Sunday, June 30, 2024

UEFA Cup Final Winners 1973

In 1973 Liverpool won their first ever European trophy as they lifted the UEFA Cup with victory of German side Borussia Moenchengladbach

The Final 1st Leg - May 10th 1973

Liverpool 3 Borussia Moenchengladbach 0

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Cormack, Toshack, Heighway (Hall), Callaghan

Goals : Keegan (21, 32), Lloyd (62)

Att : 41,169

The first leg of this game should have been played the previous night. In fact half an hour of the game had been played before the referee abandoned it due to the rain that made the pitch like a lake. When the game was played though the next night John Toshack was brought in to start the game after Shanks had eyed aerial problems for the Germans the night before. It was an inspired switch as it was Toshack who set up Keegan for the first two goals on 21 and 32 minutes. Keegan even missed a penalty in between scoring. Larry Lloyd made it three nil before Ray Clemence made what proved to be a crucial penalty save from Josep Heynckes.


The Final 2nd Leg - May 23rd 1973

Borussia Moenchengladbach 2 Liverpool 0

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Cormack, Heighway (Boersma), Toshack, Callaghan

Goals : -

Att : 35,000

The Reds took a comfortable three goal lead to Germany for the second leg of the final. That was the thought of the fans at least but by half time he Reds were two down. Heynckes scored on the half hour mark and ten minutes later to send the shivers through the Reds at the Bökelbergstadion. That penalty save suddenly seemed crucial from the first leg. Borussia continued to put pressure on to the Reds as the game wore on but gradually became tired and ran out of ideas as luck went by them. Liverpool finished the stronger side and as the final whistle went the Reds had won their first ever European trophy. How crucial that Clemence save had been and the form of Keegan up front in the first leg victory. Liverpool were now firmly on the European map.


The Route to the Final

Semi Final 1st Leg - April 10th 1973

Liverpool 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Cormack, Hall, Heighway (Boersma), Callaghan

Goals : Lindsay (17)

Att : 42,174

An all-English semi final awaited the Reds and they were at Anfield first to entertain Spurs. With two Anfield draws that season and a win and a loss away the sides knew one another well. On twenty seven minutes the Reds went ahead as Alec Lindsay slammed a loose ball home following a free kick. The Reds looked for more but Spurs defended well and held the score at just 1-0 to se up a tight affair at White Hart lane.


Semi Final 2nd Leg - April 25th 1973

Tottenham Hotspur 2 Liverpool 1

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Thompson, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Boersma, Hall, Heighway, Callaghan

Goals : Heighway (55)

Att : 46,919

The Reds travelled South as League Champions. The Reds approached this one by packing the midfield and looking to win the battle from there. Keegan played superbly up front and despite going a goal behind just after half time stuck to their task well. On fifty five minutes they got their reward when they scored a crucial away goal. Keegan raced through and after drawing Jennings out played the ball to Heighway who scored. Spurs were holders and were not in the mood to just give up their trophy despite needing two goals to win through. Peters grabbed his second of the night with eighteen minutes still left on the clock but the Reds managed to hang on till the end and reach the final.


Quarter Final 1st Leg - March 7th 1973

Liverpool 2 Dynamo Dresden 0

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Hall, Boersma, Heighway (Toshack), Callaghan

Goals : Hall (25), Boersma (60)

Att : 33,270

Having put out East German opposition in the previous round they returned a few months later to play Dynamo Dresden. The home leg set this tie up well though. Dresden were seen as a better side than Berlin and arrived at Anfield in good spirits and began the game well. Twenty five minutes in though Brian Hall rose superbly well to head the ball into the Dresden net. As Dresden lost their captain to injury the Reds took advantage and doubled their score on sixty minutes through Boersma.


Quarter Final 2nd Leg - March 21st 1973

Dynamo Dresden 0 Liverpool 1

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan (Toshack), Hall, Heighway, Cormack, Callaghan

Goals : Keegan (53)

Att : 35,000

The trip to East Germany was well set from the first leg but was still a very tough game. The Reds had faced hundreds of singing fans around their hotel the night before the game but this merely helped make them stronger. The Reds were a far more defensively organised unit in this tie and hoped to make the crowd quiet and sneak a valuable away goal. It worked a treat as Kevin Keegan scored seven minutes in to the second half. The Reds were marching on to the semi finals.


Round 3 1st Leg - November 29th 1972

Dynamo Berlin 0 Liverpool 0

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Storton, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan (Hall), Cormack, Heighway, Toshack, Callaghan

Goals : -

Att : 20,000

The Reds were drawn away first in this round. They were to break new ground and visit East Germany. Dynamo Berlin were unbeaten at home in Europe so a 0-0 scoreline was good. Tommy Smith was ruled out of the trip due to injury and was missed as the home side were very physical. They were so physical in fact that Kevin Keegan had to go off to protect himself. The Reds were hopeful of grabbing an away goal but on the night were just as content with the clean sheet.


Round 3 2nd Leg - December 13th 1972

Liverpool 3 Dynamo Berlin 1

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Thompson, Lloyd, Hughes, Boersma, Cormack, Heighway, Toshack (Whitham), Callaghan

Goals : Boersma (1), Heighway (25), Toshack (56)

Att : 34,140

Phil Thompson made his first European start in this one and the Reds got off to a flying start when Phil Boersma scored in the opening minute of the game. The lead though was cancelled out by Netz just six minutes later as the Germans threatened to get something from the game. The Reds simply had to win to get through the game. The Reds though stuck to their task and Steve Heighway scored on twenty five minutes to settle the game back down again. Berlin though were a tough nut to crack and it wasn't until Toshack scored in the second half that the game became comfortable.


Round 2 1st Leg - October 24th 1972

Liverpool 3 AEK Athens 0

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes (Thompson), Keegan, Cormack, Heighway, Boersma (Hall), Callaghan

Goals : Boersma (9), Cormack (28), Smith (pen 78)

Att : 31,906

AEK were the first Greek side to visit Anfield and they left probably wishing they wouldn't return. The Reds battered Athens 3-0 on the night but it was a very comfortable three nil as well. Although Athens had some chances their lack of real quality proved decisive in this one. Boersma opened the scoring early on and Peter Cormack made it two before half an hour was up. The scoring was finished twelve minutes form time as Tommy Smith scored from the spot after Keegan had been brought down.


Round 2 2nd Leg - November 7th 1972

AEK Athens 1 Liverpool 3

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Cormack, Heighway (Boersma), Toshack, Callaghan

Goals : Hughes (17, 44), Boersma (87)

Att : 25,000

With the Reds three up from the first leg they travelled to Greece expecting the home side to make a game of it. They didn't though and the Reds took advantage. Emlyn Hughes gave the Reds the lead with a twenty yard shot. Athens did score a spot kick on thirty five minutes, conceded by Hughes but Crazy Horse went up to the other end just before half tie to restore the lead. Phil Boersma scored just before full time to finish the match and tie off and the third round still to follow.


Round 1 1st Leg - September 12th 1972

Liverpool 2 Eintracht Frankfurt 0

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Cormack, Heighway, Toshack, Callaghan

Goals : Keegan (13), Hughes (75)

Att : 33,380

The trophy renamed as the UEFA Cup from the old Fairs cup was the trophy the Reds were after this season and like the season previous were drawn against a West German side in the first draw. The game finished two nil but had it not been for the heroics of the Frankfurt keeper this could have been far more. The first goal came from Keegan and what appeared to be an offside position. However, you play to the whistle as Keegan did and he duly scored. Emlyn Hughes managed a second goal fifteen minutes from time as he headed past Kunter but that was all the scoring on the night when Shanks said the Reds created so much.


Round 1 2nd Leg - September 26th 1972

Eintracht Frankfurt 0 Liverpool 0

Team : Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith (Storton), Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan (Hall), Cormack, Heighway, Boersma, Callaghan

Goals : -

Att : 18,000

The Reds travelled to Frankfurt with their main objective to win through at minimal cost. They played Heighway up front on his own. Frankfurt threw what they could at the Reds but with some degree of comfort Liverpool held firm. It wasn't exactly exciting but essential that the Reds went through and that proved to be on a night when neither goal bulged.

