UEFA Champions League

Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen, 2001/02 UEFA Champions League, Quarter-finals

· 1st Leg
  • 44': Sami Hyypiä
FT
1 - 0
1st Leg

About

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

Match Timeline

  • 0': Liverpool play host to Bayern Leverkusen hoping to gain an advantage to take to Germany next week. Join Soccernet at 1945 BST for all the action.
  • 0': No surprises this time. Gerard Houllier takes his place on the bench. Up front, Jari Litmanen is replaced by Michael Owen, which is not a shock.
  • 0': A minute's silence is observed for the Queen Mother but now the singing rings out from the Kop.
  • 1': The game's underway. Heskey is offside from a Gerrard through ball.
  • 1': Long ball is headed out by Riise. Long throw is back to Ramelow. He knocks it in but cleared. Ballack shows enterprise.
  • 2': But Hamann sweeps up. Bayer take an age to take a throw. Berbatov runs the ball out.
  • 3': Heskey makes a run at Lucio and wins a corner off the Brazilian. Murphy will take.
  • 4': Hyypia can't head goalwards. Then keeper Hans-Jorg Butt is forced to hoof clear.
  • 4': But an infringement gives Butt the chance to get the ball back for a free-kick. Carragher wins a throw.
  • 6': Liverpool fail to make anything of the ball and it's back to Butt. Cagey stuff from both sides.
  • 6': Placente seemed to be fouled but Hamann breaks. Heskey is fouled by Lucio. Murphy's dead ball is cleared.
  • 7': Owen had a chance to go at Placente but the Argentinian does well to sweep up.
  • 7': Liverpool try to build from the back. But Heskey fouls and it breaks down.
  • 8': Neuville finds himself offside and Dudek takes the free-kick.
  • 9': Heskey muscles out Ramelow. The German falls but the England man drags his effort wide. Butt looked to have it covered.
  • 10': Riise launches a long throw. Berbatov concedes a corner.
  • 11': Keeper Butt punches out in continental style. he got distance on it. Liverpool mount another attack but Heskey finds himself offside. Again.
  • 12': Bayer pressure Riise. Ramelow sweeps up at the back and the Germans look calmer than they did at Highbury.
  • 13': Berbatov offside as Riise looked stranded. Let off for the Reds of Merseyside.
  • 13': Gerrard is the target for a long ball. He can't reach it.
  • 14': Heskey on the burst. Switched to Smicer in his free role but the Czech is unable to reach the ball and it's goalkick time once more.
  • 15': Bayer take a quick free-kick. But they're outnumbered and Owen, of all people, sweeps up. He's fouled after a neat swerve.
  • 16': Still goalless and it's been very even. Neither team seem able to make the breakthrough at present.
  • 17': Heskey reaches a header but can't direct it to Owen. Bayer clear and the ball goes back to Dudek. Hit long. Head tennis session and Bayer have the ball.
  • 18': Ball is back with Carragher. He finds Heskey but the big man's lay off to Smicer is overhit.
  • 18': Riise shepherds the ball out of play in the corner as Neuville chases.
  • 21': Sebescen pressure Riise but the Norwegian clears. Ballack's through ball doesn't achieve much.
  • 21': Butt clears under pressure from Owen and Smicer is offside. The Germans are holding their line well at the back.
  • 22': Henchoz and Carragher link well at the back. Owen is outnumbered as he tries to link up lay. Hamann then clatters Lucio.
  • 23': Heskey gets the ball and has a chance to set up an attack. He fails miserably with a bad ball to Smicer.
  • 24': Lucio booked for disputing the incident with Hamann. The German then fouls Ze Roberto. Sebescen has a chance to for a free-kick. It's a pea roller and Hyypia clears. Terrible kick.
  • 25': Ze Roberto and Basturk link. Bayer have plenty of the ball. The massed Liverpool defence is holding firm though.
  • 26': Lucio heads unconvincingly back. Gerrard takes on the shot but slices it woefully.
  • 26': Butt's having to do plenty of kicking. Liverpool pick up the pieces in the midfield. The thread it around.
  • 27': Hyypia forced to pass back as Bayer close off any outlets. Bayer are having an excellent start to the tie.
  • 28': Liverpool again forced to play their football in their own half. Flair and attacking verve is in short supply.
