Liverpool v Basel: Champions League – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2014/dec/09/liverpool-v-basel-champions-league-live-report

Version 0 of 1.

9.36pm GMT21:36

FULL TIME: Liverpool 1-1 Basel

Yes, but Sterling, on the left-hand edge of the Basel area, doesn’t take it, scuffing a shot-cum-cross into the hands of Vaclik. And it’s all over! Basel are into the knockout phase of the Champions League, while Liverpool - whose fans are belting out a defiant rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone - enter the Europa League. Steven Gerrard: ya beauty II. But it wasn’t quite enough.

Updated at 9.56pm GMT

9.34pm GMT21:34

90 min +3: Sterling finds himself in more space down the left. The ball causes a minor stramash (RIP Arthur Montford) before Henderson batters one from the edge of the box. It’s a decent shot, but blocked. Is there enough time for one last shot?

9.33pm GMT21:33

90 min +2: Sterling in space down the left. His low ball towards the near post is nearly turned in by Skrtel. But it’s a goal kick.

9.32pm GMT21:32

90 min +1: Henderson overruns the ball down the right. Embolo races off down the wing. His low cross into the box evades Gashi in the middle by inches.

9.31pm GMT21:31

90 min: There will be four added minutes. Embolo breaks down the left and hammers a shot towards the bottom-left corner. Mignolet, covering his near post well, sticks up a strong hand.

9.31pm GMT21:31

89 min: From the corner on the left, Henderson is found in space on the right, but his measured cross is deflected out right for another corner. Coutinho flings the ball into the centre. It drops to Gerrard on the edge of the box. Three rugby points. You can’t hit the sweet spot every time.

9.29pm GMT21:29

88 min: Gerrard slides a gorgeous ball down the left channel for Sterling. The Liverpool winger can’t quite get to the ball first, but as he enters the area, Vaclik slides out and clatters into Schar. The ball bounces out for a corner on the left. Before that’s taken, though, Vaclik and Schar require a little treatment. Clock’s ticking!

9.28pm GMT21:28

87 min: Samuel comes on for Zuffi.

9.28pm GMT21:28

86 min: Gerrard chips a ball into the Basel box from the left. Henderson rises but doesn’t get much on the header, directed to the right side of the goal. He nearly scores, though, with a little help from Gashi, the ball coming off the Basel man and nearly squeaking into the bottom left, Vaclik wrong footed. But the keeper recovers brilliantly and smothers the ball on the line.

9.26pm GMT21:26

85 min: Zuffi turns on the edge of the Liverpool box and, from the right-hand edge of the D, goes for the top left. Mignolet, at full stretch, palms clear. A fine save. Then another phase, and Xhaka bursts down the right after a lovely Gonzalez flick. He blooters miles over the bar from 12 yards!

9.25pm GMT21:25

84 min: Diaz comes on for Elneny. Sterling turns on a sixpence, breaks down the inside-right channel, and wins a corner. Which is ludicrously wasted by Gerrard, who hits the set piece straight out of play. But after that free kick, who could be too hard on him?

9.24pm GMT21:24

83 min: Gashi skelps a free kick straight at Mignolet from 30 yards. A Basel goal there would really have ruined the mood. But Anfield is finally buzzing, after 80 minutes of misery. “My standard rule applies,” begins Samuel Blanning. “If It’s Not Allowed In Cagefighting, It’s A Red Card On A Football Pitch. Watching the slo-mo replay, my immediate thought was that if Markovic did that in an MMA ring, the referee would stop the fight and tell him that he either keeps his fists closed or he gets points deducted. Eye-raking/gouging being a no-no, even if accidental. And things you get warned for in a cagefight you get red cards for in football. Silly boy.”

9.23pm GMT21:23

GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Basel (Gerrard 81)

He can, you know! And how! He curls an unstoppable free kick over the wall, at high speed, up and back down, right in the top-left corner! It’s not quite ya-beauty territory, as Liverpool still need another goal, but that one was right out of the top drawer! What a way to notch his 100th goal at Anfield!

