Liverpool falling behind
Submitted by
BillyIdle on Tue, 10/20/2009 at 3:13pm.
Liverpool's woeful form continued as Lyon came from behind to beat Rafa Benitez's underfire side 2-1 in their Champions League Group E clash at Anfield.
Yossi Benayoun put the hosts ahead just before the half-time break, but substitute Maxime Gonalons equalised in the 72nd minute and fellow replacement Cesar Delgado struck in injury time to break to further agrevate Liverpool's woes.
Benitez must be wondering if things can get any worse for his beleaguered side, who slumped to their fourth straight defeat, now facing an uphill struggle to qualify from the group stage of the competition for a sixth straight year. Liverpool now occupy third place in Group E, six points off leaders Lyon and three behind Fiorentina, who beat Debrecen 4-3.
To make matters worse captain Steven Gerrard, who missed the weekend's defeat at Sunderland with a groin strain, was forced off after just 25 minutes, casting doubt over his participation in the weekend's Premier League clash with Manchester United.
Lyon's 100 per cent record in this season's competition showed as they confidently took the game to Liverpool from the kick-off. No sitting back and looking to hit on the break for the seven-times French champions. Liverpool, on the other hand, started tentatively and took their time to settle.
The French side came close to taking full advantage early on when another body blow may have been catastrophic for the Premier League side.
Aly Cissokho, who so impressed for Porto in last season's campaign, delivered an excellent back-post cross for Lisandro Lopez, another former Porto player, to fire a header on target. Pepe Reina had to be at his best to repel the effort.
Suitably warned as to the visitors' attacking prowess, Liverpool upped their game and even had the ball in the back of the Lyon net soon after. Only Dirk Kuyt's effort from Gerrard's pinpoint cross was quickly chalked off for a push in the back of his marker.
It was to be Gerrard's last meaningful contribution and the Reds skipper was replaced on 25 minutes by Fabio Aurelio. As he trudged off the pitch, the dip in mood around Anfield was tangible as the home faithful feared the worse.
Yet strangely, his departure initially served to focus the hosts' concentration even more, although they were aided by a serious injury to one of Lyon's own kingpin's shortly after. Cris, the visitors' captain, slipped and somehow managed to upend Kuyt, who was in full flow, with his head. It was a sickening injury, and one which would eventually lead to his substitution just before the break, although there was no sympathy from the referee, who brandished a yellow card once the Brazilian had come to. With Cris momentarily off the pitch to receive treatment, Liverpool nearly took advantage as Kuyt struck a goalbound shot that Cissokho did well to block and David Ngog saw his follow-up saved by Hugo Lloris.
Sydney Govou then had a chance to volley Lyon ahead as the game ebbed and flowed before Benayoun made his telling contribution on 41 minutes. The Israeli swooped to settle home nerves after Aurelio's fierce drive had caused confusion in the Lyon box. The hosts could, perhaps should, have gone in at the break two goals to the good after Aurelio got on the end of an excellent cross from the impressive Martin Kelly, preferred at right-back to Jamie Carragher with Martin Skrtel dropped to the bench, only to see his header kept out by Lloris.
Liverpool continued to press after the break and Benayoun started a move on 56 minutes that he nearly finished, heading Kuyt's clipped centre wide of the mark when he should have at least found the target. Ngog, starting up front on his own, displayed a series of neat first touches, but ultimately failed to do what he was put in the team for - score a goal. The nearest he came was in the 58th minute but his neat control was not followed by a matching finish.
Lloris made a sharp save to deny Kuyt a header before Liverpool had a scare at the other end, the ball appearing to hit the back of the net when in fact it hit the side netting. The hosts failed to heed the warning and Lyon levelled on 72nd minute when Gonalons, who had replaced the unfortunate Cris, headed into the back of the net after Reina had made a heroic double save to keep out first Toulalan and then Govou.
The goal gave Lyon real hope of finding a winner, and despite substitute Skrtel's blazed effort over the bar with five minutes remaining, if any side was going to find a winner, it looked likely to be Claude Puel's side. Sure enough, the decisive goal came at the Liverpool end in front of the Kop, where Delgado tapped home at the far post and send Liverpool further towards crisis.
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