Trent & Joe Gomez unused substitutes in England win

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez were unused substitutes as England beat Slovakia 2-1 after extra-time to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.

The Liverpool duo remained on the bench throughout Sunday’s Round-of-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen, which saw the Three Lions come from behind to snatch victory in dramatic fashion.

Ivan Schranz’s goal midway through the first half had put Slovakia ahead, but Jude Bellingham equalised with an overhead kick deep into stoppage time.

And Harry Kane then headed home in the early stages of extra-time to ensure England advanced to the last eight, where they will face Switzerland on Saturday (5pm BST kick-off).

Via Liverpoolfc.com

Alexis Mac Allister's Argentina win Group A

Alexis Mac Allister’s Argentina will face Ecuador, Mexico or Venezuela in the quarter-finals of the Copa America after confirming their place as Group A winners.

Liverpool midfielder Mac Allister was an unused substitute as a much-changed Albiceleste team beat Peru 2-0 in Miami on Saturday night, thanks to a brace from Lautauro Martinez, to make it three wins from three pool-stage matches.

The Copa holders and world champions are now set to take on the runners-up from Group B – which concludes on Sunday – in a last-eight tie in Houston on Thursday evening.

Via LiverpoolFC.com

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Liverpool turn down chance to sign Gordon

Liverpool have turned down a proposal from Newcastle United which involved Anthony Gordon joining the Reds and Jarell Quansah moving in the opposite direction as part of the deal.

The Anfield club did not view the deal as being right for them, even though 23-year-old forward Gordon is a player they admire.

Gordon, who joined the Magpies in a £45m deal in January 2023, is with the England squad at Euro 2024, coming on as a late substitute in Tuesday's goalless draw with Slovenia in his only appearance of the tournament so far.

A player who is also liked by Paris St-Germain, he scored 11 league goals for Newcastle last season and won the club's 2023-24 player of the season award.

Liverpool did not make any offer and they would not consider losing 21-year-old Quansah.

The centre-back became a first-team regular last season and was in the preliminary England squad for Euro 2024, missing out on the final 26-man squad for the tournament.

In addition, Liverpool are well stocked in the forward positions with Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota among their options.

Alisson stars in Brazil win

Liverpool No.1 Alisson Becker was a starter for Brazil in their 4-1 victory against Paraguay.

The goalkeeper made a sensational save to deny Damian Bobodilla early on, before Vinicius Junior's first-half double and a finish from Savio put the Seleção on their way.

A draw against Colombia in the early hours of Wednesday would guarantee Brazil's advancement to the last eight.

Via Liverpoolfc.com

Diaz scores as Colombia qualify

Luis Diaz's penalty helped Colombia clinch their place in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Copa America.

The attacker opened the scoring from the spot in his nation's 3-0 win over Costa Rica that sealed progression to the tournament's knockout rounds with a game to spare.

Diaz's goal was followed by efforts from Davinson Sanchez and Jhon Cordoba in the second half, with Liverpool's No.7 then withdrawn from the contest in minute 77.

Via Liverpoolfc.com

Friday, June 28, 2024

Liverpool FC notable 2024-2025 dates

Premier League fixtures for the 2024-25 season were released in June, with the Reds to kick off the campaign away at newly promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday August 17, 12:30pm kick-off live on TNT Sports.

The campaign will consist of 33 weekends, four midweek rounds of matches and one holiday matchweek.

A full list of fixtures is available here.

Fixtures are subject to change for television broadcast and European competition purposes, with updates to follow here.

Notable dates

Arne Slot's side travel to Portman Road at 12.30pm BST on August 17, 90 days after the 2023-24 Premier League campaign concluded.

The final match of the 2024-25 season will be played on Sunday May 25th, when all games will kick off at the same time as usual.

In keeping with previous commitments made to clubs to address the congested schedule across Christmas and New Year, arrangements will be made to allow more rest time over three of the festive match rounds, with no club playing within 60 hours of another match. There will be no Christmas Eve fixture.

The mid-season break has also been removed from the calendar to allow the mid-August start date.

Transfer windows

The Premier League summer window opened on Friday June 14.

The window will then close at 11pm BST on Friday August 30. The EFL will follow the same timeline.

The winter transfer window will then open on Wednesday January 1, closing on Monday February 3.

Champions League

Following their third-placed finish in the Premier League, Liverpool will be competing in the 2024-25 Champions League.

This year’s tournament will see significant changes, in particular to the group stage, which will become a single 36-team league stage.

Each side faces eight different teams (four at home, four away). The top eight overall will advance directly to the Round of 16, while the sides finishing from ninth to 24th will contest the knockout round play-offs, with the victors going through to the last 16. From then on it is a straight knockout.

The draw for the group stage will take place on Thursday August 29, and the group stage matchdays will be as follows:

Matchday 1: September 17-19

Matchday 2: October 1/2

Matchday 3: October 22/23

Matchday 4: November 5/6

Matchday 5: November 26/27

Matchday 6: December 10/11

Matchday 7: January 21/22

Matchday 8: January 29

The knockout round play-offs will take place on February 11/12 and 18/19.

The Round of 16 matches will take place on March 4/5 and 11/12, with the quarter-finals on April 8/9 and 15/16 and the semi-finals on April 29/30 and May 6/7.

The final will be played at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday May 31.

Liverpool FC European Cup Winners 1984

Liverpool returned to the scene of their first European Cup in Rome 1977 and beat AS Roma on their own ground to lift the European Cup of 1984.

The Final - May 30th 1984

Liverpool 1 AS Roma 1

Liverpool won 4-2 on penalties

Team : Grobbelaar, Neal, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Whelan, Hansen, Dalglish (Robinson), Lee, Rush, Johnston (Nicol), Souness

Goals : Neal (14)

Penalties : Neal, Souness, Rush, Kennedy

Att : 69,693

Unused Subs : Bolder, Hodgson, Gillespie

The Olympic stadium, Rome - scene of the Reds first European cup triumph and home to AS Roma. Surely playing a side in their own back yard would prove too difficult for the Reds. Liverpool though had huge confidence and before the game were all relaxed and singing Chris Rea tunes. The Reds arrived as English champions for the third year in a row. They'd also won the League Cup for the fourth time in a row so had confidence about them. The Reds went straight out to silence the crowd and played keep ball. On fourteen minutes a Craig Johnston cross was fumbled by the Roma keeper and Phil Neal who had gone forward in the attack prodded the loose ball home. That goal resulted in an onslaught from Roma and they finally scored just before half time as Pruzzo headed past Grobbelaar. No more goals though in the game and as extra time came and went it was down t penalties.

Steve Nicol took the first one and blazed over to make the Roma fans confident. Bruno Conti at 1-1 though then hit his spot kick over the bar. Both kicks then went in for two each and Ian Rush made it 3-2. Bruce Grobbelaar then went to work on Graziani. The Reds keeper psyched him out with his spaghetti legs on the line and Graziani fired over the bar. The miss meant Alan Kennedy could win the cup for the Reds for the second time and Kennedy duly scored to send the Reds home victorious. The treble was the Reds'.


The Route to the Final

Semi Final 1st Leg - April 11th 1984

Liverpool 1 Dinamo Bucharest 0

Team : Grobbelaar, Neal, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Whelan, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Rush, Johnston, Souness

Goals : Lee 25

Att : 36,941

Bucharest had done well to reach this part of the competition but at Anfield they were very physical. Rush and Dalglish took a battering. Souness nearly did but the Reds player ensured his opponent got a broken jaw for trying it on him. Bucharest were intent on getting through this one by muscle alone. Sammy Lee headed home the only goal of the game after twenty five minutes. The Reds themselves were confident the one goal was enough.


