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BIRMINGHAM CITY 0 - 7 LIVERPOOL
RAMPANT REDS CRUISE INTO SEMIS
Liverpool have secured their place in the final four of this season's FA Cup with a magnificent 7-0 victory over Birmingham City tonight.
It was all too easy for Liverpool who showed no ill effects from playing at Newcastle only 48 hours ago as they put Steve Bruce's men to the sword with a fine display of attacking football which resulted in the Reds' biggest ever FA Cup victory away from Anfield.
Two goals inside the first four minutes from Sami Hyypia and Peter Crouch followed by a second of the evening from Crouch late in the first half gave the Reds a terrific platform while further strikes after the break from Fernando Morientes, John Arne Riise, Djibril Cisse and an Oliver Tebily own goal made it 15 goals in just three games for a Liverpool team which has been criticised over recent weeks for their supposed shortcomings in front of goal.
The Reds were at their clinical best throughout one of the most one-sided FA Cup quarter finals in the history of the competition as they guaranteed their place in Friday afternoon's semi-final draw.
The victory also means Rafael Benitez has ended a mystifying run of never having beaten Birmingham in four attempts as he finally completed the set of enjoying victory over every Premiership club since his arrival in English football.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez made five changes to the team which comfortably defeated Newcastle at the weekend, the most notable of which being the return of Momo Sissoko just four weeks after the eye injury which threatened to ruin his career.
Sissoko started in midfield alongside the recalled Xabi Alonso while Djimi Traore, Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise were also brought back into the starting line-up.
Only 55 seconds had elapsed when, from the first free kick of the game, Steven Gerrard floated the ball onto the head of Sissoko and when the Mali midfielder flicked it on Sami Hyypia was arriving unmarked to head home into the back of the net.
Liverpool's early joy turned into ecstacy just a few minutes later when Gerrard delivered a sensational right footed cross into the danger zone where Peter Crouch had escaped his marker to double the Reds' lead with a downward header.
Birmingham's enthusiasm for the challenge appeared to wilt visibly as Liverpool coasted through the remainder of the half and added a third goal eight minutes before the break.
Luis Garcia showed good strength down the right hand side and when he teed up the chance for Crouch the Liverpool striker made no mistake as he slotted home his second of the night into the corner of the net.
There could have been further goals for the Reds in a one-sided first half but Garcia lifted one effort onto the roof of the net while Crouch flashed a half volley just wide of the far post.
Birmingham offered more of an attacking threat in the early stages of the second period as Damien Johnson sliced one shot wide, but Liverpool always looked dangerous at the other end and John Arne Riise forced Taylor into a low save with a well struck free kick.
Benitez, who was forced into a first half change when Harry Kewell replaced the injured Djimi Traore, introduced Fernando Morientes in place of Crouch before the hour as the big striker was given a breather with one eye on Saturday's Merseyside derby against Everton.
Morientes wasted no time in stamping his mark on the game when he added Liverpool's fourth of the night just a couple of minutes later with a well controlled right footed finish after more incisive play from Gerrard.
The fifth goal arrived with twenty minutes left to play when Riise found space on the left and cracked home an unstoppable left footed shot which swerved wickedly through the air before crashing against the back of the Birmingham net for the best goal of the night.
The strangest goal of the evening followed six minutes later when Kewell showed neat skill down the left and crossed into the area where Birmingham defender Oliver Tebily only succeeded in turning the ball into his own goal.
And just two minutes from time substitute Djibril Cisse got in on the scoring act with a low drive to complete a great night's work for Rafa's Reds.
Teams
Liverpool: Reina, Traore, Hyypia, Carragher, Finnan, Riise, Alonso, Sissoko, Gerrard, Garcia, Crouch. Subs - Dudek, Cisse, Morientes, Kewell, Kromkamp
Birmingham City: Taylor, Clapham, Taylor, Cunningham, Melchiot, Dunn, Johnson, Clemence, Pennant, Painter, Forssell. Subs - Vaesen, Bruce, Tebily, Kilkenny, Lazaridis
Referee: Rob Styles
Conditions: Cold
Attendance: 27,378
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Steven Gerrard |
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