• Date: Sat 23 August 2008
  • Venue: Anfield
  • Ref: Riley, M
  • Attendance: 43,168
Liverpool

Liverpool

Gerrard (90)

2 - 1

Liverpool vs Middlesbrough

Team Lineups

Liverpool

Jose Manuel Reina
Alvaro Arbeloa (Nabil El Zhar, 83)
Andrea Dossena (Fabio Aurelio, 75)
Martin Skrtel
Jamie Carragher
Steven Gerrard
Xabi Alonso
Yossi Benayoun (Ryan Babel, 65)
Dirk Kuyt
Robbie Keane
Fernando Torres

Middlesbrough

Ross Turnbull
Andrew Taylor (Justin Hoyte, 75)
David Wheater
Emanuel Pogatetz
Robert Huth
Mohamed Shawky
Stewart Downing
Gary O'Neil
Sanli Tuncay (Didier Digard, 87)
Martins Afonso Alves (Ahmed Hossam Mido, 60)
Jeremie Aliadiere


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

FULL-TIME: LIVERPOOL 2-1 MIDDLESBROUGH

90

It has finished 2-1 with Liverpool coming from behind to claim the points thanks to Gerrard's late late strike. Boro deserved at least a draw after Carragher's deflected goal cancelled out Mido's opener.

90
Goal
 

Gerrard strikes deep into injury time to surely give Liverpool the win

90

Liverpool win a free-kick on the edge of the box and Gerrard's strike is brilliantly saved by Turnbull, from the corner Kuyt heads wide

90

There will be three minutes added

88

Boro break forward again and win another corner but Liverpool eventually clear

87
Substitution
 

Tuncay goes off and is replaced by Didier Digard

87

Aliadiere breaks forward and Reina is caught out of his goal, the ball falls for Mido but Carragher defends brilliantly to deny him

86

Carragher will claim the goal but it took a big deflection off Pogatetz

85
Goal
 

Carragher's deflected shot makes it 1-1

83
Substitution
 

Arbeloa goes off with Nabil El Zhar on in his place

83

Boro are sitting back but Liverpool don't really look like finding an equaliser with less than 10 minutes left now

80
Yellow Card
 

Mido is also booked

79
Yellow Card
 

Keane is booked for dissent - it's been a disappointing day so far for him on his home league debut

78

Time running out for Liverpool to find an equaliser as Gerrard's shot is deflected off Huth

76
Substitution
 

Hoyte is on for his Boro debut too, Taylor goes off

76
Substitution
 

Fabio Aurelio comes on for Dossena for Liverpool

75

Liverpool have been off colour in the second half and have created very little going forward as Boro win a corner

72

Skrtel's header from a corner is a few yards wide as Liverpool look for an equaliser

70
Goal
 

Mido puts Boro in front to stun Anfield, a brilliant strike from distance flying past Reina

67

Torres is penalised for a foul much to the home fans' displeasure

65

Torres goes close to breaking the deadlock as his shot from distance arrows just wide

64
Substitution
 

Ryan Babel comes on for Liverpool, replacing an ineffective Benayoun

63

There's groans of frustration around Anfield as the Reds are struggling to find their ryhthm

61

Mido almost makes an immediate impact as he finds Tuncay but the Turkish star fires the ball straight at Reina - a great chance wasted

60
Substitution
 

Mido is on for Boro, Alves going off

59

Gerrard curls a free-kick into the Boro wall and the ball goes behind for a corner but again Alonso's corner is hit low and is cleared

58

No real chances at either end so far in a scrappy second half at Anfield

55

Benayoun runs straight into Taylor as another Liverpool move breaks down

53

Keane's chip is aimed for Kuyt but it's too far ahead of him, Liverpool still haven't got going at all

51

Carragher makes a late challenge to deny Tuncay who dwelled on the ball just a bit too long

50

Kuyt turns well but then his cross is overhit, frustration from the home fans

48

Torres clashes with Huth and appears to catch the Boro defender with a high kick as the visitors win a free-kick

46

Pogatetz concedes an early corner with Keane chasing the ball, Alonso's corner is again poor and the ball is cleared

Second half
 

The second half begins with Liverpool attacking The Kop - they will be hoping for better after a disappointing first half

Half time
 

Goalless at the break and the visitors will be pleased with their efforts so far, Liverpool have struggled but created a couple of clear chances

45

Alonso wastes a corner in first-half injury time

45

Downing tries his luck again but again his effort is wayward and never troubling Reina

44

Almost half-time at Anfield and Boro will be pleased with their display so far

41

Robert Huth slides the ball behind for another corner from Torres' pull-back that was aimed for Keane

39

Keane does well to evade a couple of tackles and sets up Torres but his shot is deflected behind for a corner off Emanuel Pogatetz

38

That was a great saving challenge from Wheater with Torres just about to pull the trigger

37

The visitors are continuing to frustrate Liverpool as Wheater does well to block Torres

34

Downing breaks down the other end but his shot is poor and off target

33

Torres tangles in the box and again the Liverpool fans call for a penalty but nothing's given

31

It's gone quiet at Anfield in the last few minutes after what had been a busy opening half-hour

28

Liverpool break well and Gerrard goes down in the box, the home fans want a penalty but the referee had already given a foul on Taylor the other way

26
Yellow Card
 

Alvaro Arbeloa is booked for a poor foul on Mohamed Shawky

24

It's been fairly even so far with Middlesbrough asking plenty of questions of the Liverpool defence

22

Stewart Downing's brilliant cross from the left causes confusion in the Liverpool box but eventually Reina is fouled

21

Dossena curls a cross-shot goalwards but Turnbull catches it comfortably

20

Afonso Alves has barely had a kick so far and is caught offside for Boro

18

Torres fires a speculative shot from distance but it's way off target

15

It's been a lively opening at Anfield with decent chances at either end, Aliadiere is now wearing a head bandage after that injury earlier

13

Taylor forces Reina into a great save as he touches his thumping shot over the bar

11

Jeremie Aliadiere and Dossena are both down injured and receiving treatment after a clash of heads

10

Keane has been involved in a lot of the early action but he gives away a free-kick

8

Keane's cross deflects behind for a corner from which Torres heads just over - plenty of early chances for the home side though

7

Dossena is fouled by David Wheater to give Liverpool a free-kick in a dangerous area from which Yossi Benayoun volleys over

5

Keane finds a bit of room but his first-time shot is disappointing and it flies well wide

3

A great flowing move from Liverpool ends with Dirk Kuyt forcing Ross Turnbull into a good save, the youngster is in goal as Bradley Jones was injured in the warm-up

2

Liverpool look a little hesitant at the back as Jamie Carragher just about gets the ball back to Jose Reina

1

Andrew Taylor fires over a low cross as Boro start well but Liverpool clear

Kickoff
 

The action gets underway at Anfield with Liverpool giving home debuts to Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Liverpool make just two changes as Martin Skrtel and Xabi Alonso come in for Damien Plessis and Sami Hyypia while Boro are unchanged, new signing Justin Hoyte is on the bench