Updated at 9.34pm GMT

9.21pm GMT21:21

80 min: Sterling goes on a fast wander down the inside-left channel. Just before he breaks into the area, Schar bundles him over. He’s booked, and will miss Basel’s next game in the Champions League. A free kick in a dangerous position, just to the left of goal, outside the area. Can Gerrard change the atmosphere?

9.19pm GMT21:19

78 min: Moreno, in space down the left, cuts the ball back for Sterling, who diddles on the edge of the box before losing control. Sterling needs a rest. Unfortunately for the poor young man, he’s been Liverpool’s best player by some distance this season, and doesn’t look like getting one any time soon.

9.17pm GMT21:17

76 min: A corner for Basel down the right. It comes to nothing, but the visitors are more than happy to run down the clock. The ball breaks upfield, and then Gonzalez romps off down the right. He’s unceremoniously upended by Moreno, who hangs out a cynical leg. He’s rightly booked.

9.16pm GMT21:16

75 min: Moreno makes good down the left, and whips a decent high ball into the mixer. But the mixer’s unplugged, because only Gerrard’s trying to get upfield, he’s 34, and there’s no striker.

9.15pm GMT21:15

74 min: Gerrard has a lash from 30 yards up the inside-left channel. It flies wide right of goal. Lucas is replaced by Coutinho, while Streller makes way for the exciting young Embolo. Anfield is very quiet now. The crowd know the jig is up.

9.13pm GMT21:13

72 min: Sterling rolls a ball down the inside-left channel to release Gerrard into the box. The Liverpool captain looks to round the advancing Vaclik on the left, and goes over the keeper’s arms. The Kop scream for a penalty kick, but the keeper’s got a hand to the ball and blocked it onto Gerrard, who then went over. A fine decision by the referee, although not a popular one.

Updated at 9.25pm GMT

9.11pm GMT21:11

71 min: Streller takes a bash from the edge of the box, Liverpool light at the back and throwing caution to the wind. Johnson manages to block and clear.

9.10pm GMT21:10

68 min: Skrtel, 35 yards out down the right, sends a rising shot towards the top left. It’s a couple of millimetres over the bar! What a spectacular strike that would have been! But it betrays Liverpool’s desperation. Once the sugar rush of the shot dies down, it’s only the Basel fans who can be heard. It’s been a grim evening at Anfield for Liverpool.

9.08pm GMT21:08

65 min: Frei slides in on Sterling, as the winger flies down the right. Free kick. It’s easily cleared by Basel, and Xhaka tears off up the other end. Lovren bundles him over while in hot pursuit, and is booked for the trouble. He can have no complaints. But can Markovic? Well, they’ve just run a replay, and he looks behind to ascertain where his opponent was, before throwing a weak slap back in the direction of his face. There may not have been any contact - if there was, it wasn’t much - but what on earth was he trying to achieve? Dearie me.

9.05pm GMT21:05

63 min: Gerrard clatters into Schar, the red mist having thoroughly descended. Nothing more than a free kick. Liverpool need to calm down.

9.03pm GMT21:03

RED CARD Markovic sent off!

60 min: Markovic is running through the midfield, a couple of steps ahead of Safari. He inexplicably throws back his arm, fully extended, his fingers drifting towards Safari’s face. It’s a waft, and he doesn’t really connect. Safari goes down as though hoicked in the teeth with a crowbar. It’s a preposterous reaction... but then again, what on earth was Markovic doing, raising his arm in the direction of an opponent’s mug? Asking for trouble, that’s what, and by gum he’s found it.

Updated at 9.15pm GMT

9.00pm GMT21:00

59 min: Xhaka picks up a loose ball on the right wing and drifts inside with menace. He reaches the edge of the box, to the left of the D, and unleashes a low shot towards the bottom right. It’s beaten the despairing grasp of Mignolet, but bounces past the post by an inch or so. Such a wonderful run, so unfortunate. Liverpool’s goose was nearly cooked.

