Match report
Full time: Manchester City 1-2 Liverpool (aggregate: 1-5)
Liverpool are through to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in a decade. They fully deserved it overall, even if the aggregate scoreline flatters them a touch. City were extremely good tonight until the moment Mo Salah produced the most savage plot twist with a devastating equaliser in the 56th minute. City jacked it in after that, their hearts broken into a thousand tiny pieces.
Liverpool were nervous as hell in the first half but they got the job done and have a serious chance of winning this competition. Their front three is as good as anything in Europe, and Virgil Van Dijk has made a huge difference to their defence. Thanks for your company, night.
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89 min “Small margins indeed,” says Niall Mullen. “As a Liverpool fan I’m happy that we’re finally in a position to take advantage when they go our way. As it happens I thought it was a foul on Van Dijk for the opener (but I guess I would say that wouldn’t I?)”
I thought it was too, though obviously it was nowhere near as clear cut as the disallowed goal. It does go both ways: Pep Guardiola’s first Champions League victory came in no small part because that Norwegian referee turned down 12 clear penalties for Chelsea.
89 min A Liverpool change. Danny Ings replaces the truly, madly, deeply magnificent Mo Salah.
88 min “Only now able to catch up on tonight’s events,” says Matt Dony. “I’m fairly relieved that I didn’t sit through that first half. I’m rather attached to having fingernails. Still nervous (comes with the territory), but ever thankful for Salah. What a player. What a bargain!”
The best thing about that goal was the calm awareness. While everyone else was skidding around all over the place, he looked like he was able to press the pause button and decide what to do before each touch.
86 min If Liverpool get Roma in the semi-finals...
85 min City’s next game: Spurs away.
84 min “I am old enough,” says Arthur Tee, “to remember when Pep’s City was the best team we’d ever seen in the Premier League.”
Arf. This reminds me of that week in April 2004 when Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup and Champions League. Folk still remember that team, and I’m sure it’ll be the same with City, especially if they set a new points record.
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83 min Nathaniel Clyne replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold. Meanwhile, it’s Roma 3-0 Barcelona - as things stand, Barcelona are out! Bugger off to Paul Doyle’s MBM right now!
82 min The wonderful Roberto Firmino is replaced by Ragnar Klavan.
81 min City have another goal disallowed for offside. Gundogan was the scorer but it was the creator, Sane, who was just offside.
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79 min The slim margins of football, part 4123423948219582345324. If that Sane goal had been given, City might be 4-0 or 5-0 up by now. We’ll never know. The icy genius of Mo Salah killed the tie at a stroke.
78 min The referee patted Otamendi on the head in sympathy after that mistake. Bit weird.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-2 Liverpool (Firmino 77)
Liverpool are through to the Champions League semi-finals! Otamendi makes his usual mistake, giving the ball straight to Firmino on the left wing. He dances into the area and passes the ball calmly into the net off the far post. Lovely finish.
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76 min Sane’s deep, lofted cross is headed wide from a prohibitive angle by Aguero.
75 min If it stays like this, future generations will see a 4-1 aggregate score and assume it was comfortable for Liverpool. But the first 53 minutes tonight were about as comfortable as an ice bath with a peckish marmot.
74 min Ilkay Gundogan replaces Bernardo Silva. It’s over, you don’t need to tell me.
72 min Niall Mullen asks: “Is Paul Dickov on the bench?”
70 min Laporte’s long-range shot takes a deflection off the head of Lovren and whistles just over the bar with Karius wrong-footed.
67 min City have started to stir after 10 minutes of understandable sulking, but deep down everyone knows this is over. Salah’s goal was a devastating sucker punch at a time when City were miles ahead on all three judges’ scorecards.
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66 min A Manchester City substitution: David Silva is replaced by Sergio Aguero.
65 min Mane skins Laporte by the right touchline, only to bisect Firmino and Mane with his cut back. That was another chance for Liverpool. City break and Van Dijk is booked for a perceived foul on Sterling. Not sure he did much wrong.
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64 min An amazing Champions League comeback is still on.
63 min That Salah goal was such a savage plot twist that, for the time being, City’s heads have gone. Liverpool have had more promising attacks in the last 10 minutes than they did in the first 50.
61 min City have been grieving for the last five minutes, running round without their usual purpose. De Bruyne tries to snap them out of it with a long-range shot that is easily saved by Karius.
60 min The mood of the match has changed completely. Salah drives a brilliant long pass to Firmino, who gets the wrong side of Walker but dithers just long enough for Ederson to come out and claim the ball. That was a good chance.
58 min As you almost certainly know, Manchester City now need to score four goals to go through.
