Full-time: Liverpool 1-1 Rubin.
So, what did we have here, then? A 1-1 draw against modest visitors who had 10 men for most of the match. Lots of Liverpool possession but little class or inspiration and distinct dodginess at the back. Are you watching, Brendan Rodgers? Eh?
Basically, that was plod. Liverpool are a hard watch these days. Klopp is evidently no magician. Man needs time. Man also needs more players back from injury. A rasher person than me might get back to the Liverpool DJ and recommend another track to end the evening’s entertainment...
Updated
90 min: The 10 men look like ending this game on the attack. They’ve won a corner and they’re biding their time in taking it. When it does come in, the ineluctable Sakho clears it. Liverpool get their sledgehammers out and try to build another cutting attack....
88 min: Moreno swings in a cross from the left. Benteke does well to get his nut to it but not with enough power to trouble the keeper
86 min: Sakho tips the ball off Portnyagin’s feet to concede a corner, only Rubin’s second. And their delivery is much better than all of Liverpool’s. Portnyagin runs on to it and aims a powerful header .... towards the corner flag. What a chance! What miscue!
Updated
83 min: Beautiful turn by Firmino, the best thing he’s done so far in a Liverpool jersey! With his back to goal he spun past his marker and banged a low ball across the face of goal. Rubin scramble it behind for yet corner number whatever!
Updated
82 min: Another long-range shot from Can is deflected out for another corner. The fans crow their support for Liverpool, who are finally starting to put the 10-men on the rack.
80 min: Lallana, making another run through the middle, takes a pass from deep and helps the ball wide to Benteke, who’s coming on to it at the left-hand corner of the box at what we may call the Thierry Henry angle. His low curling shot eludes the keeper’s dive ... and bounces off the base of the post!
Updated
77 min: More rustiness from Benteke. A Firmino pass, of sorts, somehow ran all the way to the striker, who might have swivelled and shot but didn’t feel up to it, so attempted to turn in a massive arc and manoeuvre himself into a shooting position. Rubin took a sip of tea, then closed him down.
75 min: Liverpool change: Origi off, Firmino on. Is tonight the night we get to see what this guy is all about? Well, he’s got at least 15 minutes...
74 min: Liverpool work the ball wide to Clyne again, this time his cross has more fizz. Benteke should score! But he looks terribly clumsy as he sidefoots a volley awkwardly over the bar from nine yards. Let’s call it rustiness.
72 min: After a bout of sideways passing, Clyne decides to punt the ball into the box. Easy meat for Rubin, who aren’t being stretched enough despite being a man down.
70 min: Top-class clearing header by Sakho as Rubin mount their first raid for a while.
67 min: Lallana darts into the box and is found by Clyne. But Lallana then fails to look up and crosses straight to a Rubin defender, Ozodoev, who also fails to look up and whacks the ball behind for a corner despite being under no pressure. Actually, given how awful Liverpool’s set-pieces have been so far, that may be a clever strategy for Rubin. Sure enough, the delivery goes straight to the first defender.
Updated
65 min: Milner spots Benteke’s run and goes direct for the striker with a fine ball from deep. Benteke takes it on his chest and lashes off a shot that’s deflected wide.
Updated
63 min: Liverpool substitution: Benteke on to big cheers ... and Coutinho trudges off. Klopp showing he’s no respecter of names there. Coutinho hasn’t played well enough tonight and, in fairness, has also looked like he needs a rest. Rubin make a change too: Protnyagn on for Eduardo.
Updated
63 min: Better from Liverpool. Milner exchanges passes with Lallana, showing strength to collect the return. He shanks his shot from 15 yards but it comes to Coutinho, whose effort is deflected wide. Liverpool take the corner quickly and Can bangs a shot over from 17 yards.
61 min: Georgiev is the latest to clatter Lallana. Then, like Gokdeniz a moment ago, he squares up to his victim. Their indiscipline could turn out to be Liverpool’s greatest weapon tonight.
Updated
59 min: Freekick to Liverpool for a dumb foul by Gokdeniz on Lallana. Coutinho has a crack from 30 yards. He fails to get as much curl on it as he hoped and the ball flies way wide.
57 min: Brilliant work by Clyne, who sprints behind the Rubin defence to complete a one-two with Lallana. The right-back should tee up one of the two players waiting in the middle but he runs right up close to the keeper before trying to pull it back, and Rubin bundle it out for a corner. Yet again, the set-piece delivery is appalling.
