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REDS BOW OUT TO BENFICA
Liverpool's bid to retain the Champions League title is over after goals from Sabrosa Simao and Fabrizio Miccoli gave Benfica a famous 2-0 win at Anfield tonight to complete a 3-0 aggregate win for the Portuguese Champions.
Rafa's side were bidding to overturn a first leg deficit for the first time since 1991 after losing 1-0 in Portugal a fortnight ago. But they were made to pay for missing a host of early chances when Simao put the tie beyond them with his wonder strike.
The Reds kicked off knowing they would need to beat Benfica by two clear goals and they were almost off to the dream start after just 11 minutes when Crouch collected Garcia's pass and saw his shot deflected against the post with the goalkeeper beaten.
And they would keep going in their search for an early opener with just moments later Benfica keeper Moretto being forced into a point-blank save from Garcia's shot on the turn.
It was clear from the opening exchanges that the Reds would enjoy the lion share of possession, but it was just a question of whether they would be able to convert that into the goals that would take them through.
Everyone was doing their bit to help the Reds' forward offensive and next it was Steve Finnan breaking through only to see his shot blocked.
Benfica reminded us what they were capable of when Simao's cross flashed dangerously past Reina's goal. But the Liverpool attacks kept on coming and Garcia spurned their best one so far when shooting over after 15 minutes.
Liverpool were playing well enough to suggest Garcia's miss wouldn ?t matter, but when Peter Crouch missed an even better chance in the 25th minute the seeds of doubt were surely beginning to be grow.
The chance came when Gerrard made a superb burst through the centre and when he threaded a pass for Crouch a goal looked likely. But the tall striker was denied by Moretto, who had sensed the danger and rushed to smother Crouch's shot.
Our worst fears came home to roost in the 36th minute when Benfica, who had gradually clawed their way back into the game, took the lead with a brilliant strike from Sabrosa Simao.
There had appeared to be no danger as Carragher chased a long ball back toward his owngoal, but the ball found it's way to Simao and he stunned Anfield with a curling shot from 18 yards that gave Reina little chance.
Liverpool responded as you would expect and Crouch hit the same post he had hit earlier with a 43rd minute header. The Reds though would need a second half fight back to rival that of Olympiacos and Istanbul.
The Kop did their best to recreate the atmosphere of Istanbul with a half time chorus of You'll Never Walk Alone, but as hard as the players tried, they just couldn't force a way back into the game.
Benitez replaced Kewell with Cisse on the hour, but their best chance of a comeback was already on the pitch in Captain Steven Gerrard. No one more than Gerrard epitomised the spirit needed for this fight, but even his mighty efforts proved to be to without reward.
As you would expect, Liverpool never gave up. Gerrard crossed to the head of Carragher, who only just failed to keep his header down. And Gerrard came close himself soon after when curling a free kick onto the roof of the net.
The Reds had the ball in the net in the 83rd minute only to see it ruled out for the ball going out of play. But Benfica completed a memorable night for them when Miccoli made it 2-0 in the 89th minute with a fine piece of skill.
It wasn't to be for Liverpool and although there'll be no Paris date in May there is still the romance of FA Cup to look forward to.
Teams
Liverpool: Reina, Warnock, Traore, Carragher, Finnan, Kewell, Gerrard, Alonso, Garcia, Crouch, Morientes. Subs - Dudek, Hyypia, Hamann, Anderson, Fowler, Barragan, Cisse
Benfica: , , , , , Robert, Fernandes, , , , Gomez. Subs - , Karagounis, Kariaka, , , Miccoli, Rocha
Referee: M De Santis
Conditions: Damp
Attendance: 42745
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Steven Gerrard
Breakdown
19:45 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Benfica get the game underway kicking towards the Kop
1 mins : Booking: Laurent Robert: Late tackle on Warnock
3 mins : Gerrard's free kick into the area is headed behind for a goal kick
4 mins : Morientes creates space outside the box but Moretto makes a comfortable low save from his shot
8 mins : Morientes is brought down on the left side giving the Reds a free kick in a good area
10 mins : Crouch finds space on the right of the area and his drive is deflected onto the post and away for a corner
11 mins : Carragher misses a golden chance to open the scoring when he shoots wide from just a few yards out after Benfica fail to deal with a well delivered corner
15 mins : Finnan bursts into the area and wins another corner with another deflected shot
17 mins : Alcides wins a corner off Gerrard at the Kop end
18 mins : Liverpool launch a quick breakaway and Garcia's shot is deflected behind for yet another corner kick
19 mins : Garcia has another chance from close range but this time blazes his right foot effort miles over the goal
24 mins : Beto picks up the ball inside the Liverpool half and drives forward before scuffing a right footed shot wide of Reina's goal
25 mins : Gerrard creates a brilliant chance for Crouch but the Reds striker's shot rebounds back off the goalkeeper and away to safety. Big chance gone begging.
29 mins : Geovanni's acrobatic volley comes back off the top of the bar and Simao's follow up header is saved by Reina as the Reds survive an almighty scare
31 mins : Booking: Peter Crouch:
32 mins : Robert's ambitious drive from distance flies wide of Reina's left hand post
36 mins : GOAL! Simao : Simao curls a brilliant right footed shot into the top corner to give the visitors the lead
41 mins : Booking: Xabi Alonso:
44 mins : Beto almost blasts the ball into his own net as we look to get back into the game
44 mins : Crouch's header hits the post as the missed chances mount up
45 mins : One added minute to be played
20:31 GMT : Half Time Reached
20:46 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Liverpool kick off needing three goals without reply to stay in the competition
49 mins : The Reds are applying the pressure in the early stages but haven't created any chances yet
50 mins : Luisao heads behind under pressure to concede a corner to the home side which comes to nothing
54 mins : Gerrard strikes a right footed shot goalwards on the volley but misses the target by a few yards
56 mins : Moretto makes a save from Alonso's strike and Garcia can't take advantage of the rebound from a tight angle
60 mins : Substitution: Georgios Karagounis for Geovanni :
60 mins : From a rare attack down the right Benfica win their second corner of the game
62 mins : Booking: Nuno Gomez:
63 mins : Substitution: Djibril Cisse for Harry Kewell:
67 mins : Gerrard curls the ball to the far post but nobody in a red shirt can convert
69 mins : Substitution: Robbie Fowler for Fernando Morientes:
70 mins : Substitution: Ricardo Rocha for Laurent Robert:
70 mins : Substitution: Dietmar Hamann for Stephen Warnock:
71 mins : Booking: Steven Gerrard:
72 mins : Cisse goes down under a challenge in the box but the referee waves away the penalty claims
73 mins : Karagounis takes far too long in front of goal and Benfica waste a good chance to completely finish the tie
76 mins : Carragher meets Gerrard's well flighted corner but heads over the goal
76 mins : Substitution: Fabrizio Miccoli for Nuno Gomez:
78 mins : Gerrard curls a free kick from the corner of the box over the goal and the ball lands on the roof of the net
80 mins : Chances now at a premium. Three goals needed in ten minutes
82 mins : Cisse wins another corner after another run and another blocked cross
87 mins : Gerrard finds space on the left and sends a low shot wide of the far post
89 mins : GOAL! Fabrizio Miccoli: Miccoli converts from close range to seal our European fate for this season
90 mins : Booking: Manuel Fernandes:
21:35 GMT : Match Over |
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