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| Champions League 20/21 |
Klopp’s desperate gamble pays off as lucky Liverpool claim tough win: CL Wrap
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said the loss of Virgil van Dijk was a “big blow”, but it didn’t stop the Reds from opening their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win over Dutch giants Ajax.
Meanwhile reigning champions Bayern Munich thumped Atletico Madrid 4-0 to start their title defence, while Manchester City cruised past Porto 3-1.
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There was enough spirit about the 2019 Champions League winners to suggest they will use the Van Dijk blow to fuel their Premier League title defence and European challenge.
Van Dijk will need knee surgery after being pole-axed by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford’s ugly foul and his injury came at a time when Liverpool looked vulnerable after losing 7-2 at Aston Villa before the international break.
Against that backdrop, keeping a clean-sheet for just the third time this season was a big lift for Liverpool, who won for the first time in three games despite also being without defender Joel Matip and midfielder Thiago Alcantara after the brutal Merseyside derby.
Klopp opted to select midfielder Fabinho to deputise for him at centre half, amid a number of interesting selections including youngster Curtis Jones in midfield with captain Jordan Henderson on the bench.
The Reds got off to a poor start, with numerous defensive mistakes and stand-in keeper Adrian providing plenty of nervous moments.
But they were gifted an own goal in the 35th minute when Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico turned a mistimed and deflected Sadio Mane shot into his own net. Mane received a throw in, turned and beat Perr Schuurs before charging into the box and shooting off balance, only for Tagliafico to awfully bumble the ball into the goal.
Just two minutes earlier, Ajax fluffed a golden opportunity to nab the lead from within the six-yard box when Liverpool’s defensive block fell apart, only for Quincy Promes’ shot to be directed straight at Adrian.
Fabinho then repaid the faith showed in him by Klopp, making a superb acrobatic clearance off his goal line after Adrian had been beaten by a Dusan Tadic chip. It was the highlight of a fine individual effort throughout the 90 minutes. “He’s a top player,” James Milner said after the match. “Top players can adapt.”It took just one minute from the half-time restart for Ajax to threaten again, when Davy Klaassen struck the upright with a sweetly-struck shot from outside the area.
Ajax went close again when Noussair Mazraoui took a Neres cutback and forced Adrian into a fine save.
And it didn’t take Klopp long to react, taking off his entire front three - Firmino, Mane, and Salah - in a bold triple substitution.
Xherdan Shaqiri, Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino were the trio entering the park.
As the rain arrived, the match turned into a see-sawing scrap with chances for both teams.
Takumi Minamino nearly had an instant impact when his shot was almost spilled into the net by Andre Onana.
Jurgen Ekkelenkamp almost snatched a late equaliser after a mistake from Adrian, but Liverpool held their nerve to provide a morale-boosting start to life without Van Dijk.
“It was not perfect but they fought brilliantly,” Klopp said. “We did not take our chances, which was a shame, and Ajax had a big one which hit the post.
“When you’re 1-0 up, these things can happen. But overall I’m happy with the game.
“It was not sunshine football but we wanted three points and we got it.”
BAYERN BATTER ATLETICO
Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman picked up where he left off last season with two goals in a 4-0 home rout of Atletico Madrid on Wednesday as the holders got the defence of their Champions League campaign off to a winning start.
Coman, whose header settled last season’s Champions League final just 59 days ago in Lisbon, scored Bayern’s opening goal, created their second and claimed their fourth behind closed doors at the Allianz Arena.
He saved his best for last with a superb effort, turning the Atletico defence inside out before firing home on 72 minutes.
Goals by midfielders Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso, who produced an unstoppable long-range strike from outside the box, added to Atletico’s misery in Munich.
Both sides had clear early chances as Luis Suarez just failed to connect with a low cross from Atletico left back Renan Lodi, while at the other end Bayern centre-back Niklas Suele hit the post.
Suarez again fired wide just before Bayern took the leadJoshua Kimmich, who celebrated the birth of his second child the night before, won the ball, then turned and put a superb pass into the box which found Coman who fired past Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak on 29 minutes.
Coman then turned provider when the France winger darted into the area, spotted Goretzka free and the central midfielder beat Oblak to make it 2-0 at the break.