56 min: Milner slaps a low pass into Lallana in the box. Lallana lays it back to Lucas, who opens fire from 20 yards. Well charged down by the visitors.
54 min: A lull. Liverpool still have the ball but they’re struggling to do anything with it. Rubin are starting to look comfortable, which, in turn, must have Liverpool fans feeling on edge.
51 min: Liverpool are dominating possession at the moment. Let’s call it 90% to 10% for those of you who love numbers. But most times they get themselves into a decent position, their final ball or shot goes awry.
Updated
49 min: Lallana bangs a clever ball across the face of goal from the right. But there’s no one there to do it justice.
47 min: Good start to the half by Liverpool. They might even have grabbed a goal if Sakho had been able to get a firm header to Milner’s corner just now.
46 min: Klopp has made a change: Allen hasn’t taken his chance so off he’s dragged. On comes Lucas.
HALF-TIME: Liverpool 1-1 Rubin
Klopp joins the crowd in applauding Liverpool off. It has not been a radically different display to the recent ones under Rodgers - same players, after all - but there has at least been an admirable verve and intent to the home side. They know what they’re trying to do, they just have to show that they’re good enough to do it. Rubin’s captain helped their case by letting exuberance lead him into an unnecessary dismissal. Liverpool should go on to win from here but Rubin have shown they can be dangerous on the break and Liverpool have shown they can be dozy at the back. Familiar failings, then, but bright spots too.
42 min: Good, fast probing by Liverpool. A heavy touch by Origi - by no means the first one - does not sabotage the move, as the young Belgian works hard to keep possession and then lays the ball back to Countinho, who fires wide from 20 yards. It’s surely only a matter of time before he scores with one of these efforts, isn’t it? He’s getting plenty of practice, but no hint of it making perfect just yet.
40 min: Yellow card for Allen for a botched tackle in midfield.
39 min: A sweeping move by Liverpool, who have their danders up now. Allen started it, again tidying up in front of his defence. Then Lallana, Coutinho and Can were all involved before Moreno curled a cross towards Origi from the left. Rubin, now reeling, manage to clear. But the momentum is very much with Liverpool now.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Rubin (Can 37)
Anfield erupts! Kuzmin winces. From the freekick conceded by the now-dismissed Rubin captain, Coutinho sends a high one towards the back post, where Origi leaps and heads smartly back across goal. Can - at the end where he is best - reacts quickest and slides the ball into the net! A German scores the first goal of Klopp’s reign!
Updated
RED CARD!
Kuzmin, Rubin’s captain, inflicts a ridiculous blow on his team by getting send off without a lazy tackle on Can, a thoughtless thing to do when you’re on a yellow. Now, can Liverpool make him pay?
Updated
35 min: Skrtel booked for clunking into Devic 10 yards inside Liverpool’s half. The visitors are looking slicker than Liverpool, who are high on energy but short on ideas and accuracy.
33 min: Sirens wailing at the back for Liverpool again! An ordinary build-up down left suddenly becomes dangerous when Can allows Gokdeniz to amble into the box and take down a chipped pass. Gokdeniz then blasts off a shot that Mignolet has to palm over the bar!
31 min: Lallana and Coutinho are, unsurprisingly, Liverpool’s main threats. Both are trying their utmost but have not yet produced their best. There was a promising move just now initiated by Allen from deep and ending with Lallana scampering down the right and picking out Coutinho at the rim of the box. The Brazilian sidestepped one opponent and then fired a soft effort at the keeper.
28 min: Rubin threaten following another ripping break. Kuzmin swaps clever passes with Ozdoev before the latter tries to chip Mignolet from the edge of the box. But he doesn’t get the weight right and the ball drops into the keeper’s arms.
27 min: The story of the game so far has been lots of honourable endeavour and intent from Liverpool but not enough finesse. Rubin are now defending diligently en masse, occassionally breaking with real menace
Updated
25 min: Can wins rapturous applause for chasing Georgiev all the way back to his own byline and forcing the concession of a corner. But Rubin then clear Coutinho’s delivery with little ado.
23 min: A dreadful blunder by Rubin presents the ball to Countino about 30 yards out. He shimmies his way into the box as his marker retreats, then drags his shot wide. Weak effort, all told. “Hello, I’m from Kazan and the name of the team – Rubin - was chosen from a radar station name in a local aircraft factory, where club was created,” explains Ilnur Sharafiev “The reason why club has chosen that name was secret duting Soviet Union because factory was semi-secret military place. Also there’s a version that club name refers to ‘ruby’ gem, but it’s wrong.” Thanks Ilnur!