  • 29': Sebescen fouls Smicer. Chance for Liverpool to attack. They're forced back again. Carragher turns but can't keep the ball in play.
  • 30': Hyypia nearly plays Dudek into trouble but the Pole comes quickly out of his goal.
  • 31': Liverpool's attacking is non-existent. The bench seem likely to switch things around.
  • 31': But then Gerrard and Owen combine. Good slide by Placente clears the ball and Bayer regain their composure.
  • 32': Bayer happy to play their game. Ze Roberto down the wing. Owen has a chance to run but he cut back.
  • 33': Berbatov makes a break but a lack of support means his ball in is easily cleared.
  • 34': Schneider's curved ball is pumped out by Hyypia. Corner is comfortable for Dudek.
  • 35': Gerard Houllier looks pensive on the touchline. Things not progressing quite to plan as the Germans dominate possession.
  • 36': Carragher whips the ball away from Basturk after Ballack had played him in. Heskey is back in defence too and he shepherds the bal out.
  • 38': Gerrard can't reach a long ball and Bayer play keep-ball once more. Henchoz slides in to concede a corner against Ballack. Dudek punches the kick clear.
  • 39': Heskey fails to find his man with a flick. Bayer try to break but the offside flag is waved.
  • 40': Ballack outnumbered as he rounds Carragher and not Gerrard. Liverpool defending well but lacking attacking impetus.
  • 40': Riise goes on a charge but is penalised for some rough stuff.
  • 41': Ramelow is hurried as Heskey heads down. He manages to clear.
  • 42': Murphy lays it off for Gerrard, the England man launches a cross and Smicer makes a poor attempt at a header. Nevertheless that was Liverpool's best chance so far.
  • 42': Liverpool enjoying more of the ball at present. Ramelow is casual and is forced to concede a corner.
  • 44': Riise takes. Owen at the back post and he crosses for Sami Hyypia to poke in from close range. 1-0 to Liverpool!
  • 44': A priceless goal at a time when Liverpool would most have liked to score. Bayer hit by a bitter psychological blow.
  • 45': Smicer beats Ramelow and the German pulls him down. He's booked and misses the next match. The free-kick is boomed straight down Butt's throat.
  • 45': Half-time and Liverpool, as they have so often this season, have managed to score when things seemed to swinging away from them. More of the same would do for all you Liverpool fans!
  • 46': Owen and Smicer get the second-half underway. Ramelow, perhaps still unsettled by that yellow card, give away a corner. Smicer blazes the resulting kick miles over.
  • 47': Bayer pressure Hyypia into a poor clearance. Basturk had a chance to make something but inexplicably knocks the ball off the pitch.
  • 47': Heskey fouls Ze Roberto. Kick taken short and then a throw-in for Bayer. Carragher robs the hesitating Ze Roberto.
  • 49': Smicer is determined as he tackle Schnieder. Ze Roberto and Basturk collide before Hamann is fouled.
  • 49': Smicer overruns the ball as he attacks. Ramelow clears. Hamann fouls Basturk.
  • 52': Bayer had a chance to create something but a poor ball from Ramelow creates a chance for Murphy to break. His ball in finds no support and despite a slip from Lucio the Brazilian has time to clear.
  • 53': Owen plays link man with Riise. Ballack gets back to win the ball. Sebescen plays in Schneider. A stupid dink finds nobody and Liverpool break.
  • 54': Riise's throw is cleared as Owen lurks with intent.
  • 55': Carragher fouls Placente. The scouser is booked for his troubles.
  • 56': Lobbed ball for Neuville is headed out by Riise. Bayer looking more threatening. But now Murphy launches an attack. Heskey's first touch is poor and he must settle for a corner.
  • 58': Riise tries an overhead kick and Butt, just as acrobatically, punches clear. Another corner is eventually cleared. Schneider has an opportunity to shoot but he can't get past Hyypia.
  • 59': At the other end, Owen plays a great ball for Riise. His daisy-cutter is smothered by Butt. End-to-end all of a sudden. The tempo's increased once more as Owen just fails to reach Gerrard's break down the right.
  • 61': Sebescen finds Ze Roberto but Carragher does well to clear when he threatened the by-line.