That was such a cool finish. Mane surged into the area onto Salah’s pass and fell over after a challenge from Fernandinho. While everyone looked to see if a penalty would be given, Salah picked up the loose ball, danced around Ederson and dinked the ball gently over Otamendi on the line. That is just a sensational goal.
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GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool (Salah 56)
The little genius has done it again!
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56 min A few of you have emailed to say that Ederson should have been sent off for repeatedly shoving Mane. He did act the goat, that’s undeniable, but I still think a yellow card was correct. Mind you, I haven’t read the Laws of the Game from cover to cover for at least a fortnight, so I’m a bit rusty.
55 min Firmino, who has already been booked, gets away with a strong shoulder-to-shoulder challenge on the breaking De Bruyne. I think that was the right decision. But had a foul been given, Firmino might have been sent off.
53 min It’s been a slightly weird game in that, although Liverpool have been absolutely battered, their keeper hasn’t had any difficult saves to make.
52 min Salah is becoming ever more isolated up front for Liverpool, whose familiar 4-3-3 has become a 4-5-1 out of necessity.
50 min David Silva’s deep angled cross is headed back across goal by Sane. Lovren gets in front of his man to head clear. City have started the second half strongly.
48 min Liverpool have been unusually indecisive in attack. I wonder whether that’s the old stick/twist dilemma floating around their subconscious.
47 min No tactical changes on either side. City are pressing Liverpool high up the pitch, as they did at the start of the first half when Sterling’s challenge on Van Dijk led to the goal from Jesus.
46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half.
“That Gabriel Jesus goal,” says Martin Rylance. “Has Harry Kane claimed it yet?”
The disallowed goal “You could see the assistant speaking quite firmly into his headset after he made the offside decision on the Sane goal,” says Chris Burke. “I would lay odds that he was immediately asking who the ball had cannoned off — a City player or Liverpool. From his position, he certainly wouldn’t have had a clear view of something that happened so quickly, and he might not have even seen it (eyes across the line rather than on the ball). I’d lay the blame for that decision on the center referee, Sr. Lahoz.”
Pep Guardiola has been sent off
The referee didn’t take too kindly to that outburst and has sent Pep to the stands.
“Have to say,” says Ezra Finkelstein, “it’s refreshing to see games that are non-stop and intensive. Makes you remember why you fell in love with this sport.”
“This ref,” says Evan Crocker, “is a complete clown.”
But is this clown a smart guy?
Half-time: Manchester City 1-0 Liverpool
That was quite a first half. City got an early goal, hit the post and had a goal wrongly disallowed. They were totally dominant. Pep Guardiola is on the pitch, shouting at the referee. I’ve rarely seen him so wild-eyed. He seems to be trying to determine once and for all whether looks can kill.
I’m off for a lie down. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
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45 min: Chance for Liverpool! Oxlade-Chamberlain storms onto a return pass from Salah, goes around Ederson and smacks the ball wide from a very tight angle. He could maybe have gone down after the challenge from Ederson.
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44 min That Bernardo Silva shot skimmed off the head of Lovren, though I’m not sure whether it changed the flight of the ball. There’s so much happening that I barely know my own name.
42 min: Sane has a goal wrongly disallowed for offside! Karius’s diabolical punch hit Milner and flew back towards the empty goal, where Sane tucked it into the net. He was in an offside position but the ball was played to him by Milner, not a City player, so the goal should have counted.
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41 min: Bernardo Silva hits the post! He came infield from the right and launched a sizzling rising drive from 25 yards that flew across Karius and smacked off the post! It might have taken a slight deflection.
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40 min That’s a bit better from Liverpool. Firmino finds Oxlade-Chamberlain and curls straight at Ederson from 25 yards.
39 min A gorgeous crossfield pass by De Bruyne is controlled perfectly in the area by Bernardo Silva. He moves Robertson one way and then the other before whacking a shot that deflects off the stretching Robertson and just wide of the far post. That was beautiful play from City.
37 min Fernandinho drives wide from 25 yards. The one good thing for Liverpool is that, although they have been under so much pressure, Karius hasn’t had too much to do. Yet.
35 min “I’m not saying the ‘Pool should park the bus but boy do they need to stop the flow of the match,” says John Rogers. “Cross field passes via the outside of the boot are beautiful and all but they’re worse than useless if it just gives the ball back to City. Can Klopp bring some, dare I say, Mourinho nous to the party?”
You’ve gone too far this time, Rogers.
34 min A rare Liverpool corner leads to a City break. Firmino takes a yellow card for the team, pulling back the rampaging De Bruyne. This has been a fraught first half for Liverpool.
33 min Sane, on the left, and Sterling, playing behind Jesus, have been terrific for City.
33 min Another challenge by Robertson on Sterling brings another appeal for a penalty. Again it was a risky tackle but not enough for a penalty.
