Andy Hunter’s match report
That’s about it from me but stay tuned for the match report which will be available very shortly while you can also join Simon Burnton for Manchester United v Midtjylland here.
And Paul Doyle for Tottenham v Fiorentina here.
Cheerio! And thanks, as ever, for reading and your emails and tweets.
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Full-time! Liverpool 1-0 Augsburg (1-0 agg)
And that’s your lot. Augsburg really did make life uncomfortable for Liverpool who will face an irate manager back in the changing room. Nonetheless Liverpool are through and there were some impressive moments, not the least when Sturridge, Firmino and Coutinho linked up. There was a certain ruthlessness lacking in the final third though and Klopp will demand better on Sunday.
Augsburg didn’t create that much but had Caiuby’s pullback reached Moravek then surely Liverpool were in considerable trouble. As it was, it didn’t and Liverpool are in the draw for the last 16.
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90+5 mins: Caiuby just can’t bring the bouncing ball under control but Bobadilla finds space 25 yards out and winds up … and it’s high, wide and handsome. Mignolet punts clear and Augsburg follow suit.
90+4 mins: Firmino forces his way into the box but can’t really decide if he wants to beat Stafylidis or take the shot on. Eventually he shots but it’s blocked.
90+3 mins: Mignolet plucks another looping cross from Esswein. He’s looked really quite solid tonight but there’s still time …
90+2 mins: Liverpool have it back and Firmino is by the corner flag with little intentions of going anywhere. Henderson wins a throw and Liverpool will endeavour to see this one out.
90+1 mins: We’ll have five minutes of extra time. To start with Hitz launches a free-kick which Caiuby flicks on but Liverpool scramble clear.
89 mins: Stafylidis takes left-footed, and it’s inches wide. A lovely free-kick from the right-hand side at the near side of the goal. That was almost curtains for Liverpool.
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88 mins: Augsburg are going long at every opportunity now. And Caiuby has won a free-kick about 22 yards out. This could be dangerous …
87 mins: Caiuby gets in behind down the left and rolls it across. It’s just behind Esswein who takes a touch but if he hadn’t Moravek would surely have scored.
86 mins: Augsburg have a throw from the left. Lucas clears but Augsburg still have it and go long to Caiuby, to no avail.
85 mins: Origi with a shot on target but it’s tame. Firmino looks to be in behind but he’s offside.
84 mins: Here’s Milner to the bye-line and his umpteenth pullback which is again unsuccessful. It falls to Can who doesn’t fancy hitting one with his left and the chances goes.
83 mins: Milner has it on the right but slips and handles the ball. Hitz booms long but Liverpool win back possession but Henderson’s legs get tangled in amusing fashion.
81 mins: Augsburg meanwhile have brought on Moravek to add a bit more guile. Oooh, he arrives late and pokes at a volley which is wide but a warning for Liverpool.
79 mins: Coutinho is going off, probably with Sunday in mind.
78 mins: Origi has a dash down the left but Klavan covers. We’ll have another corner, Hitz plucks it and releases Bobadilla who spreads it to Altintop. Koo puts a dangerous ball in but Mignolet produces a flying punch to clear. Solid from the Belgian but the Anfield crowd is beginning to get edgy.
77 mins: Koo has a rare shot for Augsburg but he can’t get the ball out of his feet and it’s high and wide. Firmino tries a couple of fancy flicks and they don’t come off but Janker hesitates with the clearance, Henderson nips in and having got there, he really should have scored. Instead he hurried his shot straight at Hitz.
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76 mins: Bobadilla denied his first involvement but the linesman’s flag. Mignolet punts upfield and Milner crosses to no one again. Would Benteke not have been the better option from the bench?
75 mins: That’s a much better ball from Milner but no one on the end of it. He gets another chance, goes low and Firmino is tackled.
74 mins: That’s another low pullback from Moreno and again Augsburg clear. Can’t help but feel Liverpool should be standing more of these up.
73 mins: Origi with his first involvement – he tries to pull it back and a deflection almost catches Hitz out. The ball finds its way to Coutinho but he can’t find the net. Corner. A bad one. From Milner.