Semi Final 2nd Leg - April 25th 1984

Dinamo Bucharest 1 Liverpool 2

Team : Grobbelaar, Neal, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Whelan, Hansen, Dalglish (Nicol), Lee, Rush, Johnston, Souness

Goals : Rush 2 (12,84)

Att 60,000

The Romanian side looked to pick up where they left off in the first leg of this one. Graeme Souness was one man the crowd were gunning for after the broken jaw incident of the first leg. The players knew better than to hit him though and instead aimed for Ian Rush. Rush was battered but after just eleven minutes hit them were it hurt by scoring. An away goal is always crucial and this proved just as much. Although Bucharest scored before half time they would have to score two more goals to go through. The Reds though were on top and always more likely to score a second than Bucharest and it was Rush again six minutes before time who scored it. That was his fortieth of the season.


Quarter Final 1st Leg - March 7th 1984

Liverpool 1 Benfica 0

Team : Grobbelaar, Neal, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Whelan, Hansen, Robinson (Dalglish), Lee, Rush, Johnston, Souness

Goal : Rush (66)

Att : 39,096

The Reds were handed the tough task of the Portugese side Benfica in the quarter finals of the draw. A typical away performance ensued from Benfica where they defended deep and resolutely. It meant the game was pretty much one way traffic but with so many men behind the ball it was hard to break down. Ian Rush did manage to score midway through the second half though At he end of the match the away side claimed a moral victory thinking they had done well. If only they knew what was to come.


Quarter Final 2nd Leg - March 21st 1984

Benfica 1 Liverpool 4

Team : Grobbelaar, Neal, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Whelan, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Rush, Johnston, Souness

Goals : Whelan (9,87) Johnston (33), Rush (79)

Att : 70,000

This was simply a superb example of Liverpool FC at its best. They simply tore into Benfica on their own ground and thrashed them 4-1 to send shock waves through the rest of the draw. It did start like Benfica would control the game. A shot glanced the bar and Craig Johnston cleared off the line early doors. From the next attack though Ronnie Whelan headed home a weak header which the keeper made a hash of. The away goal turned the tie and the Reds marched on. Johnston scored just after the half hour and the Reds were through. Half time came and was greeted by Portugese booing but this was exactly what the Reds wanted to hear. Benfica did score one in the second half but the Reds simply hit back with two of their own to run out four one victors on the night.


Round 2 1st Leg - October 20th 1983

Liverpool 0 Atletico Bilbao 0

Team : Grobbelaar, Neal, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Johnston, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Rush, Robinson, Souness

Goals : -

Att : 33,063

The two sides had met once before in Europe and Bilbao won through that time but only on the flip of a disc as the sides couldn't be separated. This time around it was just as tight. An entertaining game, the Reds just couldn't break past the Bilbao defence. Try as they like they failed to beat the Bilbao defence stood firm and they went home the more confident of the sides.


Round 2 2nd Leg - November 2nd 1983

Atletico Bilbao 0 Liverpool 1

Team : Grobbelaar, Neal, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Nicol, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Rush, Robinson (Hodgson), Souness

Goals : Rush (66)

Att : 47,500

Just before this tie the Reds beat Luton 6-0. Ian Rush bagged five of them. With the first leg goalless it mean this match became very much cat and mouse. Bilbao had to attack t go through as the Reds played on the counter attack. Bilbao certainly played well in this one and went close on a number of occasions. Half time arrived though with the Reds having weathered the big storm and they started dominating possession. The Reds grabbed the only goal of the game on sixty six minutes thanks to Ian Rush. Rush glanced an Alan Kennedy cross superbly past the keeper. With the Reds now in control of the game the onslaught never really came although much of that was down to the great Reds midfield on the night.


Round 1 1st Leg - September 14th 1983

Odense 0 Liverpool 1

Team : Grobbelaar, Neal, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Johnston, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Rush, Robinson, Souness

Goals : Dalglish (14)

Att : 30,000

Joe Fagan was now in charge of the Reds but European football was nothing new to him as he'd been at the club through the triumphs already. Odense were the first round opponents for the Reds and it was always likely to be a stroll for the Reds. The Reds eased their nerves on fifteen minutes as Dalglish scored and then dominated the game without scoring. A bigger scoreline would have been just but the Reds did have an away goal at least.


Round 1 2nd Leg - September 28th 1983

Liverpool 5 Odense 0

Team : Grobbelaar, Nicol, Kennedy, Lawrenson, Johnston, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Rush, Robinson, Souness (Hodgson)

Goals : Robinson (14,72), Dalglish (32, 40), OG (65)

Att : 14,985

Reds fans knew the tie was practically over and just under 15,000 turned up to see them win 5-0. Dalglish scored two in this tie which too him past Denis Law's 14 goal British record for European Cup goals. One very notable absentee form the game was Phil Neal who finally missed a game. He had played in the previous 417 but Steve Nicol came in for this one. Such was the one way traffic of this the Reds won 5-0. Odense looked for a consolation goal but on the night it didn't come even though Reds fans had jokingly started booing their own men.

Liverpool FC European Cup Final 1981

Liverpool defeated one of the most prestigious sides in the 1981 cup final - Real Madrid. They won thanks to a single goal from Alan Kennedy shortly before time sent captain Phil Thompson up the steps to collect the trophy.

The Final - May 27th 1981

Liverpool 1 Real Madrid 0

Team : Clemence, Neal, A.Kennedy, Thompson, R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish (Case 86), Lee, Johnson, McDermott, Souness

Goals : A.Kennedy (81)

Att : 48,360 Parc des Princes

Unused Subs : Ogrizovic, Irwin, Money, Gayle

This had the makings of an absolutely superb game. England's greatest side against Spain's greatest. Madrid had already won the trophy six times in their history. Liverpool had to win to get an entry back into Europe though the following season after they finished fifth in the league. On the night it wasn't a classic match but one the Reds won. As Souness won the midfield battle the Reds were the team in the ascendancy. The idea of a goal though was looking less and less likely as time wore on. Alan Kennedy though suddenly received a throw in on the left side from a tight angle. As he burst into the penalty area David Johnson was screaming for it in the centre but Barney Rubble strode on and beat the keeper to win the cup for the Reds. A glorious night for the Reds meant they had now won the trophy three times.


The Route to the Final

Semi Final 1st Leg - April 11th 1981

Liverpool 0 Bayern Munich 0

Team : Clemence, Neal, A.Kennedy, Thompson, R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Rush, McDermott (Heighway 46), Case

Unused : Ogrizovic, Irwin, Money, Whelan

Goals : -

Att : 44,543

Bayern Munich arrived at Anfield full of pedigree. The Reds were without Graeme Souness through injury for this one and it made a huge difference. Souness was the creative genius in the centre with the extra bite to win the ball and without him the Reds failed to get through Bayern. The German side were always a threat up front with European footballer of the year Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in the side. At the end of the game the players and fans feared the worst as the game finished 0-0.


Semi Final 2nd Leg - April 22nd 1981

Bayern Munich 1 Liverpool 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, Money, Irwin, R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish (Gayle 9, Case 70), Lee, Johnson, McDermott, Souness

Unused : Ogrizovic, Rush, Cohen

Goals : R.Kennedy (83)

Att 77,600

Graeme Souness was fit again for the return trip to Munich but this game will be remembered for Howard Gayle. The Reds were always a side likely to score away. After just nine minutes though Kenny Dalglish limped off and the young inexperienced Howard Gayle was sent on. The reserve man ran Munich into the ground with his skill and surging runs past men. He took a huge battering in the game for his efforts and was eventually subbed himself after seventy minutes. This wasn't through injury though but fear of a sending off as the tackling was about to boil over. Munich were in trouble though and the Reds scored a great goal thanks to Ray Kennedy with seven minutes to go. Munich had to score two goals in the final minutes to reach the final and despite grabbing one the game finished all square. The Reds went on to the final courtesy of the away goals rule.


