- Debreceni VSC
- 0-1
- Liverpool
- N'Gog (4)
- Date:2009-11-24
- Kick-off:19:45
- Venue:Nagyerdei Stadion
- Attendance:15000
- Referee:Kuipers, B
Live Commentary
90mins
Full-time: DEBRECEN 0 - 1 LIVERPOOL. The Reds must now hope for a late equaliser from Lyon in Florence.
90mins
Aquilani comes on for Gerrard
90mins
There will be two additional minutes
89mins
Andrea Dossena replaces Aurelio
88mins
The second set-piece is cleared and Benayoun breaks
87mins
It is taken short and worked well, Dombi crosses and Gerrard slides to put it behind for another corner
87mins
Insua deflects a cross behind for a Debrecen corner
85mins
Peter Czvitkovics has a go from a free-kick but the attempt from range is disappointing
84mins
Gerrard dinks a ball over the top which has too much on it. Poleksic saves
82mins
Mascherano shoots from all of 35 yards. It is well-hit, but Poleksic saves comfortably
81mins
Rudolf has acres of space to the left of Reina's box and shoots when everyone else expects a cross. Reina is forced to beat it away
80mins
Dombi is released again, while the offside flag is raised again
79mins
Dombi is allowed to turn and shoot at Reina. The Spanish keeper saves, but an offside flag is raised
78mins
Tibor Dombi replaces Marcell Fodor
78mins
Aurelio's delivery finds Carragher at the far post and his header across goal falls to nobody. It could have been a card and copy of the opener if a red shirt had gambled at the back post
77mins
Benayoun comes on for N'Gog
77mins
Liverpool corner
75mins
A cross finds Aurelio who does well to direct a header in on goal. But the Brazilian is 18 yards out and it is a comfortable save
75mins
Immediately from the goal-kick, Insua gets the ball and makes his way forward. He sends a low cross towards N'Gog but it is cleared
74mins
Aurelio is allowed to take this one but it is far too heavy and goes out of play
74mins
Kuyt is brought down and the Reds get another free-kick in a similar position
73mins
Liverpool are awarded a free-kick from the right side which Gerrard swings in. The ball is cleared to Reina
72mins
Rudolf goes on a run and is brought down on the edge of the area. The referee lets play go on
70mins
Play slows down and the Debrecen back four can rest after a relentless 20 minutes which they have survived
68mins
Agger impressively dances his way through a number of Debrecen players to the edge of the area. He pulls it back for Gerrard, who slices his shot over the bar
65mins
Kuyt breaks and he is joined by three red shirts. His first cross finds nobody, but with a second chance the Dutchman is wasteful and fires behind
63mins
Kuyt crosses and Lucas finds himself on the end of the ball. And much like in stoppage time against Manchester City on Saturday, the Brazilian glances his header wide
62mins
The hour has come and gone and there is no sign of a Liverpool change. The home side bring on Adamo Coulibaly for Peter Szakaly
59mins
Wave after wave of Liverpool attacks are coming but the second goal still eludes the Reds. Johnson squares for Gerrard this time. The captain's left-foot shot is saved well by Poleksic low to his right
58mins
Johnson dances to the byline and dinks a ball across the area towards Carragher. It is cut out once more
58mins
Gerrard is released into the channel by Lucas but the defence gets back well to block his shot for a corner
56mins
Aurelio's swinging free-kick from deep wins a corner. It is taken quickly and a decent-loooking ball with pace evades everyone, including Kuyt who was six inches too small to flick it in
55mins
The ball falls to Johnson who drives the ball across the area. Debrecen fail to clear and Carragher, of all people, comes close to tapping in. Once again, the home side scramble clear
54mins
Gerrard, 25 yards out, turns his marker and drives a low shot which is deflected for a corner
53mins
Johnson wings the ball to Kuyt who controls well and floats a cross into the area. However, there are no red shirts to meet what could have been a decent ball
51mins
Debrecen fail to clear the corner sufficiently but little is mustered around the box to threaten Poleksic's goal
51mins
Gerrard finds himself on the right wing and crosses. It is deflected behind
49mins
As has been the course of the evening, Liverpool are content to keep hold of the ball in midfield and are resisting any direct balls to N'Gog
48mins
The second period seems destined to remain a one-sided affair, but the longer the match goes on at 1-0, the more confident the minnows of the tie will become
46mins
Insua charges forward with intent once more and lets fly with his left foot. He is off balance, though. Goal-kick
46mins
Play resumes and everyone inside the ground will be very much aware of the score in Italy after Fiorentina's successful penalty was beamed to everyone on the big screens
45mins
Half-time: DEBRECEN 0 - 1 LIVERPOOL: The Reds are doing all they can in Hungary to keep their Champions League campaign alive. With more precision in front of goal, they could run up a big score here
45mins
It is taken short and worked around the area. A cross from the opposite flank attracts the force of Gerrard, but his header trickles out of play
45mins
Mascherano goes exploring down the left and wins a corner
44mins
Gerrard's kick meets a couple of heads but flies across the six-yard area
43mins
N'Gog, who has toiled and impressed, runs at the Debrecen defence. The ball is sweeped away from him to produce a corner
41mins
A slightly scuffed cross finds Rudolf unmarked just outside the area. The striker hits it on the turn and the ball is crucially blocked
39mins
The ensuing corner is cleared
38mins
Patient build-up from the Reds, but Kuyt takes the iniative and plays the ball into Gerrard who tips it on to N'Gog, who swings his right boot at the ball from 20 yards. Poleksic saves brilliantly at his left post to keep his side in the game, just
35mins
Insua darts down the left wing and plays a one-two with Aurelio. He shows a burst of pace to get to the byline but stumbles at the crucial moment
34mins