Atletico appeared to have pulled a goal back early in the second half when Joao Felix tapped home, but the VAR spotted Suarez offside in the build up.
Tolisso grabbed Bayern’s third just after the hour mark when he blasted home a thunderous strike after Kimmich’s effort had been charged down.
Coman capped a fine individual display when he twisted and turned his way past marker Felipe before deftly firing home on 77 minutes.
The 24-year-old was almost immediately substituted after helping establish a four-goal cushion with back-to-back away group games at Moscow and Salzburg in the coming weeks..CITY BOUNCE BACK FROM SLOW START
Manchester City’s latest quest for Champions League glory got off to a winning start as Pep Guardiola’s men came from behind to beat Porto 3-1 at the Etihad on Wednesday.
Luis Diaz’s solo effort punished a sloppy City start for the Portuguese champions, who felt hard done by when Sergio Aguero equalised thanks to a contentious penalty award.
However, the Premier League side’s quality shone through after half-time when Ilkay Gundogan’s free-kick and substitute Ferran Torres’ fine finish moved City to the top of Group C.
Guardiola admitted on Tuesday to still feeling guilty over the experimental line-up and formation that led to City’s latest Champions League calamity in last season’s quarter-finals against Lyon little over two months ago.
The Catalan is into the final year of his contract at the Etihad and potentially his last chance to land the prize City most desired when they brought him to Manchester five years ago.
However, in the early weeks of the season, City have look a faded force from the prime of Guardiola’s reign in winning back-to-back Premier League titles between 2017 and 2019.
Without the injured Kevin De Bruyne, the English giants were again far from their free-flowing best and Porto took advantage early on.
Former Benfica captain Ruben Dias was at fault for giving the ball away for the opener against his old rivals.
But Diaz still had a huge amount to do as he eased past timid challenges from Rodrigo and Joao Cancelo before unleashing a powerful effort into the far corner.
The visitors’ lead only lasted seven minutes and City levelled with a good deal of fortune.
Gundogan inadvertantly caught Porto ‘keeper Agustin Marchesin as he tried to direct the ball goalwards and after the German’s shot came off the post, Raheem Sterling was barged over in the box by Pepe.
After a lengthy VAR review, Gundogan’s challenge was not deemed a foul to overturn the initial decision to award a penalty and Aguero smashed home his first goal of the season.
Porto still had the better chances to retake the lead before half-time as Matheus Uribe fired over with the goal gaping from a misplaced clearance by Ederson.
Kyle Walker then saved Dias from scoring an own goal as he turned Moussa Marega’s cut-back towards his own net.
City regained control after the break, but it wasn’t until a moment of magic from Gundogan 25 minutes from time that they went in front.
The midfielder won a free-kick on the edge of the area and then curled the ball over the wall to the relief of Guardiola on the sidelines.
Gundogan was starting for the first time since testing positive for coronavirus and he was replaced seconds after scoring as Guardiola added a fresh injection of pace in Phil Foden and Torres.
The 20-year-olds combined to seal the points as Foden’s pass fed the Spaniard, who skipped inside Pepe before curling high into the far corner.
Marchesin kept the score down late on with great saves from Riyad Mahrez and Rodrigo, while tempers flared between Guardiola and Porto boss Sergio Conceiçao after Pepe and Sterling clashed off the ball.
However, City suffered a late injury blow when captain Fernandinho, who had only been on the field nine minutes, was forced off with what looked like a muscle problem.
LUKAKU SPARES INTER
Romelu Lukaku scored twice, including a last-gasp equaliser, to rescue a 2-2 draw for Inter Milan in their Champions League opener against Borussia Moenchengladbach on Wednesday.
Lukaku put Inter ahead after 49 minutes in the San Siro only for the Bundesliga club to hit back with a 63rd-minute Ramy Bensebaini penalty and a Jonas Hofmann strike six minutes from time.
But Lukaku had the last word sending the ball in from close range in the final minute.
“For me today’s result is not a good one, because we can do better. We must continue to work and be strong mentally,” said Lukaku.
“It is not an easy time for us, but we must keep believing in our quality.
OTHER FULL-TIME SCORES:
FC Midjtylland 0-4 Atalanta
Olympiacos 1-0 Marseille
Earlier in the morning, Real Madrid copped a shock defeat to Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2
