• Date: Sat 07 February 2009
  • Venue: Fratton Park
  • Ref: Webb, H
  • Attendance: 20,524
Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Nugent (62)

Hreidarsson (78)

2 - 3
Liverpool

Liverpool

Aurelio (69)

Kuyt (85)

Torres (90)

Portsmouth vs Liverpool

Team Lineups

Portsmouth

David James
Nadir Belhadj
Sol Campbell
Sylvain Distin
Hermann Hreidarsson
Glen Johnson
Hayden Mullins (Niko Kranjcar, 46)
Angelos Basinas
Sean Davis
Peter Crouch
David Nugent

Liverpool

Jose Manuel Reina
Alvaro Arbeloa
Andrea Dossena (Xabi Alonso, 67)
Fabio Aurelio
Martin Skrtel
Daniel Agger
Jamie Carragher
Javier Mascherano
Yossi Benayoun
Ryan Babel (Fernando Torres, 76)
David N'Gog (Dirk Kuyt, 56)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

FULL TIME: PORTSMOUTH 2-3 LIVERPOOL. Liverpool come from behind twice to steal the three points thanks to Torres but the pressure will once again be mounting on Tony Adams.

90
Goal
 

PORTSMOUTH 2-3 LIVERPOOL. What a huge goal that is! Benayoun crosses expertly for Torres who bullets a header past James to surely win the game for Liverpool.

88

There will be three minutes of added time here.

88
Yellow Card
 

The first yellow card of the evening is shown to Hermann Hreidarsson for dissent.

87

Torres did superbly in the build up to that second equaliser but this time he finds space to unleash a shot of his own but Distin throws himself heroically in the way to block.

85
Goal
 

PORTSMOUTH 2-2 LIVERPOOL. Another huge goal at both ends of the table! Dirk Kuyt drives along the byline and fires a rasping drive towards the near post and it squeezes past James, but the keeper really should have saved that.

82

Superb save from David James! Benayoun finds himself through one-on-one but the big keeper spreads himself to deny the Israeli with his legs.

80

The home fans are in party mood now but surely they are going to have a long last ten minutes or so as Liverpool push for a much-needed equaliser.

78
Goal
 

PORTSMOUTH 2-1 LIVERPOOL. Amazing stuff at Fratton Park! Hermann Hreidarsson glances a header straight at Pepe Reina but the Spanish stopper manages to dive under the ball and Portsmouth lead again.

76
Substitution
 

Liverpool are making their final change now as Fernando Torres replaces the lacklustre Babel.

75

The hosts cannot get out of their own half at the moment and the signs are beginning to look ominous for Portsmouth now.

72

Good stop! Liverpool look to capitalise while Portsmouth are on the back foot and Kuyt collects the ball with room to drive forward and he hits a venomous half-volley that James does well to smother.

69
Goal
 

PORTSMOUTH 1-1 LIVERPOOL. Great strike! Liverpool are back on level terms as Alonso taps the free-kick to the side for Aurelio who fires it into the bottom corner. A big goal for Benitez.

69

It is an in-direct free-kick, from what is almost the penalty spot for Liverpool. Alonso is lining it up for Agger it seems...

68

Great drama! Peter Crouch's backpass is well short and David James decides he has to handle it, inside his area, to prevent Kuyt pouncing.

67
Substitution
 

Looks like Benitez is going for a change of formation now as Xabi Alonso replaces Andrea Dossena.

65

Are Liverpool's title hopes on the line here on the South Coast? Could this be a turning point for Pompey? Those questions could both be answered in the remaining 25 minutes.

61
Goal
 

PORTSMOUTH 1-0 LIVERPOOL. Sensational! Moments after Babel's shocker at the other end, ex-Liverpool striker Crouch slips boyhood Everton fan David Nugent through and the striker beats Reina. What a moment for Tony Adams.

58

What a miss! Benayoun and Kuyt work a beautiful move with the Dutchman delivering a perfect cross into the six-yard box where Babel is arriving but somehow the winger fails to make a connection and Portsmouth escape. How costly could that be?

56
Substitution
 

However, Benitez's first change sees Dirk Kuyt replace the lonely and disappointing Ngog.

55

Good news for Liverpool fans....you know who - Fernando Torres - is starting a vigorous warm-up.

