Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: Anfield
Attendance: 43406
Referee: Knight, B

Live Commentary

90mins

The full-time whistle goes at Anfield.

84mins

Carlton Cole heads wide from 18 yards after a good Stephen Davis cross.

80mins

Substitute Luke Moore shoots wide from 20 yards.

78mins

Steve Finnan replaces Antonio Nunez.

75mins

25-yard strike from Djibril Cisse is saved well by Thomas Sorensen.

72mins

Nolberto Solano fires a 25-yarder over the bar.

69mins

Dietmar Hamann comes on for Igor Biscan.

66mins

Nolberto Solano nods a ball down to Gareth Barry who fires into the top corner of Scott Carson's net.

63mins

Carlton Cole comes on for Juan Pablo Angel.

59mins

Harry Kewell is replaced by Milan Baros.

57mins

Xabi Alonso swings a corner into the far post but it is claimed well by Thomas Sorensen.

52mins

Chance for Luke Moore six yards out but it's saved by Scott Carson.

51mins

Cross by John Arne Riise met by the head of Mauricio Pellegrino but he goes just wide.

50mins

Good strike from Antonio Nunez parried away Thomas Sorensen.

48mins

Lee Hendrie is replaced by Jlloyd Samuel.

47mins

Luke Moore comes on for the injured Darius Vassell.

46mins

The second half gets underway.

45mins

The halftime whistle goes at Anfield with Djibril Cisse's double giving Liverpool the lead.

44mins

Antonio Nunez fires a speculative shot wide of the post from 25 yards.

40mins

Chance for Villa as Darius Vassell manages to fire from just six yards out.

37mins

Gareth Barry tries a shot from 25 yards but he's wide of the mark.

33mins

Igor Biscan shoots wide of the post from the edge of the box.

29mins

Another Villa corner taken by Nolberto Solano but cleared by Mauricio Pellegrino.

26mins

Excellent run down the right wing by Harry Kewell and he does well to cut the ball back into the path of Djibril Cisse who slots home his second.

22mins

Another good chance for Liverpool as Xabi Alonso swings in a corner which is met by Mauricio Pellegrino six yards out but his shot is saved.

20mins

Djibril Cisse picks himself up to slot the penalty into the bottom corner of Thomas Sorensen's net.

19mins

Djibril Cisse makes a dangerous run into the box and is brought down by Mark Delaney with the referee pointing straight to the spot.

18mins

Good shot from Harry Kewell and Thomas Sorensen has to be on his toews to punch it away.

17mins

Some better pressure from Liverpool as Jamie Carragher shoots wide of the post from 18 yards.

9mins

Nolberto Solano corner cleared well by Jamie Carragher.

5mins

Cross from Ulises De la Cruz cleared by Jamie Carragher. Resulting corner taken by Gareth Barry and cleared away again by Harry Kewell.

2mins

Lee Hendrie fires in an early shot from 25 yards out which is punched away by Scott Carson.

0mins

The referee gets the final game of the season underway at Anfield.

Match Report

A timely double from French striker Djibril Cisse sent Liverpool to Istanbul on a winning note with a 2-1 triumph over Aston Villa at Anfield.

The charismatic star completed his miraculous comeback from a broken leg in October to all but guarantee himself a place in the starting line-up against AC Milan in ten days.

Cisse made his first start since breaking his leg in October and there were chances for fringe players Stephen Warnock, Igor Biscan and Harry Kewell to press their claims for a final berth.

For the visitors, boss David O'Leary handed Nobby Solano and Eric Djemba-Djemba returns to the starting eleven after coming on from the bench in last week's home defeat by Manchester City.

There was no place in the squad for the departing Thomas Hitzelsperger, who is returning to Germany with Stuttgart in the close season.

Lee Hendrie, stung new England call-up Scott Carson's fingers with a curling drive after just two minutes, which proved to be the only goalmouth action in an uneventful, somewhat lethargic opening.

It took an unlikely source to kick Liverpool into life as centre-half and captain for the day Jamie Carragher surged forward through the entire Villa side and drove a shot into the sidenetting.

A minute later the Reds had a penalty and the lead through the enigmatic Cisse. Kewell's blistering shot was parried into the path of the Frenchman, who was recklessly hacked down by Mark Delaney.

Cisse picked himself to drive an unstoppable spot-kick into the bottom corner, his first goal since making a miraculous recovery from a career-threatening leg break.

Cisse, almost certainly sealed his place in the starting line-up in Turkey with a second on 27 minutes, tucking away with his right foot after a mazy run and cross by fellow long-term injury victim Josemi.

Former AC Milan centre-half Martin Laursen may be on the phone to Paolo Maldini and co to heed a well-justified warning ahead of the final. Cisse is back.

Cisse began the second period in much the same vein, brilliantly bringing the ball down to feed Antonio Nunez, whose shot was well stopped by Thomas Sorensen.

But Villa, who made two changes after the break, weren't dead and buried and an error from Mauricio Pellegrino allowed substitute Luke Moore a sight of goal, but Carson blocked well.

An indeed they pulled one back with 23 minutes left on the clock, as a mix-up in the home defence allowed skipper Gareth Barry to fire in unmarked from six yards.

Villa continued to press after more and more mistakes in defence, mistakes more likely to be punished by Andriy Shevchenko in Turkey.

But Liverpool regained their composure late on with fine long-distance efforts from Cisse and John Arne Riise, who hit the bar, as they sealed a morale-boosting triumph and fifth place in the table.

Liverpool Team

Aston Villa Team

Liverpool

Aston Villa

Corners

Fouls

Goal attempts

Shots off target

Offsides