8.58pm GMT20:58

57 min: A bit of space down the right for Sterling, but his low fizzer into the area is easily mopped up by Suchy. Then Markovic bears down on Basel along the right. He slips the ball inside for Allen, whose shot from the edge of the box is blocked. Markovic has a go himself, and that’s not brilliant either. But Markovic has looked decent since coming on, injecting a little pace, passion and skill into an otherwise flat mix.

8.56pm GMT20:56

54 min: Spirit’s not eroded yet. Frei looks to break upfield with a powerful run down the middle, but loses control as he nears the Liverpool box. For a second the hosts were light at the back. Risks are necessary, of course, but surely nothing reckless yet?!

8.55pm GMT20:55

53 min: Liverpool are applying a little pressure here, though the emphasis is on little. A lot of triangulation in the middle of the park, and it’s not really going anywhere. But Basel are sitting back, and being forced to chase the ball. Liverpool aiming to slowly erode Basel’s spirit, perhaps. We’ll see how that pans out.

8.52pm GMT20:52

51 min: Gerrard takes a baroque route down the left. Nice skill. He lays off to Moreno on the overlap. The young full back crosses. A decent ball into the area. No red shirts, though. No striker, you see. It’s fair to say this team is lop-sided.

8.50pm GMT20:50

49 min: A rare old atmosphere now at Anfield! Markovic slides a pass down the right to release Johnson into space. The ball skids off the slippery turf, and though Johnson slides to hook it back into the box, it’s easily dealt with by Basel. But this is much better from Liverpool. It couldn’t have got much worse.

Updated at 9.06pm GMT

8.48pm GMT20:48

47 min: Liverpool have clearly come out with purpose. Perhaps too much purpose, as Lucas slides in on Elneny. He’s late, and deservedly goes in the book. The resulting free kick, 30 yards out just to the right, is hit by Schar, not once, but twice, and the ball flies harmlessly wide left.

8.47pm GMT20:47

With the rain still lashing down, the teams come out for the second half. And Liverpool have made a double change, swapping Lambert and Enrique for Markovic and Moreno. And within 20 seconds, Markovic embarks on a power sashay down the right, pulling back a ball that causes a little panic in the Basel box. Gerrard ends the phase of play by sending a bouncing bomb right of goal from the edge of the box. That’s got Anfield going!

8.42pm GMT20:42

Half-time advertisement:

8.32pm GMT20:32

HALF TIME: Liverpool 0-1 Basel

And that’s that for the first half. Basel go in with a deserved lead. They’ve conceded two goals in their last seven games. Liverpool now need to score twice in the second half if they’re to stay in the Champions League. On the evidence presented so far, it’s over. But stranger things have happened in this competition for Liverpool, so you never know.

Updated at 8.56pm GMT

8.30pm GMT20:30

45 min: Henderson slips a ball down the right for Johnson, who has a little time and space to get a cross in. Lambert’s in the middle, but the ball flies over his head, too far in front of him, and at too high a velocity. “Joe Allen. The Carmarthenshire Maradona. Saving the best for the second half obviously.” Kalle Weis-Fogh there, with a textbook example of optimism.

8.29pm GMT20:29

43 min: Basel put the ball in the net again, Zuffi firing a low pass down the inside-left from the centre circle to release Gashi, who thrashes a low shot into the bottom-right corner. Gorgeous finish. But he’d burst clear of the back line in an over-eager fashion, and is quite rightly flagged for offside. Liverpool breathe again.

8.27pm GMT20:27

42 min: It’s tipping it down at Anfield, in stair rods. If that’s any excuse. It’s not an excuse.

8.27pm GMT20:27

41 min: Gerrard looks to release Sterling into the area with a ball rolled down the right, but it’s yards from his man. Soon after, a simple pass out from the back by Skrtel is intercepted, but once again Basel can’t quite benefit from Liverpool’s total and utter lack of cohesion.

8.25pm GMT20:25

39 min: Streller strolls down the left and fizzes a low cross into the Liverpool box. At which point the theme tune to Some Mothers Do Ave Em springs to mind. It’s komik kutz as defenders slip on their arses and fail to hack clear. Gonzalez and Frei nearly latch onto the loose ball, but the luck’s with Liverpool. The ball certainly wasn’t cleared by design. This is a desperate display by Liverpool.