21 min: Now that was a chance! Lallana swept the ball wide to Clyne, again romping down the right. The right-back fizzed a cross into the near post, ever so slightly behind Origi, who can’t adjust his footing enough to turn his shot on to the target. He knocks it wide instead.
Updated
19 min: Kuzmin booked for jumping studs-first into a challenge on Moreno. Freekick to Liverpool wide on the left, level with the 18-yard line. Countinho curls it around the wall and Lallana improvises a back-header, which skims the top of the bar on its way over.
17 min: Countinho tries a riposte, but his low shot from 20 yards zings wide.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Rubin (Devic 15)
Well that’s not what the crowd came to see, excellent goal though it was. Kuzmin shuffled a bit in midfield to create space for himself, then looked up and plonked a fine long pass on the chest of Devic, who had crept behind the negligent Clyne. Devic ‘s control is immaculate and so is his finish, poking the bouncing ball past the outstretched hand of Mignolet from 16 yards.
Updated
14 min: Can loses possession in his own half ... but battles hard and wins it back. Cue more clapping from the home fans, who really want to believe they are witnessing the start of a new era. “Am I the only one that thinks Coutinho has been in very poor form this season, besides the one nice goal he had early?” wonders Bryan Tisiniger. “And why was Rodgers the only one who didn’t rate Sakho as the best CB on Liverpool? I could never figure that one out. He looks awkward, but someone always is in the right place and is a good passer out of the back.” Sakho is great, best centreback at the club in my view.
12 min: Clyne, tearing forward again, cuts in-field and lets fly with his left foot from 18 yards. Wide, but the full-backs looks like he’s enjoying the increased licence to roam. And he’s well capable of causing a lot of damage, as he regularly showed at Southampton.
10 min: Rubin mount a tidy counter-attack. Moreno reacts sharply to charge down a Kuzmin shot from 20 yards.
9 min: Can, operating in central midfield, where he belongs, receives the ball in space and then lopes forward and sends a decent curling effort off the outside of the post from 25 yards. Enthusiastic applause from Klopp and the Kop.
Updated
8 min: Beautiful pass by Sakho to Coutinho, who takes it and turns, dashing another 25 yards forward before flipping the ball wide to Milner, whose cross is cleared
6 min: Origi, implementing instructions no doubt, charges at the keeper to prevent him having any time on the ball, forcing Ryzhikov to whack it forward. Liverpool gather and begin rebuilding.
4 min: Real pace to the way Liverpool are trying to play but not much precision at the moment. Even Coutinho has just given the ball away with an uncharacteristically shoddy pass. And Liverpool need to beware of the risk of counter-attacks.
2 min: It’s a bold start from Liverpool. The most noticeable things so far are there attacking purpose and the zeal with which they’re sending men forward. They just worked Clyne into a shooting chance at the edge of the area, and when his effort was blocked it went wide and was crossed by Can, with five home players in various parts of the box. Rubin cleared under severe pressure.
1 min: We have kick-off! And a wonderful atmosphere around Anfield.
Updated
“Jurgen Klopp’s suit-and-tie look is fine, but please tell us that he’s laced up his trainers!?” pleads Peter Oh. “How else is he going to do his air-punching scissor-kick jump when Origi finally figures out how to shoot into the net rather than just past it?” To be honest, I haven’t noticed his footwear. So I can’t rule out wellies or ballet shoes.
The Europa League anthem is drowned out by Liverpool fans’ singing. Does that mean they, too, could fined for “disrupting an official tournament anthem”, which is the offence that Uefa are reportedly going to charge Manchester City with for last night’s booing. Berks.
Updated
Tunnel successfully exited, Klopp walks without fuss to his dugout, work face on.
“Scouse nicht Englisch” reads one of the many giant banners fluttering across the Kop as the home fans await their new leader. Even John W Henry is in attendance. He’s holding aloft a banner saying ... nah, only messing, he doesn’t have a banner. But he is trying to sing along to You’ll Never Walk Alone, albeit in the slightly reserved manner of a man who would feel more comfortable dictating the words to a secretary and getting her to sing them.
Klopp is wearing a suit. A sober black and white number. Since MBM writers wear only uniform pants, we shouldn’t really cast judgement, but I’m gonna say I approve of Klopp’s clobber: it simultaneously says yes, this is a big match but no, it’s not all about me.