Quarter Final 1st Leg - March 4th 1981

Liverpool 5 CSKA Sofia 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, A.Kennedy, Thompson (Irwin 19), R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Heighway, McDermott, Souness

Unused : Case, Ogrizovic, Cohen, Rush

Goals : Souness (16, 51, 80), Lee (45), McDermott (62)

Att : 37,255

The first leg saw the Reds blast past Sofia by five goals to one and effectively end the tie in one nigh. Graeme Souness scored his second hat-trick of the campaign as the Reds finished this one thanks to the midfield. The Reds were just days away from the League Cup Final against West Ham and in no great form but set about Sofia like men possessed. Sofia had already beaten Notts Forest on the way to the tie so had some pedigree about them. Although they concede a goal at three up they simply hit back with two more of their own.


Quarter Final 2nd Leg - March 18th 1981

CSKA Sofia 0 Liverpool 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, A.Kennedy, Irwin, R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Johnson (Heighway 37), Case, Souness

Unused : Cohen, Money, Rush, Ogrizovic

Goals : Johnson (10)

Att : 65,000

The tie was all but complete in the first leg and after just ten minutes of this one David Johnson scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game. The Reds played this one in their usual very efficient way and ensured the Bulgarian side had no way back in to the tie. Ray Clemence even saved a penalty shortly before the end of the game to ensure he picked up another clean sheet.


Round 2 1st Leg - October 22nd 1980

Aberdeen 0 Liverpool 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, A.Kennedy, Thompson, R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee (Case 68), Johnson, McDermott, Souness

Unused : Ogrizovic, Money, Irwin, Gayle

Goals : McDermott (5)

Att : 24,000

Billed as a British Championship the Reds came to this game very much in form and scored the only goal of the night after just five minutes. McDermott scored from a tight angle by lobbing the ball over Jim Leighton. Aberdeen back then were managed by Alex Ferguson who went on to manage Man United.


Round 2 2nd Leg - November 5th 1980

Liverpool 4 Aberdeen 0

Team : Clemence, Neal, A.Kennedy (Cohen 36), Thompson, R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Johnson, McDermott, Souness

Unused : Ogrizovic, Case, Irwin, Rush

Goals : OG (37), Neal (43), Dalglish (58), Hansen (71)

Att : 36,182

With the away goal in the bag the Reds sat about the second leg in confidence. It took some thirty eight minutes though before the Reds opened up their account thanks to a Willie Miller own goal. Phil Neal swept one home before half time as well and the tie was all but over. Dalglish and Hansen completed a 4-0 rout which meant the Reds had won far more easily than they had planned when the draw had been made.


Round 1 1st Leg - September 17th 1980

Oulu Palloseura 1 Liverpool 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, Cohen, Thompson, R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Fairclough, McDermott, Souness

Unused : Ogrizovic, Money, Rush, Irwin, A.Kennedy

Goals : McDermott (15)

Att : 14,000

The Reds had gone out in the first round stage for the past two seasons and breathed a relative sigh of relief at lesser opposition this time around. This was Oulu's first ever game in Europe but despite the Reds taking an early lead they sat back on it and the Finnish side got a deserved equaliser. Bob Paisley wasn't exactly a happy man after the game.


Round 1 2nd Leg - October 1st 1980

Liverpool 10 Oulu Palloseura 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, Cohen, Thompson, R.Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Lee, Fairclough, McDermott, Souness

Unused : Johnson, Ogrizovic, A.Kennedy, Irwin, money

Goals : Souness (5, 24, pen 52), McDermott (29, 41, 83), Lee (53), R.Kennedy (66), Fairclough (68, 81)

Att : 21,013

The same side as the first leg was sent out for this one with the message do what you didn't do in the first leg and finish this one off. They certainly did that. Palloseura sat in their own penalty area as Souness and McDermott grabbed hat-tricks on the night. If the Reds had played the offside trap better it could have been even more as well. Sammy Lee grabbed a goal on only his second European night for the Reds.

Nunez scores again as Uruguay beat Bolivia

Darwin Nunez scored in his seventh consecutive match for Uruguay as they breezed past Bolivia 5-0 in the Copa America.

The striker netted the second goal of the victory in New Jersey that leaves his nation on the brink of qualification for the quarter-finals.

Nunez dispatched a clinical finish past goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra inside the penalty area in minute 21 after meeting Maximiliano Araujo's pass.

Liverpool's No.9 was a starter for Marcelo Bielsa's side once again and played 83 minutes of the contest before he was replaced by Luis Suarez.

Uruguay sit top of Group C with a 100 per cent record and would advance to the last eight by avoiding defeat to the USA in the early hours on Tuesday, with even a defeat in that tie likely to see them go through due to superior goal difference.

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Liverpool FC European Cup Final 1978

Liverpool retained the European cup after they won the trophy for the second time down at Wembley over FC Bruges.

The Final - May 10th 1978

Liverpool 1 FC Bruges 0

Team : Clemence, Neal, Thompson, Hansen, Kennedy, Hughes, Dalglish, Case (Heighway), Fairclough, McDermott, Souness

Goals : Dalglish (65)

Att : 92,000 (Wembley)

Unused Subs : Ogrizovic, Jones, Callaghan, Irwin

This was a repeat of the 1976 UEFA Cup Final and once again the Reds came out winners. Fifteen of the players from that fnal played in this one too. The Reds had to make the short journey south to Wembley for this one and it was thanks to a wonderful goal from Dalglish off an exquisite Souness ball that sealed the tie. A dull game saw the Belgian side rely on the breakaway goal for this one. The sides were al square at half time but the Reds didn't panic and continued to play patient football. Twenty minutes in to the half Souness played a ball in to release Dalglish and his flick over the keeper sent the ball in to the back of the net. His thirtieth goal of the season sent him racing away to the crowd, hurdling the advertising boards and ready to claim a winners medal. Bruges went close late on as the goal forced them out and Thompson cleared one effort off the line but it would have been unjust had they scored.


The Route to the Final

Semi Final 1st Leg - March 29th 1978

Borussia Moenchengladbach 2 Liverpool 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, Smith, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Dalglish, Case, Heighway (Souness), McDermott (Johnson), Callaghan

Goals : Johnson (88)

Att : 66,000

The Reds were drawn against the side they had beaten the previous season in the final and knew this one would be hard. Times seemed so different to the year before. The Germans had got stronger whilst the Reds had stuttered their way through the season. Hannes gave the German side the lead just before the half hour and it looked like it was going to be enough on the night to win. Although the Reds were to go on and lose the tie they hit a crucial away goal two minutes from time. At the time Johnson's goal was an equaliser but the Reds conceded straight after. The away goal though did everything to the morale of the Reds. A 1-0 win at Anfield would see them through.


Semi Final 2nd Leg - April 22nd 1978

Liverpool 3 Borussia Moenchengladbach 0

Team : Clemence, Neal, Smith, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Dalglish, Case, Heighway, McDermott, Souness

Goals : Kennedy (6), Dalglish (34), Case (54)

Att : 51,500

Graeme Souness made his firs European start after impressing as a sub in the first leg of this tie. He was an inspired choice for the Reds as they swept past the German side. The Reds were a goal up and effectively in a winning position after just six minutes of the game as Ray Kennedy converted a Dalglish cross. The two reversed fortunes on thirty four minutes and the tie was all over really. A goal for the German side would have drawn it all square but it never looked on the cards in this one. Nine minutes into the second half Jimmy Case thundered a shot past Kieff to seal the tie and send the Reds on a trip down to Wembley and FC Bruges.


Quarter Final 1st Leg - March 1st 1978

Benfica 1 Liverpool 2

Team : Clemence, Neal, Smith, Thompson (Hansen), Kennedy, Hughes, Dalglish, Case, Heighway, McDermott, Callaghan

Unused :

Goals : Case (36), Hughes (71)

Att : 70,000

Graeme Souness hadn't been registered in time for this tie but the Reds still managed to win. A night of pouring rain saw the Reds go behind after fourteen minutes but the Reds didn't panic and scored twice in either half. Jimmy Case scored the first as his free kick wasn't held in the wet conditions by the Benfica Keeper. Hughes scored the second with a perfect lob over the stranded Bento.