8.23pm GMT20:23

37 min: Sterling picks up the pace a little with a burst down the middle of the park. Basel momentarily on the back foot. He slides a pass down the right channel for Henderson, but there’s too much juice on the ball. Goal kick.

8.20pm GMT20:20

35 min: The home side are a complete shambles right now. Frustration spilling down from the stands as passes are misplaced. Nothing whatsoever is happening for Liverpool.

8.19pm GMT20:19

32 min: Streller flicks a ball round the corner down the right. Gonzalez cocks his leg back to shoot from a tight angle, ten yards out. Johnson gets a toe to the ball. Corner. Lambert half-clears the set piece, but the ball’s swung back in from the left by Gashi, and Streller meets it with a volley at the far post, six yards out. He doesn’t catch it properly, and it flies into the Kop, missing the target on the right.

8.16pm GMT20:16

30 min: Liverpool’s positive response to falling behind didn’t last long. They nearly fall two goals behind, Gonzalez powering down the inside-left channel before being crowded out just inside the box by Enrique’s powerful shoulder charge. A corner, though, and from that, Safari tries to blast one in from the best part of 35 yards! There’s confidence running through the Swiss. Liverpool can barely string two passes together right now.

8.14pm GMT20:14

29 min: As things stand, Liverpool are out, of course. They can take a little succour from the fact that, chances are, they’ll at least have Europa League action to look forward to in the New Year. Real Madrid are currently beating Ludogorets 1-0, Cristiano Ronaldo (who else?) with the opener there.

8.13pm GMT20:13

27 min: Sterling, Lambert and Gerrard combine down the right. From the resulting throw, Sterling lashes a shot towards the bottom right from just inside the area. It’s easily gathered by Vaclik.

8.11pm GMT20:11

GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Basel (Frei 25)

A free kick for Basel down the right. Mignolet plucks a poor Safari set piece from the sky. Relief. For about 30 seconds. Frei, down the inside-left channel, slips the ball forward to Zuffi, on the left-hand side of the D. Zuffi lays off instantly to Frei, on his outside, and the midfielder flashes a stunning low shot across goal and into the bottom right corner! Brilliant goal! And it has been coming. Richly deserved. Liverpool did go a goal down against Olympiakos all those years ago, I suppose.

Updated at 8.30pm GMT

8.08pm GMT20:08

22 min: Basel press Liverpool back and win a corner down the left, Gashi irritating Johnson in the grand style. Nothing comes directly from the set piece, but the away side are soon coming back at the hosts, Xhaka whipping a low cross into the area from the right. Streller can’t quite get the ball out from under his feet, six yards out and level with the left-hand post. Liverpool hack clear, but an opening goal offered itself to Streller for a nanosecond. Liverpool are working themselves up into a panic.

8.06pm GMT20:06

20 min: Liverpool’s collective lack of confidence betrays itself. Henderson rakes a pass down the inside-right channel for Sterling, who has space and suddenly finds himself with only Vaclik to beat! But 12 yards out and faced with a slight angle, Sterling opts to pull the ball back for Gerrard instead of shooting, and his nervous pass is intercepted. Oh dear.

8.04pm GMT20:04

19 min: Basel are playing nicely. Zuffi spreads the ball wide right to Xhaka, who cuts inside, considers shooting, but doesn’t. The visitors triangulate awhile, then eventually Frei blooters into the Kop despite enjoying quite a bit of space down the left. Again Liverpool didn’t look totally secure at the back there.

8.03pm GMT20:03

16 min: Gashi is very, very close to breaking through the middle, chasing a high ball that confuses Lovren and Skrtel. Eventually Skrtel regains his composure and just about deals with the situation. But Liverpool don’t look solid at the back at all. Like that’s breaking news.