72 mins: That should serve as a reminder to Liverpool who could really do with another goal. Augsburg are bringing on Bobadilla, who scored six goals in the group stage.
71 mins: Werner had the chance to redeem himself there but he’s foiled by Mignolet! Mignolet sprung off his line when Werner was bearing down.
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70 mins: Werner to take it left-footed … it’s really poor again and Liverpool clear before winning the free-kick. That was a waste.
69 mins: Werner with the corner, it’s a poor one and Moreno clears. Milner is back on the pitch but Augsburg have a free-kick. A fairly mindless foul from Sakho on Caiuby.
68 mins: Play continues and Caiuby finds Esswein in the right channel. Lucas covers well but Augsburg will have a corner. Milner is now receiving treatment.
67 mins: Risky backpass from Stafylidis but Hitz deals with it well enough. Milner meanwhile, is down injured.
66 mins: Caiuby isn’t getting much change out of Lucas but that looked like a foul on the Augsburg man. Liverpool are making a sub, bringing off a somewhat disgruntled Sturridge for Origi.
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65 mins: Need I remind you that a goal for Augsburg puts Liverpool out. Hence Klopp’s fury I would wager.
64 mins: That’s a pretty average attempted chip pass from Henderson. Leave those passes to the others Jordan. A bit of complacency creeping into Liverpool’s attacking play though. Klopp is furious on the sideline.
63 mins: Henderson finds himself on the edge of the box but the ball won’t sit kindly and Stafylidis blocks. Coutinho then has a bobbling shot but there’s not enough whip and it’s wide.
62 mins: Sturridge has been cropping up on the left in the second half and he does so again but his pass for Coutinho is ever so slightly overhit.
61 mins: Liverpool have a free-kick on the left after a foul by Kohr but they’ve taken it short and the ball finds its way back to Mignolet.
59 mins: Augbsurg are certainly holding on to the ball better in the second half but Mignolet plucks a looping cross with something looking like conviction. Coutinho and Firmino try a one-two but Koo intercepts.
58 mins: Hitz has looked impressive enough tonight but that’s a poor kick. No matter though, Augbsurg have it back and Stafylidis crosses, only for Lucas to thump clear.
57 mins: Back to the action at Anfield and Augsburg knock it around for a bit before Sakho, despite a slip, clears from Caiuby. Liverpool clear their lines from the resulting throw-in.
Quick aside:
Hi Gerard,
I think Michael is talking about your little list of the matches and scores there on the side of the page. Every team is listed by their name which is a location, except Tottenham, who are just listed as Spurs. But writing just one sentence helped me figure it out. Tottenham has, like, waaay too many letters.
Ah yes, I do not know the answer but perhaps Turner Allen Matthew is right
55 mins: Caiuby is down but he wins the free-kick from Sakho. Liverpool haven’t defended these situations with any great authority … but Vaerhaegh’s cross is well dealt with by Sakho.
54 mins: That’s excellent from Liverpool, freeing Milner in the box. Augsburg scramble clear before Janker blocks Coutinho’s shot. Liverpool are dominant again but they’d love that second goal.
53 mins: It’s short, and it’s intercepted. Ludicrous.
52 mins: Augsburg look like they’re going to give this a go but Liverpool keep crowding out Altintop. Sturridge tries to bend one with his left foot, no dice but it’s a corner.
51 mins: Coutinho and Sturridge link up nicely but they’re crowded out. Clyne wins it back though but Stafylidis intercepts.
50 mins: A bit of a scare for Liverpool as Verhaegh puts in a free-kick and finds Caiuby who sparks a bit of panic but the assistant’s flag goes up.
49 mins: Oooh Sturridge should score that. He was offside but Coutinho picks him out, Sturridge rolls the ball inside in his typically languid manner but his placed shot is the wrong side of the post.
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48 mins: Henderson’s ball forward is headed away but it falls to Coutinho who tries one of those dipping volleys scored by someone in Spain recently. It doesn’t work
47 mins: Kohr is down injured. That’s not a good start to the second half for Augbsurg. But I think he’s OK. Attempted intricacies from Augsburg don’t really work and Liverpool have it back.
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppp!
46 mins: We’re back underway. No changes. Liverpool kick off and settle quickly back into the groove but Lucas’s long ball is overhit so Hitz gathers.