Quarter Final 2nd Leg - March 15th 1978

Liverpool 4 Benfica 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, Smith, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Dalglish, Case, Heighway, McDermott, Callaghan

Unused :

Goals : Callaghan (6), Dalglish (17), McDermott (78), Neal (88)

Att : 48,364

The Reds had two away goals behind them for this return leg and Benfica turned up expecting it to be confirmed with an easy win for the Reds. That was the resulting the end but neither side really broke sweat. As snow fell on the pitch Anfield turned white and Benfica turned pale too. Two early goals and two late ones ensured the Reds were comfortable on the night.


Round 2 1st Leg - October 19th 1977

Liverpool 5 Dynamo Dresden 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Hansen, Kennedy, Hughes, Dalglish, case, Heighway, Toshack, Callaghan

Unused :

Goals : Hansen (14), Case (21,58), Neal (pen 44), Kennedy (66)

Att : 39,835

A bye to the second round of the competition thanks to their win the previous season the Reds came up against Dynamo Dresden. Twice before they had beaten the East German side en route to winning the UEFA Cup. This game saw Dalglish and Hansen make their European debuts. Dalglish had a man marking job against him but the rest of the side ensured a comfortable victory. Hansen scored with a header to open the scoring and four goals later Dresden did manage a consolation goal but the tie was all but over.


Round 2 2nd Leg - November 2nd 1977

Dynamo Dresden 2 Liverpool 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Hansen, Hughes, Dalglish, Case, Heighway, McDermott (Fairclough), Callaghan

Unused :

Goals : Heighway (67)

Att : 33,000

The tie had been finished as a contest at Anfield but Dresden tried hard to give the Reds second thoughts. They shot into a two goal second half lead and were well in the ascendancy. There was genuine worry as the East German side played well and were carving through the Reds defence. Midway through the second half though Steve Heighway scored to settle the nerves and confirm the route to the quarter finals.

Liverpool FC European Cup Final 1977

Liverpool Lifted their first European Cup in Rome 1977 after they won 3-1 over German giants Borussia Moenchengladbach.

The Final - May 25th 1977

Liverpool 3 Borussia Moenchengladbach 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Case, Heighway, McDermott, Callaghan

Goals : McDermott (27), Smith (64), Neal(pen) (82)

Att : 57,000

Unused Subs : Fairclough, McDonnell, Johnson, Waddle, Lindsay

Just days after losing the FA Cup Final the Reds took Rome by storm and won the European cup for the first time. The Reds opened the scoring as Terry McDermott finished off a typically fluent Reds' move. The Reds held the lead till the second half when early after the re-start Allan Simonsen bagged an equaliser.

The 30,000 plus Reds in the crowd though were not to be disappointed as the mighty Reds stormed back. On sixty four minutes Tommy Smith rose in the area to send a Heighway corner into the top corner with a magnificent header. With just eight minutes to go and the Reds well in control Kevin Keegan went on a mazy run towards goal. German centre back Berti Vogts couldn't keep pace and brought Keegan to his knees just inside the area for a blatant penalty. Phil Neal stepped up and calmly slotted the ball home for 3-1.


The Route to the Final

Semi Final 1st Leg - April 6th 1977

FC Zurich 1 Liverpool 3

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Case, Heighway, Fairclough, McDermott

Goals : Neal 2(1 pen)(14, 67), Heighway (48)

Att : 30,500

The Reds pretty much booked their trip to Rome in this first leg. After the trials of St Etienne the round before the Reds were comfortable in this game and managed to bag three away goals in to the bargain. The Reds were simply too good for the Swiss side in this game.


Semi Final 2nd Leg - April 20th 1977

Liverpool 3 FC Zurich 0

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Case, Heighway(Waddle), McDermott, Johnson

Goals : Case 2 (33,79), Keegan (83)

Att 50,611

The hard work was done a fortnight earlier and this really was a formality with the Swiss side offering little resistance. Any slim hopes they had disappeared just over half an hour into the game as Jimmy Case opened the scoring. Although the score stayed at one nil for most of the match it finally tipped to the Reds with two goals in four minutes late on.


Quarter Final 1st Leg - March 2nd 1977

St.Etienne 1 Liverpool 0

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, McDermott, Case, Heighway, Toshack(Smith), Callaghan

Att : 28,000

The French side had lost the previous final and were strongly tipped to go one better in 77 and must have fancied their chances after defeating the Reds with the only goal of the game in the first leg. Without an away goal the odds were slightly against the Reds, especially with the French side looking slick.


Quarter Final 2nd Leg - March 16th 1977

Liverpool 3 St.Etienne 1

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, case, Heighway, Toshack(Fairclough), Callaghan

Goals : Keegan (2), Kennedy (59), Fairclough (84)

Att : 55.043

The greatest ever Reds match? Well you'll find it hard to argue against it. The Reds were a goal down and 'Les Verts' came over in numbers to see their side through to the semi final. Within two minutes Keegan had the Reds ahead with a shot from near the corner flag. The lead sent the crowd mad but it was the French side who got the next goal to silence the Kop for a short while. Ray Kennedy blasted the Reds back into the lead but with the French team having an away goal the Reds were still on their way out. That was until Super Sub David Fairclough was sent into action. A through ball from Kennedy was calmly slotted home to defeat the French. The crowd went mad and the Reds held out for a deserved win.


Round 2 1st Leg - October 20th 1976

Trabzonspor 1 Liverpool 0

Team : Clemence, Smith, Jones, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, McDermott, Heighway (Fairclough), Toshack (Johnson), Callaghan

Goals : -

Att : 25,000

This was the first time the Reds had faced Turkish opposition but they played relatively well and a single goal defeat was always going to be hauled back at Anfield in front of the Reds fans. The game itself was nothing special and bar the goal against from the penalty spot this trip went well.


Round 2 2nd Leg - November 3rd 1976

Liverpool 3 Trabzonspor 0

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, McDermott, Heighway, Johnson, Callaghan

Goals : Heighway (8), Johnson (10), Keegan (19)

Att : 42,275

With a single goal deficit from the first leg the Reds burst out the traps and put this game beyond the Turks after just nineteen minutes and coasted the rest of it. Early goals from Heighway and Johnson were then added to by Keegan and the result was never in doubt.


Round 1 1st Leg - September 14th 1976

Liverpool 2 Crusaders 0

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Johnson, Heighway, Toshack, Callaghan

Goals : Neal (18 pen), Toshack (64)

Att : 22,442

The champions of Northern Ireland came to Anfield and were eased past in the first leg thanks to a penalty from Phil Neal and a second half goal from John Toshack. The days of a hammering were not quite on the Reds but a comfortable enough performance all the same. Toshacks goal proved to be his last in Europe for the Reds.


Round 1 2nd Leg - September 28th 1976

Crusaders 0 Liverpool 5

Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Johnson, Heighway, Case(McDermott), Callaghan

Goals : Keegan(34), Johnson (81, 90), McDermott (84), Heighway (87)

Att : 10,000

The scoreline looks big but it wasn't until the last ten minutes of this game that the Reds really eased clear of the part timers in Northern Ireland. A goal in the first half from Keegan got the Reds on the way and the result was never really in question but late goals suggest an easy victory which this certainly wasn't.

Jota off the Bench as last 16 draw confirmed

Diogo Jota appeared off the bench for already-qualified Portugal as they concluded the group stage of Euro 2024 with a 2-0 defeat by Georgia on Wednesday night.

The forward came on in the 75th minute for the Group F winners, who were beaten by goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze in Gelsenkirchen.

Elsewhere in the section, Vitezslav Jaros was an unused substitute in Czechia's 2-1 loss to Turkey that confirmed their elimination.

