[lfc-news] Kaunas report - PA

PA Sport, 26 July 2005
FBK Kaunas 1 Liverpool 3

Liverpool needed the shock of an early Lithuanian goal before they
stamped their class on this Champions League second qualifying round
first leg.

Giedrius Barevicius snatched a dramatic opener for Kaunas which shocked
the European champions.

But Djibril Cisse equalised, Jamie Carragher headed Liverpool ahead
before the break, before captain Steven Gerrard rammed home the third
goal from the penalty spot in the 54th minute after being fouled in the box.

Before kick-off Baros walked slowly, all alone, across the pitch and sat
on the bench set aside for the unused reserves, a solitary figure
knowing surely now that his Liverpool days are nearly over.

Aston Villa will soon intensify their interest and there may be a route
to Spain with Deportivo, with Benitez still fancying a swap for defender
Jorge Andrade.

Kaunas started like a team who had been playing solidly for four months
in their domestic league, sharp and organised and with pace up front.

After a day of thunderstorms and pounding rain, the pitch was slippery
as well as being bumpy, and Liverpool needed to stamp their class on the
contest early.

In the 11th minute Xabi Alonso's long, angled ball sent Djibril Cisse
away and the Frenchman's stabbed pass aimed at Crouch was touched from
the big striker's feet by the dive of Eduardas Kurskis.

Five minutes later Gerrard, Darren Potter and Cisse combined to set up
Crouch again, but the high ball into the box was difficult to control
and the shot sailed high over.

Kaunas needed to be given no encouragement, but they got it on 21
minutes when the ball was fired in from the right by Artusas Rimkevicius
and Giedrius Barevicius appeared at the near post to bundle the ball
past Jose Reina - to the delight of the majority of the 8,300 crowd.

But that joy was short-lived as Liverpool sparked into life with two
goals in four minutes.

The first came on 27 minutes when Zenden's cross was knocked down by
Crouch in the box for Cisse to hook home.

Liverpool were ahead four minutes later with Jamie Carragher's first
goal in seven years. The ball swirled in from a left-wing corner and
Carragher met it firmly to bullet a header past Kurskis.

Zenden got himself booked two minutes later for a nasty tackle on
Mindaugas Pacevicius, Liverpool now clearly up a couple of gears and
concentrating on the job in hand.

The Reds almost grabbed a third when Cisse skipped clear, but Kurskis
took sufficient sting off the shot to allow one of his team-mates to
scamper back and clear the ball off the goalline.

Kaunas had replaced Pacevicius with Vadim Petrenko at the break.

Cisse saw another hooked effort scuttle a foot wide from Gerrard's
determined run and cross, and another goal for Liverpool was vital to
combat nerves and lively opposition.

And it was Gerrard's driving run which produced that third after 53
minutes. His surge into the box was ended by Mindaugas Baguzis's
outstretched leg and Danish referee Knud Fisker pointed to the spot.

Up stepped Gerrard, who after his miss at Tottenham last season hinted
he would not take another again, and this time the skipper drilled home
the third.

Petrenko was booked for a 57th-minute foul on Alonso, and two minutes
later Benitez obviously felt he could withdraw Gerrard from the fray two
minutes later and send on Mohamed Sissoko for his competitive debut for
Liverpool.

Luis Garcia was next into the action in place of Potter.

Kaunas had not got near to Reina's goal for some considerable time, but
Liverpool were still unable to really finish the job with a fourth.

The awkward Crouch continued to give the Lithuanians plenty of trouble,
but the ball was not being delivered into the box accurately enough for
him to make his dominance in the air pay off.

And when Luis Garcia cut away down the left to find Zenden unmarked on
the far side of the box, the Dutchman skied a shot well wide.

Fernando Morientes took over from Crouch in the 72nd minute, with Zenden
hacking another chance well wide for wasteful Liverpool soon after.

Then Zenden's cross was controlled by Luis Garcia, but the Spanish
international put his shot over the far angle.

It got worse when Cisse was put clear in the box with eight minutes left
- but the striker lifted his effort wide.

Liverpool were trying to construct the perfect goal - Xabi Alonso's chip
failing to confuse Kurskis - when a clinical finish was needed.

But at the final whistle they will be satisfied with a two-goal
advantage to take into next Tuesday's second leg at Anfield.

FBK Kaunas: Kurskis, Manchkava, Kancelskis, Pacevicius (Vadim Petrenko
45), Zelmikas, Baguzis, Klimek, Rimkevicius, Barevicius (Papeckys 71),
Poderis, Tamosauskas (Maciulis 87)
Subs not used: Beniusis, Kijanskas, Kilijonas, Kunevicius
Booked: Vadim Petrenko
Goals: Barevicius 21

Liverpool: Reina, Riise, Carragher, Hyypia, Josemi, Zenden, Alonso,
Gerrard (Sissoko 60), Potter (Luis Garcia 63), Cisse, Crouch (Morientes 74)
Subs not used: Dudek, Hamann, Medjani, Warnock
Booked: Zenden
Goals: Cisse 27, Carragher 30, Gerrard pen 54

Att: 8,300
Referee: Knud Erik Fisher (Denmark)

Unsubscribe: lfc-news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://www.lfc-list.org.uk/

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lfc-news/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
lfc-news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/