53

Portsmouth have begun the half in very sloppy fashion and Distin is the latest to give the ball away cheaply, but again Ngog is unable to capitalise.

50

The visitors have had a succession of corners but none of them looked like causing too many problems for Pompey who finally clear their lines through Campbell.

48

Liverpool straight onto the front foot as David Ngog finally gets a shooting chance and he forces David James to tip round the post.

Second half
 

The second period is underway and it will be interesting to see whether Benitez also makes changes as the game goes on.

46
Substitution
 

Pompey are making a change at the break as Hayden Mullins is replaced by Niko Kranjcar - more creativity for the hosts now.

Half time
 

HALF TIME: PORTSMOUTH 0-0 LIVERPOOL. The game has yet to really get going with Liverpool enjoying the better of the early play, however Portsmouth have clawed themselves back into the game.

45

There will be just one minute of added time.

44

Important header from Mullins as Babel gets to the corner of the box and with Benayoun arriving at the far post, former West Ham man Mullins diverts it away for a corner.

42

As the break approaches the home side are beginning to hold more of an attacking threat, with Nugent looking particularly lively.

39

Chance for Portsmouth! Basinas feeds Nugent into the right channel and the former Preston man chips the ball across the box where Crouch is waiting but his header is tame and drops into the arms of Reina.

37

Agger comes out of the back in trademark style to deliver a superb cross into the penalty area but there is nobody there for Liverpool. Where was Ngog?

35

Things have become more than a little scrappy in recent minutes and subsequently Adams' side are starting to find their way back into the game.

32

Ngog has looked very isolated in the opening half hour with a lot of Liverpool's good play going on around him, rather than including the 19-year-old Frenchman.

29

Basinas takes the free-kick this time and goes for goal from all of 30 yards but Pepe Reina steps across his goal to take an easy catch.

27

Aurelio is seeing an unbelievable amount of the ball in an uncustomary central midfield role but he is using it nicely to run plenty of the Liverpool attacks.

23

Portsmouth do look very short of ideas in attack and that lack of creativity is proving to be frustrating for former Liverpool striker Crouch who can hardly get a kick.

20

...and Davis hits it but its a complete waste as he curls it high over the cross bar.

20

Pompey have a free-kick in a dangerous position as Nugent is felled on the edge of the box. Basinas, Davis and Belhadj are over it...

17

Pompey have been forced into a tactical change as 35-year-old debutant Angelos Basinas moves in from the right wing as Hayden Mullins moves outside.

14

The pressure is mounting on the Portsmouth goal as Liverpool begin to take control of the game, and only a good block from Campbell stops Babel's shot troubling James.

11

Liverpool are starting to find their rhythm and Davis is forced to foul Babel and Aurelio fires the resulting free-kick narrowly wide of the post with James well beaten.

9

Great chance at the other end! Benayoun slips into the box far too easily and as James loses his footing the Israeli curls the ball towards the corner but its too far out and ends up well wide.

7

First chance! Nugent works his way into the channel and cuts the ball back across the box towards Crouch, but it's a little behind the tall striker who can only send it bobbling into Reina.

5

Benitez's team selection is a huge gamble and should Pompey end their barren run of eight league games without a win today, stretching back to November, he will receive a barrage of criticism.

3

Bright start from the visitors who are clearly being spurred on byt the home fans and Nugent gives Pepe Reina an early test with a swivelling volley.

1
Kickoff
 

The Pompey fans are making a lot of noise as Howard Webb gets us underway - they fancy their chances this evening!

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Dossena, Arbeloa, Mascherano, Aurelio, Babel, Ngog, Benayoun.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Basinas, Davis, Mullins, Belhadj, Crouch, Nugent.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

However, Rafa Benitez has his own list of problems as Gerrard is out for three weeks and Torres is only deemed fit enough for the bench, as is Xabi Alonso. His team today is a bit of a 'mish-mash', to coin former Pompey boss Harry Redknapp's phrase.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Tony Adams' job has reportedly been under threat this week and having lost his two best players, Defoe and Diarra, the new Pompey boss looks set for a relegation battle. However, Peter Crouch will have a point to prove.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Welcome to Fratton Park where struggling Portsmouth entertain title challengers Liverpool.