Liverpool 0-1 Stoke City (agg 1-1, pens 6-5): Simon Mignolet the hero after shootout joy sends Jurgen Klopp's side to Wembley
- Liverpool beat Stoke on penalties to reach next month's Capital One Cup final
- Joe Allen scored the decisive penalty for the Reds in sudden death after Marc Muneisa missed for the away side
- Marko Arnautovic gave Stoke the lead in first half stoppage time despite looking to be in an offside position
- Jonathan Walters came close early on but his shot flashed wide of Mignolet's post
- Emre Can had Liverpool's best effort of the first half but his long-range strike fizzed inches wide
- Roberto Firmino smacked the post early in the second half following a clever Jordan Henderson lay-off
- Marco van Ginkel nearly made it two for Stoke in extra-time but he struck the base of the post
- Liverpool will play the winners of Everton and Manchester City
If he wasn’t aware already, Jurgen Klopp now knows the passion and emotion he must harness if Liverpool are to be great again.
Here was Anfield as he had surely imagined it. Cacophonous, delirious, triumphant. Liverpool lost the match, but won its post-script. That alone shows the work to be done, because Klopp’s team carried a 1-0 lead into this match and made dreadfully hard work of it, even if Stoke’s aggregate equaliser was offside.
Yet if Klopp is not turning Liverpool into a thing of beauty overnight – and, frankly, how could he – events since the home defeat to Manchester United have at least been encouraging. As dreadful as the defending was, it still took resilience to win 5-4 at Norwich, having appeared to surrender victory in injury time. And now this. It was far from an impressive or assured Liverpool performance, but the outcome was huge.
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Jurgen Klopp celebrates after nervously watching his side reach the Capital One Cup final on penalties
(From left) Jon Flanagan, Joao Teixeira, Emre Can, Dejan Lovren, Lucas Leiva, Jordon Ibe and Alberto Moreno all celebrate
Joe Allen scored the decisive penalty, when he kept a cool head to send Jack Butland the wrong way
Marc Muniesa saw his penalty saved with the score at 5-5 and it proved costly once Allen put his into the top corner
Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch saw his penalty saved by the Belgium international during the shoot-out
The Reds players followed Borussia Dortmund's lead and held their linked arms up to the Kop after reaching the final
Liverpool could have limped into the shoot-out, confidence shot, having been second best to Stoke over 120 minutes. When Peter Crouch missed to give them the advantage, and then Emre Can missed from Liverpool’s next penalty, they could have decided it was not to be their night.
Instead, Liverpool were still in there scrapping at 5-5, so that when Simon Mignolet tipped Marc Muniesa’s shot to the right around the post, Joe Allen stepped up with Wembley in his sights. He put it top right and Anfield exploded with a noise that will have been music to Klopp’s ears. Football’s equivalent of his beloved heavy metal.
And of course, it stands to reason. Get a German coach in, win a penalty shoot-out. Klopp’s demeanour on the touchline, however, suggested it was never as easy as that. Even when it was over, he seemed overwhelmed by the tension. Allen’s finishing flourish had provoked the inevitable jubilation, although this time the manager wanted no part of it.
When a Sky cameraman veered too close, he pushed the lens away in the direction of the players. Them, not me, he seemed to be saying. How many will be part of the great leap forward when it happens, however, is a another matter. Klopp will need Liverpool to be a step up from this.
So he hugged his staff and those in the vicinity, but refused the centre stage. Klopp no doubt came to Liverpool for intense nights like this, but was probably thinking more Real Madrid and the Champions League, than Stoke City and the Capital One Cup. Still, his Liverpool rebuild has to start by laying a first stone – and Wembley remains a fine destination, and a fitting goal in this bust of a season.
The result was harsh on Stoke, who were arguably the better side, and won the game in normal time. A first-half goal from Marko Arnautovic – who looked to be offside – had levelled the aggregate scores, leaving Liverpool with a tremendous scrap on their hands.
There was furious late action and a frenetic pace despite the aching limbs, but neither team could find a way through after that. For long periods Stoke looked the likelier to score. Fifteen minutes into extra time substitute Marco van Ginkel hit the near post with Mignolet beaten – and with six minutes to go Van Ginkel again forced a good save from the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Marko Arnautovic (centre) slots home the opening goal for Stoke but the winger did look offside when Bojan crossed
The Austrian was clinical when given the opportunity and gave the Potters supporters hope of reaching Wembley
Arnautovic looks across to the linesman, while Kolo Toure appeals for the offside but nothing was given
Klopp, who struggled to watch the shoot-out, couldn't hide his delight after helping lead Liverpool to Wembley
Mamadou Sakho took to Twitter when back in the changing room to show the players celebrating their success
The second-half of normal time was the best of it, though, as blistering as the first-half had been stultifying. It began with Liverpool at last coming to life and hitting the near post through Roberto Firmino, but after that it was all Stoke.