Updated
If Liverpool progress in this tournament, they could, of course, come up against Klopp’s old boys. Dortmund have tonked FK Qabala 3-1 away tonight courtesy of a hat-trick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Several people asking me about the origins of Rubin Kazan’s name. Only one of you - Mortimer Jones - refers me to the wikiedia entry, which reads:
“During the off-season a historical event happened. Administration of the club decided to change the name for much more beautiful and sonorous – «Rubin». The idea was really good.”
Klopp to BT just now. “If everybody could feel what I feel at this moment ..., it would be great. Because it feels good. But the most important ting tonight is not what I feel but what we can do.”
On his selections: “Benteke and Firmino haven’t trained so long but we’ll see how long we can bring them on for tonight.” As for for Allen over Lucas, he says “this is a very intense position so we need to change a lot.”
On his Europa League ambitions: “It’s that competition where you always say ‘oh, it’s a league of losers’ but the team who wins it is satisfied. It’s a real competition ... we are in this tournament and the best thing we can do is enjoy the game. ”
Ah, some Scorpions on the PA now. Well read, Anfield MC. And “here I am, rock you like a hurricane” may well prove an apt choice for Klopp’s debut. Not because of the video, mind ...
Updated
Twenty-five minutes to kick-off and Klopp is on the pitch overseeing his team’s warm-up. And Opus’ Life is Life is blaring over the stadium’s sound system. Hold on, weren’t they Austrian rather than German? And since Klopp has compared his style to footballing heavy metal, couldn’t the DJ have found some Scorpions or Helloween or Tankard or something? It’s not just the players at Liverpool who need to up their game under the new regime...
Two things to note about that Liverpool line-up: Benteke is back (and on the bench) and the only change from the side that started at Spurs is that Lucas drops out and Joe Allen jumps in. Allen was very much a Brendan Rodgers purchase but there’s a fair chance he’ll establish himself under Klopp, too.
While all the focus is on Klopp here, you might like to know that Rubin’s manager is also relatively new to his job. Valeri Chaly is in temporary charge after replacing Rinat Bilyaletdinov, who was sacked last month. Following a journeyman lower-league career in the USSR, Chaly earned his coaching spurs in futsal and beach football. What chance him attempting this famous tactic tonight?
TEAMS:
Liverpool: Mignolet; Clyne, Skrtel, Sakho, Moreno; Can, Allen; Milner, Lallana, Coutinho, Origi.
Subs: Bogdan, Toure, Benteke, Firmino, Lucas, Ibe, Randall.
Rubin Kazan: Ryzhikov, Kuzmin, Kverkvelia, Kambolov, Nabiullin, Carlos Eduardo, Ozdoev, Gökdeniz Karadeniz, Georgiev, Dević, Kanunnikov.
Subs: Haghighi, Lemos, Cotugno, Akhmetov, Bilyaletdinov, Portnyagin, Dyadyun.
Referee: Robert Schörgenhofer (AUT)
Preamble:
This is Anfield, Herr Klopp, make yourself at home and, while you’re about it, bring a bit of glory back to the old place. That is essentially the message that Liverpool fans will send to their new manager on what promises to be a momentous occasion tonight, Klopp’s first home match. It will probably not be as triumphant as Bob Paisley’s first European game – Rubin Kazan are a darn sight better than Norwegian tiddlers Stromsgodset so you’d best not be expecting another 11-0 home win – but this should still be a memorable night.
At the very least there will be an outpouring of club pride and earnest love for the Kop’s new dream weaver, whose history with Dortmund and initial impressions with Liverpool suggest he’s got a true feel for the job entrusted to him. If he can pass the right groove and method on to his players – and against Spurs at the weekend he at least got them to run their knackers off, which is a fair start – then this just might be the dawn of a bright new era. Of course, it could also wind up as just the latest brown shard in a mosaic of woe and swearing, but you’ve got to go into these things with a positive mindset. Klopp will never walk alone, at least for another while.
Word is that Klopp intends deploying his strongest available team tonight, presumably to help him figure out what his strongest available team is, as well as to advance in a group in which Liverpool are currently two points behind Sion, level with Bordeaux and one point above tonight’s visitors, who may sound like a Russian magician but have been all out of tricks in the Europa League so far and, indeed, in their domestic league this season. But perhaps they too will be embiggened by the Anfield atmosphere tonight and by the prospect of gaining a famous victory?
Updated