Results also meant Dominik Szoboszlai's Hungary did not qualify for the knockouts as a best third-placed team.

Jota will be one of seven Liverpool players involved in the last 16, alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konate.

Round of 16

Saturday June 29

Switzerland v Italy

Germany v Denmark


Sunday June 30

England v Slovakia

Spain v Georgia


Monday July 1

France v Belgium

Portugal v Sloveniav


Tuesday July 2

Romania v Netherlands

Austria v Turkey

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Alexis Mac Allister helps Argentina to 1-0 victory

Alexis Mac Allister helped Argentina to a late 1-0 victory over Chile at the Copa America to secure a place in the knockout stages.

The Liverpool midfielder completed the full match for his nation in the early hours of Wednesday as they made it two wins from two in Group A of the tournament.

Substitute Lautaro Martinez provided the decisive goal in the 88th minute of the contest at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, converting a loose ball from close range following a Lionel Messi corner.

Argentina are the first country to secure a spot in the last eight of the competition and will take on Peru in their final group fixture on Sunday in Miami.

Via Liverpoolfc.com

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Gakpo scores in Netherlands defeat to Austria

Cody Gakpo was on the scoresheet for the Netherlands as Group D concluded at Euro 2024 on Tuesday afternoon.

The Liverpool forward netted early in the second half for his country – who were captained by Virgil van Dijk, with Ryan Gravenberch an unused substitute – as they were defeated 3-2 by Austria in Berlin.

The Dutch fell behind in the sixth minute as a result of a Donyell Malen own goal, but Gakpo brought them level with his second strike at the tournament.

He collected a pass to the left of the box, stepped inside a defender and curled an assured finish into the opposite corner of the net.

Austria regained the lead just shy of the hour mark, however, as Romano Schmid met a cross with a header that went in via Stefan de Vrij.

The Netherlands restored parity for a second time in the game when Memphis Depay controlled a knockdown and looped the ball home.

But Austria then found a winner, with Marcel Sabitzer thumping in from a narrow angle – a goal that gained his nation top spot in the section and consigned the Dutch to third place.

Elsewhere in the same group, Reds defender Ibrahima Konate was an unused substitute for France as they drew 1-1 with Poland in Dortmund, where Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski each scored penalties.

France finished in second spot and therefore know they will face the to-be-confirmed Group E runners-up on July 1.

As a best third-placed finisher, meanwhile, the Netherlands must now wait to discover their opponents in the last 16.

Via Liverpoolfc.com

Liverpool FC Captains of Europe

Player Times Captained LFC In Europe
Steven Gerrard 83
Jordan Henderson 48
Emlyn Hughes 44
Sami Hyppia 44
Ron Yeats 34
Jamie Carragher 31
Tommy Smith 24
James Milner 22
Graeme Souness 17
Phil Thompson 12
Virgil Van Dijk 13
Phil Neal 10
John Barnes 9
Mark Wright 7
Paul Ince 7
Robbie Fowler 7
Ian Rush 3
Martin Skrtel 3
Pepe Reina 3
Steve Nicol 3
Trent Alexander-Arnold 3
Alisson 2
Andrew Robertson 2
Ray Kennedy 2
Steve McMahon 2
Chris Lawler 1
Curtis Jones 1
Georginio Wijnaldum 1
Jamie Redknapp 1
Joe Gomez 1
Kolo Toure 1
Lucas Leiva 1
Mamadou Sakho 1
Mohamed Salah 1
Phillipe Coutinho 1
Steve McManaman 1

Premier League Most Substituted Players

Player Times Substituted
Roberto Firmino 114
Steven Gerrard 94
Jordan Henderson 75
Philippe Coutinho 74
Mohamed Salah 69
Sadio Mané 66
Dirk Kuyt 64
Michael Owen 58
Adam Lallana 55
Georginio Wijnaldum 53
Vladimir Smicer 52
Diogo Jota 45
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Robbie Fowler 44
Danny Murphy 42
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 41
Lucas Leiva 40
James Milner 39
Daniel Sturridge 38
Fernando Torres, Peter Crouch, Naby Keita 37
Yossi Benayoun 35
Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz 34
Patrik Berger 33
Emile Heskey 32
Didi Hamann, Andrew Robertson 30
Harry Kewell 29
John Arne Riise 28
Albert Riera 27
Maxi Rodriguez, El Hadji Diouf, Divock Origi, Darwin Nunez 26
Cody Gakpo, Milan Baros 25
Stig Inge Bjørnebye 24
Ryan Babel, Thiago, Harvey Elliott 23
Raheem Sterling, Jamie Carragher 22
Fabinho Tavarez 21
Rob Jones, Jamie Redknapp, Joe Allen, Jermaine Pennant, Craig Bellamy 20
Stewart Downing, Javier Mascherano, Steve McManaman 19
Luis Garcia, Luis Suarez, Raul Meireles 18
Xabi Alonso, Igor Biscan 17
David N'Gog, Emre Can 16
Fernando Morientes, Djibril Cisse, Jordon Ibe, Stan Collymore, David Thompson 15
Bruno Cheyrou, Glen Johnson 14
Fábio Aurélio, Momo Sissoko, John Barnes, Titi Camara, Mark Walters, Alberto Moreno, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister 13
Xherdan Shaqiri, Karl-Heinz Riedle, Sami Hyypia, Robbie Keane, Mark Gonzalez, Stephen Warnock, Jon Flanagan 12
Daniel Agger, Veggard Heggem, Nick Barmby, Dominic Matteo, Gary McAllister, Djimi Traore, Ian Rush, Ryan Gravenberch 11
Kostas Tsimikas, Dejan Lovren, Joe Gomez, Steve Harkness, Steve Finnan 10
Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Phil Babb, Rigobert Song, Steve Staunton, Ronny Rosenthal, Oyvind Leonhardsen, Joel Matip, Wataru Endo 9
Conor Bradley, Suso, Lazar Markovic, Jari Litmanen,  Michael Thomas, Mark Wright, Salif Diao, Stephane Henchoz, Andriy Vornin, Andy Carroll, CharlieAdam 8
Nuri Sahin, Fabio Borini, Jonjo Shelvey, Jay Spearing, Alberto Aquilani, Alvaro Arebola, Antonio Nunez, Paul Stewart, Neil Ruddock 7
Bjørn Tore Kvarme, Jan Molby, John Scales, Bolo Zenden, Joe Cole, Martin Skrtel, Andrea Dossena, Mario Balotelli, Neco Williams, Stefan Bajectic 6
Danny Ings, Mamado Sakho, Christian Poulsen, Kolo Toure, Iago Aspas, Neil Mellor, Josemi, Mike Marsh, Jason McAteer, Don Hutchinson, Markus Babbel 5
Nicolas Anelka, Nigel Clough, Christian Ziege, Paul Konchesky, Martin Kelly, Victor Moses, Fabio Carvalho 4
Jarell Quansah, Javier Manquillo, Sheyo Ojo, Christian Benteke, Virgil Van Dijk, Milan Jovanovic, Andre Wisdom, Jose Enrique, Abel Xavier, Mauricio Pellegrino, Emiliano Insua, Ronnie Whelan, Dean Saunders, Erik Meijer, Steve Nicol, Paul Ince 3
Jerzy Dudek, David Burrows, Torben Piechnik, Stephen Wright, Nabil El Zhar, Anthony Le Tellec, Aly Cissokho, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Phillipe Degen, Nathaniel Clyne, Ben Woodburn, Dominic Solanke, Rickie Lambert, Ozan Kabak, Ibrahima Konate, Takumi Minamino 2
Rhys Williams, Tyler Morton, Bobby Clark, Pedro Chirivella, Connor Randall, Nathaniel Phillips, Alisson, Damien Plessis, Brad Jones, Jack Robinson, Jan Kromkamp, Jon ostemobor, John Welsh, Julian Dicks, Bernard Diomede, Bruce Grobbelaar, Mark Kennedy 1

Alisson left powerless in Copa America opener

While Alisson enjoyed one of his most stress-free evenings in goal as a professional, the Liverpool keeper was forced to watch Brazil limp to one of its most embarrassing showings ever.

