Koevermans on the bench it looks like PSV have come to 'park the bus', to steal a phrase from Mourinho, here at Anfield.
0': The old Grammar-phone record You'll Never Walk Alone is belting out of the the Anfield PA system and that can mean only one thing: Kick-off is only minutes away.
0': Robbie Keane is still looking for his first goal since his £20million move from Tottenham and many pundits think this will be the night he breaks his duck.
1': Liverpool get the game underway, kicking from right to left, wearing their all red strip. PSV are in all white.
2': Torres and Kuyt are already looking to put pressure on PSV's five-man defence but the Dutch hold strong.
3': Former Red Jan Kronkamp takes a throw for PSV. He had such a litttle impact at Anfield that he niether gets booed or cheered.
4': Gerrard picks out the run of Torres but Salcido sees the danger and concedes a corner.
5': Torres turns Gerrard's near post corner towards goal but the keeper makes a great save. Kuyt pounces on the loose ball and smashes it past Isaksson. GOAL!!!
6': Great save form Isaksson form torres but he should have done better with Kuyt's shot. He got a hand to the ball. 1-0 Liverpool.
7': So far Liverpool have been tigerish in the tackle but a little wasteful in possession. They could have further punished PSV.
8': Keane gets the ball on the edge of the box, the crowd want him to shoot but the striker dinks a cross to the far post where there is no team-mate waiting.
9': Torres works the PSV defence. Kronkamp challenges him on the edge of the box and wins the ball to snuff out any danger.
10': PSV enjoy a small passage of possession but with no recognised striker in the first eleven they have no cutting edge.
11': Amrabat takes a heavy touch as PSV attack but does well to win a corner. The delivery is a poor one in the lashing rain in Liverpool.
13': Amrabat does a million stepovers on the flank and gets himself a yard of spce to deliver a cross. The youngster delivers the ball into the box but there is not one PSV player in it.
14': Amrabat picks the ball up in midfield and beats two players before playing a great pass out wide to Bakkal, who passes the ball straight to Liverpool defender Skrtel.
15': Amrabat already looks like the only spark in the PSV side.
17': Alonso backheels the ball onto a PSV player to win himself a throw in a tight position. Good thinking from the Spaniard.
18': Aurellio plays a great through-ball for Keane, who takes a poor touch in the box and looks to be fouled as he tries to reclaim possession....
19': ...Keane is on his knees claiming for a penalty but the ref waves play on. It probably was a penalty but if Keane had controlled the ball first time he would not need a pen to get his first goal for Liverpool.
20': In Group D's other match Atletico Madrid are drawing 1-1 with Marseille.
22': Amrabat takes the ball out of the air with a deft touch and then holds up play until the rest of his plodding team-mates catch up and then lose possession for his team.
23': Alonso tries to score from his own half, as he always seems to these days, but doesn't find the back of the net.
24': Keane is dropping deep to take possession form the midfield but that leaves Torres a little isolated against five defenders. He is chasing aimless passes at the moment.
25': Mendez takes the ball in midfield and sprays passes from left to right but PSV don't really pose any problems.
26': Gerrard throws himself into a couple of tackles as Liverpool look to regain their dominance.
27': The skipper fires in a dipping shot from wide on the right. Isaksson opts to punch clear and the ball drops beyond the waiting Liverpool players.
28': Marcellis races wide to make a tackle on Torres, who wins a corner for Liverpool.
29': Torres is left unmarked from the corner and heads at goal, but just wide of the far post. He should have done better there.
30': It has been a very comfortable half an hour for Liverpool really.
32': Torres uses his pace to get free on the right flank and whips in a cross. Keane waits in the middle and guides the ball into the bottom corner. GOAL!!!
33': We can all stop talking about when Keane is going to score now. He's done it and put Liverpool 2-0 up against PSV.
34': The visitors will surely have to put a striker on the pitch now, otherwise it is game over already.
35': The Dutch side lost 3-0 at Atletico Madrid in their opening match and it could be more than that here...
37': Speaking of Atletico they are now beating Marseille 2-1 and it looks like a goalrush between Madrid and Liverpool to see who will be top of the group at the end of the day.
38': Salcido swings in a hopeful cross for PSV but Carragher easily clears the ball, under no pressure at all.
39': According to the stats Amrabat has already ran 5km and it is not even half-time yet. You can't accuse him of not trying.
41': A perfect box to box pass from Alonso picks out Keane, who chests the ball and passes to Torres; but the Spanish striker slips and is hustled off the ball by two defenders.
42': PSV are falling to pieces as the Reds' slick passing carves through midfield. Rieira fires in a cross from the left flank but the pace was so quick nobody had got into the box.
43': No change of shape yet from PSV they must be waiting for half-time... then they must surely make an alteration.
45': The half-time whistle blows and brings an end to the misery for PSV.
45': Liverpool are in cruise control and I would expect to see some of the big name players coming off early in the second-half as Benitez rests his stars.
46': PSV have made a chnage for the second-half. Pieters is on for Brechet. A like for like change.
47': Bakkal gets into the game early in the second-half and fires a warning shot across the front of the Liverpool goal.
48': Amrabat flicks the ball past Arbeloa and then gets called for a foul, harshly, as the duo tussle and race for the ball.
49': Kuyt runs down a blind alley but then does well to win a free-kick by the corner flag. Gerrard plays it in an Isaksson punches clear.
50': Simons blocks a shot form Torres. Amrabat rides two tough challenges and wins a corner for PSV.
51': Pieters attempts an Alonso-esque cross-field pass but he doesn't have the same quality and Liverpool win possession.
53': Torres is down injured and Liverpool put the ball out so he can get treatment. He took a blow to the knee from Salcido.
54': The Liverpool No.9 is back on his feet and the Kop breathes a sigh of relief.
55': Gerrard disects the entire PSV side with one great pass to Torres, who beats his defender, beats the keeper and then stands on the ball and falls over. At least his knee seems to be okay.
56': Amrabat picks the ball up in midfield, he beats one player and then shoots wildly from 40-yards. He must be fed up with his team-mates losing possession after he has given them the ball.
58': Gerrard fires in a cross/shot from a freekick wide on the left but Isaksson comes off his line to collect the ball unchallenged.
59': It's that man again, Amrabat, who drives at the Liverpool defence and then fizzes a low shot wide of the post - he is getting closer.
60': Koevermans, a striker, finally gets onto the pitch as Wuytens goes off for PSV.
61': Arbeloa pushes on from fullback, as he has done all match, and gets fouled. Gerrard stands over the freekick in shooting range...
62': ...the skipper chips the ball into the box and Keane attempts to glance his header at goal but can't generate the power required.
64': A misplaced back pass from Kromkamp allows Torres to break free and race inot the box. As the keeper comes out the striker shoots inches wide of the far post.
65': It looks like there is some activity on the Liverpool bench. Changes are imminent.
67': Gerrard slides a pass through the PSV defence but Salcido gets there just ahead of Keane and snuffs out the danger.
68': Liverpool make a change. Riera goes off and Benayoun joins the action.
69': Gerrard latches onto a cut-back in midfield and attempts a trademark long-range strike; but shanks his shot wide.
70': PSV produce a slick passage of play. The full-back Salcido finds himself in nosebleed territory and crosses for Koevermans at the back post. The striker can't direct his header towards goal.
72': Lucas is getting ready to join the action for Liverpool.
73': Amrabat backs Arbeloa into the box. He picks out Koevermans with a cut-back but the strikers shot is blocked by Carragher - it did look to be creeping in at the far post.
74': Torres races clear of the PSV defence. Marcellis gives chase and brings down the striker for a freekick.
75': Liverpool take this opportunity to make a sunstitution. Lucas comes on for Keane, who goes off to a standing ovation.
76': Gerrard takes the freekick. Carragher flicks the ball to him and he curls a shot round the end of the wall and into the back of the net. GOAL!!!
77': That is his 100th goal for Liverpool. And in front of the Kop too. A dream come true for the Liverpool skipper.
78': PSV react by racing forward down the right wing. The cross comes in and Koevermans beats Skrtel to the ball to score from close range. GOAL!!!
79': Too little too late for the visitors I would think but at least they have got a goal.
80': Liverpool react by making another change. Gerrard goes off, to a standing ovation, of course, and Babel comes on to face his countrymen.
82': Kuyt chases down a lost cause and makes somethign of it. He drags the ball past the left-back and then falls over as he shapes to make the cross.
83': PSV are probing but can't find a way through.
84': Babel takes a blow on the leg from Amrabat and he looks injured. Replays show his foot stuck in the turf and he twisted his ankle.
85': The Dutchman goes off the pitch to get some treatment.
86': Liverpool could easily see out this game with only ten men but Babel comes back on anyway to help out his team-mates.
87': In other news it looks like an exciting end to the match in Cluj. Chelsea are still being held 0-0 and could have just gone 1-0 down, but for a great save from Cech.
88': Alonso gets past Pieters and looks to shoot but Salcido races in from the wing to block his shot. A good effort this late on in the match.
89': Kuyt lofts the ball into the box for Torres, who controls the ball with ease and stes up Lucas for a shot. The Brazilian's effort is heading in but a PSV defender makes a last gasp block.
90': The final whistle brings an end to this training match for Liverpool. PSV only had Amrabat who offer anything - he might be one to look out for in the future.
91': An easy three points for the Reds and PSV look set to finish bottom of the group and even miss out on the UEFA Cup.

