[lfc-news] CSKA Sofia report - PA

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PA Sport, 23 Aug 2005
Liverpool 0 CSKA Sofia 1 (Agg: 3-2)

Liverpool scraped through to the lucrative group stages of the Champions
League after an unconvincing performance against CSKA Sofia threatened
to wreck their dreams of defending the trophy.

Rafael Benitez had received £6.5million from the sale of Milan Baros
earlier in the day, and the Anfield boss had been banking on another
£10million - the prize in TV money and bonus payments for every side
that reached the group stages gets from UEFA.

But it was Sofia who looked the better side, taking an early lead with a
Valentin Iliev goal, and from then on Liverpool failed to claim the goal
that would have killed off the tie.

CSKA have three times in the past beaten European Cup holders - Ajax and
Nottingham Forest as well as Liverpool back in '82 - and history was so
near to repeating itself.

Benitez now has around £17million to spend in the next week, and he
knows he needs to strengthen his side considerably.

With Steven Gerrard injured, Benitez also rested Jose Reina, Xabi
Alonso, Jamie Carragher and Bolo Zenden, and brought in Josemi, Scott
Carson, Dietmar Hamann, John Arne Riise and Darren Potter.

Despite the changes, everything was going to script as Liverpool set
about extending their overall lead. Benitez suggested before the game
that his strikers needed to improve, and this was clearly taken to heart
by Djibril Cisse and Fernando Morientes.

Twice in the opening minutes Cisse went close, before Morientes sent a
20-yarder inches over the bar. Any thoughts, though, that Liverpool were
going to cruise to victory was ended on 15 minutes when CSKA took the lead.

Mohamed Sissoko was penalised for a foul on Emil Gargorov, and when
Yordan Yurukov laid the ball back, Iliev saw his curling 20-yarder
escape Carson's dive and nestle in the far corner to the shock of the
entire Kop.

They almost levelled the tie on 20 minutes when Carson raced outside his
box to block Guillame Zadi's run, but the ball broke for Yordan Todorov,
some 25 yards out, to lift his shot over an open goal.

Liverpool were rattled. There was a lack of height at the back where
Sami Hyypia needed to be at his best to plug the gaps while the central
midfield partnership of Sissoko and Hamann was frequently caught out by
quick breaks.

Liverpool made one change at the break, taking off teenager Potter and
sending on the more experienced Luis Garcia to add some invention.

Riise, having fluffed a free kick delivery, then saw his swerving 30
yarder from the rebound touched over the bar by Maksic on 47 minutes.
Soon after Riise fired inches wide after taking a Morientes pass in his
stride.

But CSKA were soon back at Liverpool's defence, causing mayhem with
their passing and pace and Gargorov lashed a 20 yarder inches wide of a
post following another free kick conceded by Sissoko.

The tension around Anfield grew, the crowd losing patience with their
side and their play was riddled with errors and the fear of making mistakes.

Stephen Warnock was replaced by Zenden, with Riise dropping to left-back
in an increasingly desperate search for a goal that would kill the tie.
Riise saw a fierce 20 yarder deflected over, but CSKA were still able to
find space on the flanks, while Todorov and Murad Hidiouad controlled
midfield.

Sissoko, despite showing his immaturity by conceding too many free
kicks, was now driving Liverpool on as they struggled to see out the
final few minutes. It was Sissoko who smacked an effort against the bar
in those close seconds.

Florent Sinama-Pongolle came on as substitute for Cisse, the little
France Under-21 striker back in the side for the first time since
damaging his knee at Watford in the Carling Cup in January.

Sofia even had the ball in the net in injury time, but Velizar Dimitrov
strayed into an offside position as he tapped in from close range. It
was that close.

Liverpool: Carson, Finnan, Josemi, Hyypia, Warnock (Zenden 64), Potter
(Luis Garcia 45), Hamann, Sissoko, Riise, Cisse (Sinama Pongolle 83),
Morientes
Subs not used: Reina, Alonso, Carragher, Barragan
booked: none

CSKA Sofia: Maksic, Zabavnik, Iliev, Gueye, Silva, Todorov, Gargorov,
Hidiouad, Yurukov (Sakaliev 73), V Dimitrov, Zadi (P Dimitrov 84)
Subs not used: Kutchoukov, Olegov, Zafirov, Ivanov, Matic
Booked: none
Goals: Iliev 16

Att: 42,175
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).

RIISE RELIEVED AS REDS SNEAK THROUGH

John Arne Riise was relieved after Liverpool reached the group stages of
the Champions League, despite losing their second leg to CSKA Sofia at
Anfield tonight.

The visitors won 1-0 with Valentin Iliev goal from a set-piece, but
Riise insists getting the right aggregate result was all-important.

He told ITV1: "The important thing was to get through. In the end I
thought we should have won.

"We've been working hard on set-pieces but we lost our concentration -
and they scored."

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez changed tactics at half-time, Riise revealed.

"(He said) you just have to step up the game," said the Norwegian.

"As long as you keep the ball they can't score. It was better in the
second than he first."

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard missed the game thought injury but -
after watching from the sidelines - said: "Any game when you get beaten
at home is disappointing.

"We didn't play well - but the important thing is qualification."

Gerrard has a 50% chance of playing against CSKA Moscow in the European
Super Cup on Friday and expects to be fit for England's World Cup
qualifiers next month.

"I've got an extra week, so I'm more confident of being fit for
England," he added.

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