32 min City appeal for a penalty when Robertson humps Sterling in the back. It was a zealous and risky challenge, probably not enough for a penalty though.
30 min Another near miss for City! David Silva’s fierce cross is punched away by the diving Karius but goes straight to Bernardo Silva 10 yards from goal. His cracking half-volley is crucially blocked by Milner. I think it hit his arm but there was nothing he could do to get out of the way. Bernardo Silva is then booked for dissent.
29 min Alexander-Arnold is booked for a foul on Sane, who beat him with delightful sleight of hip. Liverpool are a bag of nerves.
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28 min “Well it’s confusing at the drinking spot in Accra where both matches are being shown on several screens with teams playing left to right in sky blue and right to left all in red,” says Brendan Dempsey. “Don’t mind admitting I got excited there when Edin Dzeko looked to have equalised for Liverpool.”
Wait until the beer kicks in. You’ll be seeing Ian Rush in his pomp – for Roma.
27 min Liverpool have made a tactical change, with Mane moving to the right, Firmino to the left and Salah up front. If that’s not a chalkboardgasm, then I don’t know what is.
26 min De Bruyne’s low shot from 20 yards is comfortably held by the plunging Karius.
24 min City have a man over but David Silva plays his one poor pass for the year, behind the onrushing Leroy Sane. That was a chance.
23 min Salah has been very quiet, though I think that’s more to do with the flow of the game than any fitness concerns.
20 min It’s all City. De Bruyne plays a great pass to Sterling, whose cutback hits Jesus at the near post; moments later, Sane’s deflected cross is flapped away by Karius. Liverpool are in a lot of trouble just now.
18 min “When,” says Tom Barneby, “is it acceptable to completely freak out as a Liverpool fan?”
Sixteen minutes ago.
17 min This could be on, you know. Liverpool look very nervous at the back, and there is a stick/twist indecisiveness about their counter-attacking.
16 min A foul of rare stupidity from Lovren on Sterling gives City a free-kick near the left corner flag. De Bruyne rolls the free-kick to the edge of the area for Sane, whose mishit shot deflects wide off Van Dijk.
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14 min Mane, who was sent off here in September, slips over and slides studs-first into Otamendi, who rolls around in pain. Ederson charges from his line and shoves Mane once, twice, maybe the full Lionel Richie. Mane and Ederson are both booked. There was no intent there from Mane, who slipped over just as he was about to challenge Otamendi.
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13 min “Best possible start for Liverpool,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “A smack in the face, therefore Attack! Now i feelo confident. Easy win, 4-2 for the match, 7-2 for tyhe tie.”
Given the usual cleanliness of your emails, the number of typos suggest a degree of nervousness not entirely consistent with your bullish message...
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12 min It’s actually been a fairly quiet start, with the obvious exception of the goal.
9 min “Hi Rob, says Peter Oh. “In these times of deep division, it’s comforting to know that we can at least agree on one thing. The Zadok the Priest- butchering CL anthem is just abominable. Now, back to the match. I do hope Liverpool can Handel what City throw at them.”
Booooooooooo!
8 min De Bruyne coaxes a shot over the bar from 25 yards. Liverpool haven’t started well.
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7 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Very pleased to hear that Andy ‘Robbo’ Robertson starts tonight; doesn’t seem that long ago he was strutting his stuff at Tannadice, where there also happens to be a big game tonight. In fact the league could be won, not by United but by visitors St. Mirren. United have been in free fall since round about the time Robertson left. Some reflected glory tonight perhaps, as we struggle to hold on to a play-off place.”
What would Dundee United know about the latter stages of European competition, eh? European Cup semi-finalists, you’ll never sing that.
6 min I think it was a foul by Sterling, but it was a tight call. Either way Van Dijk made a mistake - he stopped playing, appealing for a foul. Play went on and City ripped Liverpool apart in the space Van Dijk would usually have been covering.
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5 min “Good evening Rob,” says Grant Tennille. “Regarding Jürgen Klopp’s exhortation that Liverpool be prepared for a City ‘thunderstorm’, I’m trying to imagine just what might precipitate an evolution from last week’s shower.”
Honk!
4 min I’d like to see that Van Dijk incident again. He fell off the pitch after being challenged by Sterling, which meant he was out of position when Fernandinho ripped that pass through the defence.
Fernandinho sliced the defence open with a long, fast through pass to Sterling, who got his head up and squared the ball perfectly for Jesus. He finished emphatically beyond Karius from 10 yards. Virgil van Dijk was furious, thinking he’d been fouled by Sterling before the ball went to Fernandinho. But it was a superbly constructed goal, with two immaculate passes and a ruthless finish.
