Source: Telegraph
Liverpool 1 Lyon 2: match report
Running on empty, Liverpool are running out of players, energy and ideas. The pressure certainly mounted on Rafa Benitez on Wednesday night when his team succumbed to modest French visitors, and a brief chorus of disapproval greeted his controversial decision to substitute their best player, Yossi Benayoun. [LNB]Having given Liverpool the lead, Benayoun was outstanding yet Lyon fought back, levelling through Maxine Gonalons and then, following Benayoun's withdrawal, Cesar Delgado swooped in injury time to make it Liverpool's worst run since 1987. Next up? Manchester United. [LNB]Nemanja Vidic set for Manchester United returnThis had been a game that Liverpool could not afford to lose, that had the Kop standing nervously as the game unfolded, their mood darkening after 25 minutes when Gerrard's groin injury returned, lifting only when Benayoun struck four minutes from the break. [LNB]As Liverpool's captain sloped down the tunnel for immediate medical attention, Benitez's faith in his lesser lights was put to the test. [LNB]Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson were already missing. David Ngog attempted to fill in for Torres while Johnson's absence with a groin strain brought a first start for Martin Kelly, who responded marvellously. [LNB]A highly-regarded Academy product, Kelly had only a few games on loan at Huddersfield and eight minutes as a sub against PSV Eindhoven last season to his name but he relished this challenge, making some good tackles and always looking to push down the right. Some of his crossing was exceptional. [LNB]The best compliment that can be paid is that Johnson was hardly missed. [LNB]Kelly had to recover from a shaky moment as Lyon showed rare ambition after 11 minutes. Aly Cissokho, so impressive down the left for Porto against Manchester United last term, raided upfield, eluding Kelly and lifting over a cross met firmly by Lisandro. [LNB]Pepe Reina's save was of the highest order, the Spainard pushing the ball to safety. [LNB]Stung, Liverpool hit back, looking briefly to the reassuring presence of Gerrard for inspiration. Liverpool's captain took a pass off Benayoun, spun wide towards the left, turned and used that hammer of a right boot to drill the ball towards the far-post. [LNB]Dirk Kuyt met it beautifully but the referee had spotted a push by the Dutchman. [LNB]Gerrard soon limped from the fray, triggering another re-vamp. Aurelio came on in left midfield, Benayoun switched to the right and Kuyt assumed Gerrard's role behind Ngog. [LNB]Lyon, strangely, lacked a sense of adventure, failing to go for the jugular of the weakened English. Top of the French League? You're having a laugh. [LNB]Liverpool, a class apart, deservedly retained the initiative, performing with a belief lacking in their previous three games. Aurelio gave some pace and energy to the left, seizing on a long cross from Kelly and firing into the box. After a ricochet, Ngog twisted and hooked in a shot that Hugo Lloris saved. [LNB]Even taking into account their own injury problems, Lyon disappointed in the first period, desperately lacking any real support for Lisandro. [LNB]Their captain, Sidney Govou, certainly should have scored from a Kim Kallstrom cross. It proved a costly miss. Four minutes from the break, Liverpool were ahead. [LNB]Benayoun had been assuming more and more responsibility, taking the game to the French. Fittingly, the Israeli international commenced the attack that led to his goal, setting up Aurelio, whose ball into the Lyons box caused chaos. [LNB]The visitors' centre-halves, Cris and Jeremy Toulalan, never looked secure and both were caught out here, Cris almost caught cold when colliding with a stray boot. [LNB]One man kept his head. One player remained calm amidst the storm and flying feet. Controlling the loose ball expertly, Benayoun stroked it firmly past Lloris. [LNB]As the Kop breathed a collective sigh of relief, Benayoun ran deliberately towards the home bench, not to Benitez, but to the club doctor, Mark Waller, who was wrapped in a huge embrace. [LNB]Liverpool almost had more to celebrate moments later. The lively Kelly, racing down the right again, hoisted over a long cross that Aurelio, speeding in out of nowhere, headed powerfully goalwards. As the Kop prepared to leap into the air with joy, Lloris frustrated them with a wonderful save. [LNB]Still Liverpool pressed, exploiting Cris's departure, and Ngog flicked a header just over. As the second half spluttered into life, Benayoun again shone, chasing down a ball, releasing Kuyt on the right and then heading the Dutchman's return just wide. [LNB]Liverpool really should have made it 2-0 just before the hour-mark. [LNB]Kelly, proving a real find, delivered another fine cross towards Ngog, who chested the ball down and shot weakly wide. [LNB]Still Liverpool hunted hard for a second. Kuyt thought he had scored with a downward header but Lloris, dropping to his right, saved well. [LNB]Lloris was as good as the majority of his colleagues were poor. Miralem Pjanic certainly failed to live up to all the hype. As for Ederson's supposed talent, Anfield was definitely left in the dark. [LNB]Lyons coach, Claude Puel, had seen enough, hooking Edersen, and sending on Bafetimbi Gomis, a tall, muscular striker who began to cause major problems for Liverpool's tiring defence. [LNB]Defending the Kop end, Carragher and company were under siege. Kelly, a real talent in the making, headed clear and then slid in to stop Cissokho. [LNB]Lyons pushed and probed, eventually equalising after 72 minutes. Lucas was far too easily bypassed in midfield, Lyons flooding forward, forcing a corner off Mascherano. [LNB]Mayhem ruled. Liverpool's marking was shocking, allowing Lyons three uncontested attempts at goal. Only Reina delayed the inevitable, saving from Toulalan, then Govou before Maxime Gonalons made it third time lucky for Lyons with a header that arrowed into Liverpool's net and hearts. [LNB]Benitez gambled, removing Benayoun, precipitating those boos as Andrei Voronin came on. And when Delgado stroked home Lyons' winner in stoppage time, the dissent continued. [LNB]