Another cross from the right is decent but Liverpool are able to clear this time. It's encouraging for the Hungarians
33mins
Rudolf wastes a good chance to bring his side level. A searching, looping cross lands straight on his head but he cannot direct the ball towards goal
32mins
Credit to Debrecen, they have weathered the early storm
30mins
News emerges that Fiorentina have gone a goal up at home to Lyon
28mins
Gerrard's delivery from the far side is cleared
28mins
Kuyt runs free and passes across to N'Gog, who controls well. He shoots at Poleksic, who can only parry, but the ball is shifted away for a corner
26mins
Debrecen are enjoying a much-needed of possession. They are threatening little, but for the first time in 25 minutes, they are becoming a part of this match
23mins
Zoltan Szelesi becomes the first play to go into the referee's book with an aerial challenge which leaves Gerrard in a heap on the floor
21mins
It's possibly been the most one-sided 20 minutes of football in Liverpool's season. The Reds will be keen to wrap this game up inside the opening half
19mins
Johnson concedes a free-kick to present Debrecen with some respite. But the ball is wasted and Liverpool will be allowed to build from the back once again
18mins
More delightful play from the Reds who spread the ball with ease. A cross from Kuyt eventually finds Emiliano Insua, but the left-back cannot get a shot away and the attack dizzles out
16mins
Liverpool win a free-kick which is taken short. Aurelio cuts inside and unleashes a vicious shot which is heading wide, but flies through the legs of Dirk Kuyt who misses a chance to make it two
14mins
There's plenty of high-tempo possession from Liverpool which the hosts are struggling to deal with. It appears just a matter of time before the lead is doubled
13mins
Mascherano has a go from distance but the shot is off-target and poorly struck
11mins
It's been an extremely confident start from Liverpool, something which has been missing from their play all-too often in recent weeks
6mins
Aurelio delivers another dangerous-looking ball from a free-kick midway through the Debrecen half and the home side struggle to clear before goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic pounces
4mins
More attacking from the Reds and Johnson wins a corner. It is taken short and a Gerrard cross is deflected behind for another
4mins
DEBRECEN 0-1 LIVERPOOL. N'GOG puts the visitors in front by heeling Jamie Carragher's knockdown into the net from close-range. The original cross came from Fabio Aurelio
2mins
A lofted ball over the top from Lucas Leiva searches for Gerrard but it is just too deep for the skipper to latch onto
1mins
Gerrard tries to release David N'Gog through a tight channel immediately but the ball is cut out
1mins
Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers signals for play to begin at the Nagyerdei Stadion
0mins
Gergely Rudolf leads the line for the home side having scored goals in his previous two outings in Europe
0mins
Captain Steven Gerrard starts despite struggling to complete Saturday's draw with Manchester City
0mins
Fernando Torres has not travelled with Rafa Benitez's side, while expensive summer arrival Alberto Aquilani is once again named amongst the substitutes alongside Yossi Benayoun
0mins
The Reds, relying on Lyon to take something out of their game with Fiorentina in Italy, welcome back Glen Johnson to their starting line-up
0mins
Liverpool take on Debrecen in Hungary this evening knowing that three points may not be enough to save their necks in the Champions League this season
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Match Report
Liverpool were sent crashing out of the Champions League with a game to spare in Group E despite seeing off Debrecen in Hungary by a single goal.
The Reds' fate was sealed in Florence, where already qualified Lyon sunk to a 1-0 defeat to Fiorentina.
Perhaps the only positive to emerge from the miserable night for Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was the assured performance of his players, who will be left scratching their heads as to how they did not win the game by three or four goals after a dominant display which kept the Reds camped in the final third.
The match-winner was young Frenchman David N'Gog, the understudy to injured striker Fernando Torres.
N'Gog flicked the ball home from two yards out after Jamie Carragher headed Fabio Aurelio's set-piece delivery back across goal to provide a cushion in the game in just the fourth minute.
From then on, long periods of the match resembled men against boys, as the likes of Javier Mascherano, Glen Johnson, Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard passed the ball around the Hungarians with ease.
But the rest of the half saw little goalmouth action, with N'Gog producing the only effort of note with a stinging 20-yard attempt which was superbly saved by goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic, the home side's star man of the night.
The second half was played to the same script, as the Reds were presented with the lion's share of possession seemingly with little effort.
It was Gerrard who came closest to doubling the lead on the hour. The captain was presented with a chance he would normally bury from 12 yards but saw his left-footed effort saved well low to Poleksic's right.
Liverpool were almost put out of their misery in stoppage time. Lively substitute Tibor Dombi should have sealed a historic point for the minnows by latching on to a loose ball 10 yards out but fired straight at Pepe Reina.
Reality quickly dawned on a miserable Liverpool dressing room as news filtered through of Fiorentina's success over Lyon, as the Reds failed to get out of the group stage in the Champions League for the first time in seven years.
Debreceni VSC Team
Liverpool Team
Debreceni VSC | Liverpool |
Corners
| 3 | 12 |
Fouls
| 22 | 17 |
Goal attempts
| 3 | 15 |
Shots off target
| 2 | 9 |
Offsides
| 3 | 2 |



90mins
Dombi has the chance to put Liverpool out of their misery after his flick-on finds its way back to him. His shot from 12 yards is straight at Reina, though