8.01pm GMT20:01

15 min: Another free kick from Gerrard down the right, and once again it’s easily cleared by Basel. Xhaka attempts to break away down the right, but is unceremoniously dumped into touch by Lucas. The referee would be within his rights to book the Liverpool midfielder, who got the ball but was testing the boundaries of acceptable force. But the official makes do with a firm chat and a Paddington-style hard stare.

7.59pm GMT19:59

13 min: Pretty and powerful. Zuffi, in the centre circle, rolls a pass down the inside-left channel to send Gashi romping with purpose towards the Liverpool box. The home side’s back four are all over the shop! Luckily for them, Gashi batters his shot, meant for the top left, just over the bar.

7.58pm GMT19:58

12 min: Xhaka breaks clear down the right with Enrique snoozing. His low cross into the area is easily claimed by Mignolet, with no attackers making life difficult for the Liverpool keeper. But that looked dangerous for a second. Basel are beginning to knock it around in a pretty manner.

7.55pm GMT19:55

10 min: Enrique launches a ball into the Basel box from the left. Lambert doesn’t quite win the header, but the loose ball breaks towards Sterling, who wins a corner down the right in a physical duel with Safari. But the resulting set piece comes to nothing.

7.54pm GMT19:54

8 min: Streller is checked as he looks to burst down the inside-left channel. Free kick to Basel, and a chance for the away side to load the Liverpool box. Suchy hoicks the ball towards the right-hand post where, with Streller lurking, Lovren heads powerfully clear. That may settle the big man’s nerves. Next stop: repairing shattered confidence. But one step at a time.

7.52pm GMT19:52

6 min: A poor free kick by Gerrard from the right touchline. Easily cleared by Basel, the first man. The visitors race up the other end, with Gonzalez cutting in from the right and causing a little trouble just outside the Liverpool area. He’s joined by Streller, though both men are eventually crowded out by the busy pair of Skrtel and Lovren. The away supporters are making a hell of a racket too. It’s not exactly Chelsea 2005, but a decent atmosphere nonetheless.

7.50pm GMT19:50

3 min: Henderson breaks down the inside-left channel and lays off outside to Gerrard, who finds Lambert in the middle. Lambert gets a head to the ball, but its directionless. Henderson tries to latch onto the dropping ball, just inside the box, to the left of goal, but can’t volley with any certainty. A reasonably uptempo start by Liverpool, though. Shades of last season.

7.48pm GMT19:48

2 min: Sterling goes on a meander down the right, and cuts into the area. He can’t find a man, but the ball’s deflected to Gerrard on the edge of the box. Gerrard tries to curl one into the top right, but doesn’t catch it. Vaclik does catch it, with ease.

Updated at 8.17pm GMT

7.47pm GMT19:47

Liverpool get the ball rolling, kicking towards the Anfield Road Stand in the first half. They’ll be attacking the Kop in the second half, which is exactly how they like it. It’s not long before they’ve conceded possession, though, and within 40 seconds Skrtel is in his own penalty area hoofing a ball straight into the air. That’s gone into orbit! Straight up. Momo Sissoko did that once, against Everton I think. Trapped it perfectly when it came down, too. Skrtel doesn’t manage that, but he does clear. Hmm. I’d say the only way is up, but that cliche doesn’t work so well right here.

7.44pm GMT19:44

The teams are out! No Fabio Borini in the squad, which has raised an eyebrow or two. “Once again Borini nowhere in sight and no real centre forward except for Lambert (whom I like), a 34 year old who has played in the last few games for the full 90 minutes,” writes Roger Nogivensurname. “For a game where a win is the only acceptable outcome, a very strange omission indeed.” An evening for Lazar Markovic, perhaps, should things reach that point? Anyway, the players line up on the turf, Liverpool in their famous red, Basel in second-choice white - shades of Real Madrid instead of their usual Barcelona number - and the Kop is making its trademark racket. A rare old atmosphere for a match Liverpool have to win: a typical European night at Anfield. We’ll be off in a minute!