A half-time email for you. Can anyone help Michael out? I’m not entirely sure what he’s talking about …
Can you explain why Tottenham Hotspur are the only team listed in the world by their nickname, “Spurs’.. I’ve asked this for years..
Last week was the first time I ever saw Spurs listed as Tottenham..
Half-time! Liverpool 1-0 Augsburg
Coutinho’s deflected shot goes for a corner, but there’s no time to take it. That concludes a pretty dominant half for Liverpool, even if the penalty, given away by Kohr, was a harsh handball decision. Augsburg can’t really get a foothold in the game but Caiuby is causing problems, if feeding off scraps. Liverpool though, with the movement of Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge, and with their lively pressing game, will expect to add more goals in the second half. While it remains just one goal though …
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45 mins: Moreno does pretty much the same thing for Liverpool, his shot is blocked but Liverpool have it back. One or two late tackles have been coming in from Augsburg and the referee takes action. It’s Caiuby who gets the yellow and that was coming.
44 mins: Here come Augsburg now through Stafylidis who reaches 25 yards out and lets fly with an awful shot.
43 mins: Lucas mops up at the back again. He’s quite impressive at the heart of the defence, backpasses aside.
42 mins: He’s hobbiling about but he’s up. Should be OK. Moreno loses the ball trying a nutmeg high up the pitch on the left. And Can, quite so far, touches the ball.
40 mins: Henderson is down in a heap at the moment. Klopp is grimacing on the touchline. It looked like sore one, a wrap across the shins, but doesn’t look like any lasting damage. Still down though.
39 mins: But her come Liverpool again and Coutinho pulls the ball back, gets another go and Hitz saves Sturridge’s quickfire shot with the help of his near post.
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38 mins: That’s a great tackle from Lucas on Caiuby, Coutinho carries forward but is dispossessed and Caiuby makes life uncomfortable for Sakho. That’s quite the absorbing tussle between those two.
37 mins: Delightful whipped ball from Coutinho to Sturridge, whose close control always causes problems. Milner with a high cross this time and it’s better if not particularly troublesome.
36 mins: Yikes! That’s a let-off for Liverpool. A horrible backpass from Lucas is intercepted by Caiuby who just can’t find the target from the tight angle. Mignolet was in no man’s land but Sakho seemed to be back in time.
35 mins: Coutinho cross up on the left and feeds Moreno who produces ANOTHER RUBBISH LOW CROSS!
34 mins: Milner with a low cross from the left, Liverpool do like their low crosses tonight, but Janker does well to clear.
33 mins: Verhaegh manages to lose his captain’s arm-band so after a five-second delay he has another. Phew.
32 mins: Milner on the right now. Klavan isn’t having the best of games at left-back. Just a throw-in this time. Caiuby then fouls Coutinho, one more and it’s a yellow I’d have thought.
31 mins: Coutinho takes this one and Lucas almost gets on the end of it at the near post. Clyne gets free down the right again but that’s another disappointing cross. Liverpool, again, win it back Coutinho cuts in from the left and shoots low. Hitz makes a reasonably comfortable save.
29 mins: Augsburg throw-in on the left. Liverpool win the ball back and for the second time in a minute an Augsburg player has got one right in the mush. Liverpool threaten again and it’s another corner …
28 mins: Firmino pops up on the right now but that’s wayward from Sturridge and Augsburg clear. Esswein threatens briefly but Sakho uses his pace to mop up.
27 mins: A couple more bad corners from Milner there. Quickly becoming his speciality.
26 mins: Clyne’s having a busy night but that wasn’t really a shot nor a cross. No matter, Coutinho has it in the left channel and feeds Moreno, whose low cross finds Firmino and that’s an excellent save from Hitz.
25 mins: It’s a poor corner. Hitz plucks it. Altintop with some rare possession and the midfielder tees up Stafylidis whose shot is target and bounces in front of Mignolet. The goalkeeper does well to push it clear and a Liverpool break is brought to an end unfairly by Stafylidis. Yellow card
23 mins: Augsburg contrive to go all the way back to Hitz from midfield. Liverpool’s pressing the problem and Sturridge has it again. A lovely pass into Firmino who lays off the Clyne. A low shot is wide but it’s a corner …
22 mins: He almost atones there though. Some lollipops from Sturridge who then feeds Coutinho. The Brazilian pokes a shot at goal but it’s straight at Hitz and the chance is gone.