  • 62': Heskey made a burst but there's the familiar sight of an offside flag.
  • 63': Ballack's long-ranger is poor and miles over the bar.
  • 64': Bermatov can't get to a Ballack through-ball. Liverpool build from the back. Heskey's out on the wing but Ze Roberto does well. So does Heskey, who tackles back.
  • 66': Smicer rails at the ref for a free-kick decison. Zivkovic comes on for Bayer in place of the ineffective Berbatov.
  • 66': Ze Roberto down the wing. Basturk links well on the one-two. The Brazilian slides it across for Ballack and the wonderboy fires wide. A sitter.
  • 67': Strong run from Lucio and Bayer are stepping up the pace.
  • 68': Ballack and Basturk link but Riise clears. More pressure on Liverpool's defence fromn those two.
  • 68': Ze Roberto in space. But Hyypia clears only to give it back to Bayer.
  • 69': A shock substitution as Owen goes off for Jari Litmanen.
  • 70': Owen, despite his part in Liverpool's goal, has not looked his usual self.
  • 72': Ze Roberto is casual and Litmanen can break. But Smicer goes down too easily.
  • 73': Hyypia is booked for a reckless foul on Sebescen. Free-kick aimed for Ulf Kirsten, on for Neuville.
  • 74': Murphy gets the ball on the edge of the area. He cuts in and tries to play in Litmanen. The Finn can't get there.
  • 75': Now Patrik Berger comes on for compatriot Smicer, who's been peripheral in the main.
  • 76': Bayer forced to go back to Butt. He clears and Bayer can build an attack. Kirsten gets the ball but can't control and Liverpool clear.
  • 77': Bayer enjoying more attacking impetus. But Liverpool look comfortable in defence.
  • 78': Schneider had a glimmer of a chance as the ball is looped in but Hyypia is calm in defence.
  • 80': Schneider forces a corner. Hamann clears the kick and Liverpool break with Berger. But his looped ball finds Litmanen offside.
  • 80': In Athens, Panathinaikos lead Barcelona 1-0. A shock scoreline.
  • 81': Gerard Houllier paces the touchline. Bayer are giving him cause for concern. But now Murphy wins a corner.
  • 82': Riise takes from the right. Hamann fouls Kirsten in an attempt to reach the ball.
  • 84': Ballack finds space down the left. He cuts in and fancies a shot. He fires over. Poor stuff from the man who was supposedly the dangerman.
  • 86': Kirsten nearly reaches a ball from Basturk. Then Ze Roberto controls and seemed likely to lob over Dudek but Carragher gets there in the nick of time.
  • 87': Gerrard attacks down the left but his lob finds a Bayer shirt. The Germans attack again but Sebescan is punished for a challenge on Riise when he seemed to be bearing down on goal.
  • 88': Heskey miscues when he a real chance to test Butt. At the other end Henchoz fires away from danger.
  • 89': A break on for Litmanen is swept up by Lucio. Liverpool just can't hold possession.
  • 89': A foul on Ballack gives Bayer a chance to launch the ball into the danger zone.
  • 90': Gerrard did well to head away with Kirsten lurking with intent.
  • 91': Basturk fouled by Murphy. The quick free-kick comes to nothing. Liverpool fail to break but Bayer fail to test Dudek with a lofted ball.
  • 92': Zivkovic has the last touch of the ball as the referee puts his whistle to his lips and blows for full-time.
  • 92': Mission accomplished for Liverpool. No away goal conceded and that showdown with the Reds of Manchester is still on. It wasn't pretty but Houller will be happy with the end result.
  • 92': Join us at Soccernet next week for both Champions League quarter-finals. See you then!

Game Information

Competition: UEFA Champions League

Venue: Anfield
Location: Liverpool, England
Attendance: 42,454

Line-Ups

LIV Liverpool

No. Name
12 Jerzy Dudek (GK)
2 Stephane Henchoz
4 Sami Hyypiä
23 Jamie Carragher Yellow Card
18 John Arne Riise
13 Danny Murphy
16 Dietmar Hamann
17 Steven Gerrard
7 Vladimir Smicer
10 Michael Owen
8 Emile Heskey

B04 Bayer Leverkusen

No. Name
1 Hans-Jörg Butt (GK)
19 Lúcio Yellow Card
35 Diego Placente
26 Zoltan Sebescen
28 Carsten Ramelow Yellow Card
25 Bernd Schneider
13 Michael Ballack
10 Yildiray Basturk
8 Zé Roberto
27 Oliver Neuville
12 Dimitar Berbatov

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