Updated at 8.14pm GMT

7.09pm GMT19:09

Team news: Steven Gerrard returns to the Liverpool starting XI, while Dejan Lovren comes in for Kolo Toure, who was ruled out at the last minute with a groin strain. Jose Enrique and Joe Allen also freshen things up. A new look. People love new looks, right?

Meanwhile 17-year-old wonder-striker Breel Embolo - profiled here by wonder-writer Paul Doyle - is kept in reserve by Basle on the bench. Marco Streller, who scored the winner when the teams met in Switzerland in October, leads the line with Derlis Gonzalez on his shoulder.

“You give reasons in your preamble why Liverpool have hope, and make the case that Basel too have hope,” notes Peter Oh. “So it’s hope against hope tonight at Anfield. Lovren is back! I’m frightened.”

6.36pm GMT18:36

The teamsheets

Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Lovren, Enrique, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard, Sterling, Lambert.Subs: Jones, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Lallana, Coutinho, Markovic.

Basel: Vaclik, Xhaka, Schar, Suchy, Safari, Elneny, Frei, Zuffi, Gonzalez, Streller, Gashi.Subs: Vailati, Degen, Samuel, Delgado, Diaz, Hamoudi, Embolo.

Referee: Björn Kuipers (Netherlands).

Updated at 6.38pm GMT

6.00pm GMT18:00

It was twenty years ago today … well, Sgt Pepper is a fictional character of Paul McCartney’s, he’s not relevant here. But for the record, around this time in 1994 Liverpool were fourth in the Premier League and on the periphery of the title race but in the process of falling away, thanks to a run of three matches in which Roy Evans’ team disappointingly drew with Coventry City, Crystal Palace and Chelsea, scoring only one goal in the process. (Ian Rush in the second minute against Coventry, a run down the inside-right channel culminating in a sweet shot past Steve Ogrizovic, but we’re going well off piste here.)

As for the slightly less lyrical ten years and one day ago ... that’s when Steven Gerrard found the sweet spot himself, battering home from the edge of the area at Anfield’s Kop end, giving Liverpool the two-goal victory they required against Olympiakos to stay alive in that year’s Champions League. And we all know how that story panned out. That yabeauuuuuuuutiful strike was the moment, looking back, when Gerrard’s status at Liverpool Football Club shifted from Good And Popular Player to Living Legend. (Though it should be remembered that the real heroes that night were Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor, who both had a goal and an assist to their name. And therefore Mellor, who was only on the pitch for 11 minutes and created twice as much in roughly one-tenth of the time, was the real hero of that particular evening. But poor Stevie’s had it hard recently, so let’s not deconstruct one of his classic moments and try to take it away from him. And fair’s fair, it was one hell of a strike. Ya beauty indeed.)

Anyway, point is, with Liverpool needing a win over Basel tonight to survive in the Champions League, they could do with another stellar performance from their captain. Gerrard has of late been raging against the dying of the light, with a fine performance last week at bogey club Leicester City followed by a sparkling but brief cameo in an otherwise turgid affair against Sunderland on Saturday. Liverpool will be hoping, as winter approaches, that their captain is emerging from the funk he’s been in since the tail end of last season, and a long Indian summer is about to begin. Especially as Liverpool’s current form is a bit more twenty-years-ago-today than ten, as they struggle for goals and form against middling teams. For yesterday’s Coventry, Crystal Palace and Chelsea, read Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Chelsea, plus ça change plus c’est la même chose.

And their problem tonight is: Basel are quite a bit better than middling. When the teams met at St Jakob-Park in October, Basel were more comprehensive winners than the 1-0 result suggests. They beat Chelsea home and away last year. They only need a draw tonight. And Liverpool have never beaten Basel, Gerard Houllier’s team infamously coming a cropper in similar circumstances back in 2002 after going 3-0 down in double-quick time, their eventual recovery to 3-3 never enough. On the flip side, Basel have lost both of their away games in this year’s Champions League, to Ludogorets and Real Madrid. So Liverpool have hope. And Basel have hope. And all this hope will surely fuel a fascinating duel. It’s on!

Kick off: 7.45pm in Liverpool, 8.45pm in Basel.