Statistics

PSV		LIV
14	Fouls	8
1	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
6	Offsides	1
1	Corner Kicks	3
3	Saves	1
50.1	Possession	49.9
10	SHOTS	15
2	ON GOAL	6
0.2	On Target %	0.4
0	Penalty Goals	0
0	Penalty Kicks Taken	0
460	Accurate Passes	464
553	Passes	550
0.8	Pass Completion %	0.8
2	Accurate Crosses	6
7	Crosses	19
0.3	Cross %	0.3
64	Long Balls	86
41	Accurate Long Balls	61
0.6	Long Balls %	0.7
2	Blocked Shots	4
23	Effective Tackles	21
31	Tackles	25
0.7	Tackle %	0.8
0	Interceptions	0
11	Effective Clearances	4
13	Clearances	8

Game Information

Competition: UEFA Champions League

Venue: Anfield
Location: Liverpool, England
Attendance: 41,097

Line-Ups

Liverpool

No.	Name
25	Pepe Reina (GK)
37	Martin Skrtel
12	Fabio Aurelio
17	Álvaro Arbeloa
23	Jamie Carragher
8	Steven Gerrard
14	Xabi Alonso
11	Albert Riera
9	Fernando Torres
7	Robbie Keane
18	Dirk Kuyt

Liverpool Substitutes:

Daniel Agger, Lucas Leiva, Andrea Dossena, Javier Mascherano, Diego Cavalieri, Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun.

PSV Eindhoven

No.	Name
1	Andreas Isaksson (GK)
13	Jérémie Bréchet
24	Dirk Marcellis
2	Jan Kromkamp
3	Carlos Salcido
15	Jason Culina
29	Stijn Wuytens
8	Edison Mendez
6	Timmy Simons
28	Otman Bakkal
11	Nordin Amrabat

PSV Eindhoven Substitutes:

Danny Koevermans, Cássio, Mike Zonneveld, Balázs Dzsudzsák, Maza, Stefan Nijland, Erik Pieters.

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