21 mins: Coutinho sniffs a chance after a dreadful backpass from Klavan. He can’t quite get there.
20 mins: Sturridge has made an impressive start. Some excellent control eventually leads to Clyne crossing from the right but Sturridge is offside. May have been another penalty if not.
18 mins: Henderson lunges for the ball like an old age pensioner and stumbles but Caiuby can’t bring the ball under his spell. He’s got it again though but he catches Sakho with an elbow. Free-kick. Nothing more.
17 mins: Nice and tidy from Liverpool. Augsburg can’t really get a foot on the ball but a foolish foul from Coutinho gives them the chance to try.
16 mins: A silky backheel from Sturridge leads to nothing but Henderson wins it back, feeds Firmino, who fancies a volley from the corner of the box. Silly
15 mins: Plenty of Gegeengenngenggnenngen-ing from Liverpool here. Very sharp and the hosts have the ball at the back again and Moreno wins the free-kick in his own half.
14 mins: Lovely interception from Lucas, who finds Sturridge on the left. Liverpool work the ball to the overlapping Clyne on the right but his cross is harmless.
13 mins: Caiuby continues to keep Liverpool’s defenders on their toes and a bit of Augsburg possession sees Janker bring the ball out but fails to find Verhaegh down the right.
Michael Jones with a harbinger of doom for Liverpool …
Gerard: The US feed of the match once again has Alexei Lalas as “colour” commentator. If, along the lines of Henry Ford, one believes grey is a colour.
Every bit as slow, ponderous and pretentious as an announcer as he was as a player. Please, Jesus….where is Lee Dixon when we need him?
To add insult to injury, Liverpool have yet to win with Lalas on the mike.
Switching to the Spanish language feed, once again…..if I can stay awake long enough to find the remote.
11 mins: A lull in play allows me to remind everyone that that goal is indeed a boost for The Coefficient. Back to the action and Liverpool are keeping possession somewhat effortlessly until Coutinho sells Sakho short and he slices the ball out for an Augsburg throw-in.
9 mins: Liverpool’s attacking trio are linking up nicely, Firmino in particular showcasing his talents, drifting left and right. But a needless free-kick gives Augsburg some respite.
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8 mins: A bit of Augsburg pressure there. Verhaegh bombs on down the right and swings a low cross in for Altintop, whose shot is blocked but it results in a corner. Little danger but that doesn’t stop Mignolet getting the heeby geebies.
7 mins: A long thump forward from Mignolet finds Firmino in the left channel who in turn pulls back for Sturridge, who fluffs his shot.
6 mins: That’s done away with penalties which is never good news but hey ho. Liverpool’s tails understandably up. Moreno looking dangerous down the left.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Augsburg (Milner pen)
5 mins: Very soft penalty, handball it appears, but that doesn’t bother Milner in the slightest. Sweetly struck into the bottom right corner. Hitz went the right way but wasn’t going to keep that out.
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4 mins: Poor corner but Milner gets another go. This one’s short, Henderson’s ball in is decent and … PENALTY!
3 mins: Sturridge dropping deep and seeing plenty of the ball. Firmino likewise, wide on the right and he’s won a corner.
2 mins: Nice bit of early head tennis there before Milner strides forward but the move breaks down when Henderson fails to find Sturridge.
Peeeeeeeeeeeep!
1 min: Augsburg get us up and running. An early lump forward which is hopefully not a sign of things to come. Liverpool enjoying a bit of early possession at the back but they’ve lost it and Caiuby picks it up, runs directly towards the Liverpool goal but fires over. Early warning for Liverpool.
Kick-off imminent. Liverpool will, surprisingly enough, be wearing red. Augsburg a snazzy ice white number.
Perfectly observed handshakes, which is nice.
Now that’s the spirit.