The aerial bombardment that had been promised when the team was first named – Peter Crouch, Jonathan Walters and Arnautovic all deployed by the canny Mark Hughes – at last arrived, Crouch making the most of it with knockdowns, forcing untidy scrambles and general pandemonium in the Liverpool back line.
It was just as Stoke’s manager had no doubt ordered, particularly when a hopeful cross brought out the worst in the Liverpool back four, a comedy of hesitation ending with the ball pitching in the six yard box as hulking red shirts danced around.
Stoke boss Mark Hughes celebrates after his side took the lead at Anfield and pulled back an important away goal
Roberto Firmino looks dejected after seeing his powerful effort strike the Stoke post early in the second half
Jonathan Walters (right) came closest for Stoke in the first half but his effort went just wide of Simon Mignolet's post
The Ireland international found space in behind Mamadou Sakho but he couldn't quite find the back of the net
Chelsea loanee and substitute Marco van Ginkel burst into the Liverpool in extra time but his effort hit the outside of the post
Perhaps wishing to fight fire with fire, Klopp brought on his own big man in Christian Benteke – he took the cheekiest penalty in the shoot-out, too – and every substitution was an attacking one.
With a target on the field at last, Liverpool could play Stoke at their own game. James Milner swung in a corner and Mamadou Sakho headed it wide at the far post.
In the first minute of extra time, Benteke held the ball up for a low shot from Firmino, which Jack Butland did well to save.
For Klopp – perched as ever on the edge of his technical area, a bundle of nervous energy – it was a long night. On Saturday it was his glasses, this time it was his watch strap.
He wouldn’t stop fiddling with it. He is having a bit of bother with the accessories, as well as his defence, although he may regard conceding just the one to a Stoke team intent on getting physical as something of a success.
Plenty of height, plenty of muscle. Hughes had obviously honed in on Liverpool’ s weaknesses, not that it would have taken much research. If there was a problem for the visitors it was that Stoke are not really set up to play that way anymore.
Hughes has refined them, smoothed those raw edges. Everyone thinks the direct style is easy, and compared to tiki-taka it probably is.
That doesn’ t mean Stoke can transform into Dave Bassett’s Wimbledon overnight, though – not convincingly anyway.
In the first-half, they did their best to supply Crouch in a way that would expose Liverpool’s much-discussed frailty in the air, but were plainly out of practice. Crouch won most of what they played up to him, but Liverpool mopped up the second balls without fuss.
Roberto Firmino (left), who started in the most advanced role again for Liverpool tussles with Philipp Wollscheid during the first half
Liverpool fans held up a banner and Anfield applauded in the 12th minute in memory of Owen McVeigh, who lost his battle with leukaemia
Stoke manager Hughes shows his frustration after Arnautovic wasted a free-kick opportunity during the first half
Alberto Moreno (centre) is sent sprawling to the ground after being clipped by Bojan but the free-kick came to nothing
Sakho beats Wollscheid and Walters to the ball but his header failed to trouble Jack Butland in the Stoke goal
Indeed it was Walters, not Crouch, who provided the early threat for Stoke, and Arnautovic who got the vital goal before half-time to crack the tie wide open.
Bojan Krkic did the damage down the right. He got in behind his full-back and whipped in a near post cross for Arnautovic to convert. Liverpool claimed offside, and had a case, but the extent of their ambition and success at the time was so poor, it was hard to have great sympathy. Stoke had made all the running, albeit without great quality, and Arnautovic’s was the first shot on target, after 45 minutes. And at least that made a game of it, the scores then level on aggregate.
Once calm, of sorts, had descended on Anfield, Klopp revealed he had not watched the shoot-out, being too nervous. For a German he can be very emotional at times, although maybe he shouldn’t have worried. Liverpool have won 14 of their last 17 shoot-outs. With such a long to-do list, Klopp will be pleased that, from 12 yards at least, he has nothing to fear.
Flanagan (left), who was handed his first start since his long-term injury, vies with Arnautovic for possession
Glen Johnson (left), playing against his former club, attempts to clear the danger with Adam Lallana closing in
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3418251/Liverpool-0-1-Stoke-City-agg-1-1-pens-6-5-Wembley-beckons-Jurgen-Klopp-s-winning-penalties-Anfield.html#ixzz3yPMKNZN5
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