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GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Liverpool (Jesus 2)
What a start! It’s a beautiful goal too.
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2 min De Bruyne is fouled by Mane down the right. He swings the free-kick into the area and Oxlade-Chamberlain clears. It looks like City are playing a 3-1-4-1-1 formation, with Sterling behind Jesus.
1 min Let’s get this bloody party started.
There’s a hostile atmosphere at the Etihad - and that’s just towards the Champions League anthem, which is lustily booed.
The players are in the tunnel. Business faces are on. My prediction? Manchester City 12-9 Liverpool.
A shameless pre-match plug
“My Conventional Wisdom Hat says that the best way to haul back a deficit like they have to is to actually start as they normally do, trust in what they’ve been doing all season and look to build momentum steadily within the game,” says Christopher Faherty. “Yes they need three but it’s over ninety minutes. The pressure could turn on Liverpool during the game. Going like they have done, Cith might have a (ludicrous) early swarm, but if that doesn’t bring fruit it might tilt the other way, and the potential for Liverpool counters is so potent. We’ll see, it should be really exciting.”
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“If he wanted some real praise,” says Ian Copestake, “Pep should have parked the bus (not that one) and picked Liverpool off on the break. But yeah this is going to be tennis score.”
In other news, no windows were harmed during the arrival of the Liverpool team bus.
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“Good evening Rob,” says Andrew Hurley. “Two things, I think City will win 3-1 or 4-0, however hasn’t Pep rather shown too much? They don’t need to score three goals in the first 30 minutes. Isn’t playing all his offensive players a little like telling a girl you love her at the start of the first date? This (sadly) echoes this in my memory (bloody Proust):
Mark: Saying ‘I Love You’ is like firing first in a duel; if you miss, you’re fucked!
Jez: Sometimes I tell them I love them early on on a first date just to get things off to a good start.
Mark: Doesn’t that... devalue it a bit?
Jez: No. Maybe. A bit. Who cares, it works.”
I know what you mean - the old George Graham masterplan - but Josep doesn’t think that way, for richer and poorer. I think he’s budgeted for conceding a goal and picked a team that can score five.
“Pep’s XI,” says Gary Naylor, “reminds me a bit of this.”
The more I think about it, the more I really like his team. It’s selfless, brave and most important of all it ensures I won’t have to report on a tedious 0-0.
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Jurgen Klopp speaks “Mo is 100 per cent fit and so is Robbo. City’s team is a statement – nice and offensive, so this will be exciting. They are going to try everything, and so will we.”
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Pep explains his team selection “We have to attack. We need to score goals, so we need players with quality, and Fernandinho can play with the central defender. Sergio Aguero is not ready to play 90 minutes.”
An email
“Not many (none) midfielders on the bench for Liverpool tonight,” says Conor Murray.
They’re all suspended/injured aren’t they?
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Pre-match reading
Team news
Mo Salah and Andy Robertson start for Liverpool. Vincent Kompany has been dropped by Manchester City, who are playing Nicolas Otamendi in a back one. Sergio Aguero is only on the bench, but it’s still a seriously attacking line-up. It’s a very selfless selection from Guardiola, because if it goes wrong he will receive far more criticism than if he had stuck with the usual 4-3-3.
Manchester City (possible 3-1-3-3) Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte; Fernandinho; B Silva, De Bruyne, D Silva; Sterling, Jesus, Sane.
Substitutes: Bravo, Kompany, Gundogan, Aguero, Delph, Zinchenko, Foden.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wijnaldum, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Mignolet, Clyne, Klavan, Moreno, Ings, Solanke, Woodburn.
Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
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Preamble
For a man who has won the Champions League twice as a coach, Pep Guardiola has a fair bit to prove in the competition. Since leaving Barcelona his teams have generally won the league by 50 points, only to be eliminated – and often stuffed – the moment they meet a decent team in Europe. And Guardiola has been blamed for tinkering too much in most of those defeats.
It was the same again last week, when his collection of central midfielders were ransacked 3-0 at Anfield. It’s unlikely that City will turn it round and reach the semi-finals. But it’s not impossible: seven of their 16 home results in this season’s Premier League would be enough for them to go through or least force extra-time, including that 5-0 win against 10-man Liverpool in September. If the matches between these teams have taught us one thing, it’s that none of us have a clue what is going to happen.
Liverpool know a team can come back from 3-0 down in Europe. So does Pep: he was a ball boy when it happened at the Nou Camp 32 years ago. And there’s already been one unforeseeable comeback at the Etihad in the last few days.
This is a chance for Pep and City to change the way people write up their Champions League story. If they go through tonight all the disappointments of the last few years will be forgotten, and the past will be nowt but prologue.
Kick off is at 7.45pm.
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