Of the 65,000 spectators hushed into stunned silence by Brazil's goalless draw at the Copa America on Monday against minnows Costa Rica, none had a better view than Alisson.

The Liverpool goalkeeper did not face a single shot on target the whole match — Costa Rica didn't register an attempt on goal until the 67th minute — and watched on helplessly as Brazil failed to translate its 74 percent possession share and 19 shot attempts into a goal at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Brazil assumed immediate control over Los Ticos, enjoying over 80 percent possession through the opening five minutes. Real Madrid forward Rodrygo carved out his squad's first real chance moments later as he found space in the 18-yard box from a diagonal run and rolled his effort hardly a foot wide of the far post.v

Alisson's first touch came at the 13-minute mark, spraying a ball out to right-back Danilo and beginning an excellent distributive afternoon for the Reds keeper. The former Roma star completed all 15 of his pass attempts and showcased Brazil's dominance of possession in the match, assuming possession just steps from the midfield circle on multiple occasions.

The Selecao appeared to open its Copa America account in the 30th minute after an inswinging set piece was flicked onto the back post and into the path of veteran center-back Marquinhos. However, an immediate VAR review ruled Brazil offsides and continued Costa Rica's valiant defensive effort. A potent long-range strike from Rodyro nearly unlocked the Central Americans just before halftime, dipping just beyond the crossbar and preserving the deadlock into the locker room.

While the Costa Ricans managed to record a pair of shots in the second half, neither offered any concern to Alisson. Alvaro Zamora lodged the underdogs' first try, a 30-yard strike that was cleared well before reaching the Brazilian net, and a feeble attempt by Alejandro Bran was collected by the Liverpool keeper — the two shots combined for an expected goal tally of 0.03.

Alisson's counterpart in net Monday, 25-year-old Patrick Sequeira who plays for third-division Spanish side Ibiza, managed to make a pair of massive saves after the 70th minute to preserve Costa Rica's result. The first incident was nearly a Tico disaster, as defender Haxzel Quiros directed a close-range header at his own net, but Sequeira managed to parry the miscue and force the ball out of bounds for a Brazil corner, one of nine on the evening for the Selecao.

At full stretch, Sequeira then batted away a blistering strike from Brazilian defender Guilherme Arana destined for the top-left corner. While he only was forced to make four saves on the match, as Costa Rica's low block defended valiantly, Sequeira proved massive in securing a historic result for Brazil.

Costa Rica will look for another miraculous result next time out on Thursday, facing a Colombia side in Phoenix that hasn't lost a match in more than two years. Brazil, meanwhile, look to pick up its first win at Copa America against Paraguay.

Via Liverpool.com

Luis Diaz's Columbia start with a win

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz has now begun his Copa America 2024 campaign with Colombia, beating Paraguay in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Diaz started in his customary left-wing role in the 2-1 win, a match in which former Everton midfielder James Rodriguez stole the headlines.

Rodriguez claimed both assists for Colombia’s goals, which were scored by Crystal Palace duo Daniel Munoz and Jefferson Lerma.

At 27-years-old, Diaz is now a vital figure for his country, and earned his 50th cap against Paraguay.

In total, the Liverpool winger has scored 12 goals for Colombia, a tally he’ll hope to add to as the month progresses.

Monday, June 24, 2024

Nunez scores to help Uruguay defeat Panama

Darwin Nunez scored with a clinical volley to help Uruguay defeat Panama 3-1 in their Copa America opener.

The Liverpool forward played the whole of the Group C tie in Miami overnight, where Uruguay took a first-half lead through Maximiliano Araujo’s excellent curler.

The match remained in the balance until late on but, on 85, Nunez met a dropping ball inside the Panama area with a crisp first-time effort that doubled his country’s advantage.

Matias Vina added to the scoresheet for La Celeste in stoppage time, while Michael Murillo gained a consolation for Panama with his own emphatic strike.

Nunez’s nation are back in action at the tournament in the early hours of Friday morning, when they meet Bolivia in New Jersey.

Via Liverpoolfc.com

Szoboszlai’s Hungary claimed a 1-0 victory over Robertson’s Scotland

Dominik Szoboszlai’s Hungary claimed a 1-0 victory over Andy Robertson’s Scotland at Euro 2024 on Sunday night.

The Liverpool pair each captained their country in the Group A game in Stuttgart, which was settled by a Kevin Csoboth goal 10 minutes into added time.

During a goalless first half, Hungary came closest to breaking the deadlock when Szoboszlai’s disguised, dinked free-kick was headed against the crossbar by Willi Orban.

The second period appeared to be passing by without a mark on the scoresheet, too, and was overshadowed by a collision that saw Hungary’s Barnabas Varga stretchered off and taken to hospital

Szoboszlai was denied a goal a minute into added time when his effort from inside the area was saved, moments before teammate Csoboth struck the post.

Scotland’s Grant Hanley was thwarted at the other end, but in the last minute of the contest a counter-attack involving Szoboszlai was finished off by Csoboth to win it.

The result means Hungary finish third in the group and must wait to see if their total of three points is enough to qualify for the last 16, while Scotland are eliminated.

Via Liverpoolfc.com

Sunday, June 23, 2024

Liverpool great Hansen discharged from hospital

Liverpool great Alan Hansen has been discharged from hospital following illness, his former club has announced.

The former Scotland defender had received well wishes from across the game when Liverpool confirmed on 9 June that he was "seriously ill".v

But on Sunday a family statement on the club website said that Hansen, 69, will "continue his recovery at home".

“Alan, Janet, Adam, Lucy and family would like to thank everybody for their wonderful messages of love and support,” the statement read.

“It has been overwhelming and has helped enormously.

“We also hugely appreciate the ongoing respect that has been shown for our privacy as Alan continues his recovery.”

Hansen spent 14 years with Liverpool, winning eight First Division titles, three European Cups and two FA Cups during the 1970s and 1980s.

He is in the top 10 for all-time appearances for the Reds, having played 620 matches and won 17 major trophies during a golden-era for the club.

Hansen, who earned 26 caps for Scotland, began his senior career with Partick Thistle and joined Liverpool in 1977, spending four seasons as captain before retiring in 1991.

After hanging up his boots, Hansen moved into punditry and worked on BBC's Match of the Day from 1992 until 2014.

His former Match of the Day colleague Gary Lineker tweeted: "The best news ever."

Jota and Jaros unused substitutes in Euro 24

Diogo Jota's Portugal have secured their spot in the last 16 of Euro 2024 with a game to spare.

The Liverpool forward was an unused substitute in his nation's 3-0 victory over Turkiye in Dortmund on Saturday evening.

Finishes by Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, and an own goal from Samet Akaydin, wrapped up top spot in Group F for Roberto Martinez's side.

Jota and his teammates complete the section against Georgia on Wednesday night.

Earlier in the day, Vitezslav Jaros was on the bench in Czechia's 1-1 draw with Georgia.