@gerard_meagher All Hail The Coefficient! #knowyourpriorities
— Ukulele Road Trips (@UkeRoadTrips) February 25, 2016
Meet Alex, BT Sport advert scheduler …
I take all my dates to Burger King. What’s not to love?
I also like my own company. And so sit alone at Burger King. All day. Hoping somebody will sit next to me I can talk to.
Steve McManaman is talking about ‘fitness injuries’. Thankfully kick-off is approaching.
10 minutes until kick-off. With Sturridge, Firmino and Coutinho all starting Liverpool should walk this shouldn’t they?
Sam is yet to be convinced by The Coefficient.
@gerard_meagher isn't football hard enough to Suss out w/o math terms or whatnot in the mix?? #lfc #thecoefficient #Englishmajor
— Sam Lopez MB (@texascubbie) February 25, 2016
Sam has a lot to learn …
The BT Sport schedulers have really got it nailed haven’t they. Dating website advert followed by Burger King advert. Perfect
As alluded to earlier, tonight is a busy night of Europa League action. Louis van Gaal fights to save his job at Manchester United of course, here’s a bit more pre-kick-off reading if you can handle it …
Jurgen Klopp has just been interviewed. Talking about Sundays, Thursdays and semi-finals. Something to do with fixture pile-up, which isn’t very interesting. Nothing about The Coefficient, which is very interesting …
The more astute of you will have realised that you can keep up to date with all the goings on in the Europa League tonight but casting your eyes ever so lightly leftwards. Alternatively, there’s a link just up the top there. You’ll no doubt also have noticed that Lokomotiv Moscow are leading Fenerbahce 1-0 at half-time.
So what do we make of those teams then? Well Liverpool look strong – Klopp resisting temptation to hold back anyone for Sunday’s Milk Cup final with Manchester City. And Sturridge starts.
Augsburg meanwhile, well, yes that is former Arsenal stopper Alex Manninger on the bench and that is former Turkey strings-puller Halil Altintop pulling the strings.
Team news
As promised …
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Lucas, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Can’t, Milner, Firmino, Sturridge, Coutinho. Subs: Ward, Toure, Benteke, Origi, Smith, Teixeira, Chirivella.
Augsburg: Hitz, Verhaegh, Janker, Klavan, Stafylidis, Esswein, Altintop, Werner, Koo, Caiuby, Kohr. Subs: Manninger, Opare, Parker, Moravek, Bobadilla, Max, Rieder.
Referee: Clement Turpin (France)
Sensory overload alert! Here are a couple of things to feast both your ears and eyes on while those minutes until kick-off – 6pm GMT – tick down.
Firstly, catch up the midweek podders …
… while simultaneously reading this excellent interview with the original wunderkind, Sonny Pike.
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Preamble
Hello world! And welcome to some red-hot Europa League action between Liverpool and Augsburg, a Bavarian city that was, in Holy Roman Empire times, both free and imperial – so Wikipedia tells me.
Of course you don’t need me to tell you that the first leg of this last 32 4502345 tie somehow finished goalless which renders any chance of it happening again impossible. You see lightning does not strike twice ladies and gentlemen.
Now, whether you’re a follower of Jurgen’s Red Army matters little when so much is at stake for The Coefficient®. You see England still has a slight advantage over Italy this season, thanks largely to Manchester City’s win in Kiev, but Germany are still out in front but a Liverpool win would do no harm at all.
I’ll have team news for you just as soon as both XIs are announced; Daniel Sturridge had a few stern words yesterday about the sporadic nature of his appearances but whether he plays or tweaks something in the warm-up … God knows.
In the meantime, read more about that particular quarrel below.
Daniel Sturridge has delivered an impassioned defence of his commitment to Liverpool, insisting he is content at the club, hurt by accusations he lacks the appetite to play and “devastated” when sidelined through injury.
The striker made a rare media appearance on Wednesday to preview Thursday’s Europa League last-32 second leg against Augsburg alongside his manager, Jürgen Klopp. Sturridge’s appearances on the pitch have also been limited over the past 18 months by a series of injuries that have prompted criticism not only of his fitness but willingness to play through the pain barrier. Klopp himself has previously suggested the 26-year-old needs to learn “what is serious pain or what is only pain”.
Click here to read the full article.
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Gerard will be here shortly.