Via Liverpoolfc.com

Charity Shield Winners Programme Covers

  Charity Shield 1964

  Versus West Ham United

  Final Score - Liverpool 2 West Ham 2

  Reds Scorer - Wallace, Byrne

  Attendance - 38,858

  Venue - Anfield

  Charity Shield 1965

  Versus Manchester United

  Final Score - Liverpool 2 Manchester United 2

  Reds Scorer - Stevenson, Yeats

  Attendance - 48,502

  Venue - Old Trafford

  Charity Shield 1966

  Versus Everton

  Final Score - Liverpool 1 Everton 0

  Reds Scorer - Hunt

  Attendance - 63,329

  Venue - Goodison Park, Everton

  Charity Shield 1974

  Versus Leeds United

  Final Score - Liverpool 1 Leeds United 1

  Liverpool won 6-5 on pens)

  Reds Scorer - Boersma

  Attendance - 67,000

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 1976

  Versus Southampton

  Final Score - Liverpool 1 Southampton 0

  Reds Scorer - Toshack

  Attendance - 76,500

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 1977

  Versus Manchester United

  Final Score - Liverpool 0 Manchester United 0

  Attendance - 82,000

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 1979

  Versus Arsenal

  Final Score - Liverpool 3 Arsenal 1

  Reds Scorers - McDermott 2, Dalglish

  Attendance - 92,000

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 1980

  Versus West Ham United

  Final Score - Liverpool 1 West Ham 0

  Reds Scorer - McDermott

  Attendance - 90,000

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 1982

  Versus Tottenham Hotspur

  Final Score - Liverpool 1 Spurs 0

  Reds Scorer - Rush

  Attendance - 82,500

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 1986

  Versus Everton

  Final Score - Liverpool 1 Everton 1

  Reds Scorer - Rush

  Attendance - 88,231

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 1988

  Versus Wimbledon

  Final Score - Liverpool 2 Wimbledon 1

  Reds Scorers - Aldridge 2

  Attendance - 54,887

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 1989

  Versus Arsenal

  Final Score - Liverpool 1 Arsenal 0

  Reds Scorer - Beardsley

  Attendance - 63,149

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 1990

  Versus Manchester United

  Final Score - Liverpool 1 Man United 1

  Reds Scorer - Barnes

  Attendance - 66,558

  Venue - Wembley

  Charity Shield 2001

  Versus Manchester United

  Final Score - Liverpool 2 Manchester United 1

  Reds Scorers - McAllister(pen), Owen

  Attendance - 70,227

  Venue - Millenium Stadium, Cardiff

  Charity Shield 2006

  Versus Chelsea

  Final Score - Liverpool 2 Chelsea 1

  Reds Scorers - Riise, Crouch

  Attendance - 26,275

  Venue - Millenium Stadium, Cardiff

  Charity Shield 2022

  Versus Manchester City

  Final Score - Liverpool 2 Chelsea 1

  Reds Scorers - Trent, Salah, Nunez

  Attendance - 28,545

  Venue - Leicester City Stadium

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Van Dijk & Gakpo feature as Holland and France draw

Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo featured for the Netherlands in a 0-0 draw versus France at Euro 2024 on Friday night.

The Liverpool duo completed 90 minutes in Leipzig – with Van Dijk captaining his nation – as the points were shared in the Group D contest.

Ibrahima Konate was an unused substitute for France, while Ryan Gravenberch was also named on the bench for the Dutch.

In a competitive contest that saw a range of chances for both teams, it was the Netherlands who came closest to securing all three points.

Ronald Koeman’s outfit struck in minute 69 via Xavi Simons, though the attacker saw his low drive past goalkeeper Mike Maignan ruled out after VAR consultation for an offside.

The Netherlands and France will both return to action on Tuesday evening for a final group fixture in their bid to reach the knockout phase, taking on Austria and Poland respectively.

Via Liverpoolfc.com

Friday, June 21, 2024

Super Cup Final Winners Programme Covers

  Super Cup Final 1977-1978 1st Leg

  Versus SV Hamburg

  Final Score - SV Hamburg 1-1 Liverpool

  Attendance - 16,000

  Venue - Volkspark Stadion

  Super Cup Final 1977-1978 2nd Leg

  Versus SV Hamburg

  Final Score - Liverpool 6-0 SV Hamburg

  Attendance - 34,931

  Venue - Anfield

  Super Cup Final 2001

  Versus Bayern Munich

  Final Score - Bayern Munich 2-3 Liverpool

  Attendance - 13,824

  Venue - Stade Louis II, Monaco

  Super Cup Final 2005

  Versus CSKA Moscow

  Final Score - Liverpool 3-1 CSKA Moscow

  Attendance - 17,042

  Venue - Stade Louis II, Monaco

  Super Cup Final 2019

  Versus Chelsea

  Final Score - Liverpool 2-2 Chelsea

  Attendance - 38,434

  Venue - Besiktas Park, Istanbul

UEFA Cup Final Winners Programme Covers

  UEFA Cup Final 1972-1973 1st Leg

  Versus Borussia Monchengladbach

  Final Score - Liverpool 3-0 Borussia Monchengladbach

  Attendance - 41,169

  Venue - Anfield

  UEFA Cup Final 1972-1973 2nd Leg

  Versus Borussia Monchengladbach

  Final Score - Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 Liverpool

  Attendance - 34,905

  Venue - B stadion

  UEFA Cup Final 1975-1976 1st Leg

  Versus Club Brugge

  Final Score - Liverpool 3-2 Club Brugge

  Attendance - 49,981

  Venue - Anfield

  UEFA Cup Final 1975-1976 2nd Leg

  Versus Club Brugge

  Final Score - Club Brugge 1-1 Liverpool

  Attendance - 29,423

  Venue - O Stadion

  UEFA Cup Final 2000-2001

  Versus Alaves

  Final Score - Liverpool 5-4 Alaves (AET)

  Attendance - 48,050

  Venue - Westfalenstadion, Dortmund

Champions League Winners Programme Covers

  Champions League Final 2004-2005

  Versus AC Milan

  Final Score - AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (Liverpool win on Penalties)

  Attendance - 65,000

  Venue - Atatürk Stadium, Istanbul

  Champions League Final 2018-2019

  Versus Tottenham Hotspur

  Final Score - Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Liverpool

  Attendance - 63,272

  Venue - Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid

European Cup Final Winners Programme Covers

  European Cup Final 1976-1977

  Versus Borussia Monchengladbach

  Final Score - Liverpool 3-1 Borussia Monchengladbach

  Attendance - 56,000

  Venue - Stadio Olimpico, Rome

  European Cup Final 1977-1978

  Versus Club Brugge

  Final Score - Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge

  Attendance - 92,500

  Venue - Wembley

  European Cup Final 1980-1981

  Versus Real Madrid

  Final Score - Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid

  Attendance - 48,360

  Venue - Parc Des Princes

  European Cup Final 1983-1984

  Versus AS Roma

  Final Score - AS Roma 1-1 Liverpool (Liverpool win on Penalties)

  Attendance - 69,693

  Venue - Stadio Olimpico, Rome

League Cup Final Winners Programme Covers

  League Cup Final Replay 1980-1981

  Versus West Ham United

  Final Score - Liverpool 2-1 West Ham United (1st Game Finished 1-1)

  Attendance - 36,693

  Venue - Villa Park

  League Cup Final 1981-1982

  Versus Tottenham Hotpsur

  Final Score - Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur

  Attendance - 100,000

  Venue - Wembley

  League Cup Final 1982-1983

  Versus Manchester United

  Final Score - Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

  Attendance - 100,000

  Venue - Wembley

  League Cup Final 1983-1984

  Versus Everton

  Final Score - Liverpool 1-0 Everton

  Attendance - 52,089

  Venue - Maine Road

  League Cup Final 1994-1995

  Versus Bolton Wanderers

  Final Score - Liverpool 2-1 Bolton Wanderers

  Attendance - 75,595

  Venue - Wembley

  League Cup Final 2000-2001

  Versus Birmingham City

  Final Score - Liverpool 1-1 Birmingham City (Liverpool win on Penalties)

  Attendance - 73,500

  Venue - Millennium Stadium

  League Cup Final 2002-2003

  Versus Manchester United

  Final Score - Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United

  Attendance - 74,500

  Venue - Millennium Stadium

  League Cup Final 2011-2012

  Versus Cardiff City

  Final Score - Cardiff City 2-2 Liverpool (Liverpool win on Penalties)

  Attendance - 89,041

  Venue - Wembley

  League Cup Final 2021-2022

  Versus Chelsea

  Final Score - Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool (Liverpool win on Penalties)

  Attendance - 85,815

  Venue - Wembley