Match Reports
Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 Liverpool Bayer Leverkusen ended Liverpool's Champions League dreams following a thrilling match in the BayArena. Liverpool went into the game with a 1-0 lead, and knew that if they scored, Leverkusen would need a win by two clear goals to progress. There was much criticism before the game of Liverpool's defensive tactics in the first leg, and many expected Liverpool to put more emphasis on defending what they already had, rather than searching for an away goal. That proved not to be the case though, and Heskey was denied a 1st minute chance by a poor first touch, after he'd been played in down the left with acres of space to run into. Heskey did win a corner though, which was comfortably defended by the Germans. Just a few minutes later, John Arne Riise fired a half volley over the bar from a difficult angle, and it with both sides clearly aiming to attack at every opportunity, the game was already looking to have the makings of a classic. Bayer gradually settled into the match though, and enjoyed a lot of possession in Liverpool's half. An early goal was on the cards, and Michael Ballack was the man with it. After picking up the ball around 30 yards out, Ballack shaped to shoot on his right foot, completely fooling Steve Gerrard, who threw himself in front of the ball. Instead, Ballack brought the ball onto his left and unleashed an unstoppable shot past Dudek. The Pole got fingertips to the shot but was always at full stretch and the power behind the shot really gave the keeper no chance. Liverpool almost struck back within five minutes when Owen found himself in the box with only the keeper to beat. Owen took too many touches though, and scuffed the final effort to prevent a quick equaliser. Bayer really took command of the game for much of the rest of the first half, and Jorg Butt was largely untroubled in the Bayer goal, with most of the action taking place in the opposite half of the field. But Liverpool drew level before half time, through an Abel Xavier header, and suddenly things looked rosy for the visitors. Bayer had dominated the half and had good reason to be disappointed at the break. Liverpool meanwhile had scored a priceless away goal. It meant that Bayer needed a two goal win, and with Liverpool's defensive record in the competition of only conceding one goal in their previous six games, it seemed hugely unlikely that Bayer could possibly put another two past Hyypia, Henchoz and co. The half time atmosphere was one of expectation in the away section of the ground. The travelling fans believed that Xavier's goal would be the deciding moment in the tie, and that even if Bayer did go on to win, it would only be by a single goal. Liverpool restarted the game, and immediately pressed forward, looking for a goal which would give them a lead on the night, but just couldn't seem to put the ball in the Bayer net. Owen had the best chance of the entire night on 50 minutes, racing through on goal with only Butt to beat. But Owen missed his second one on one chance of the evening as his angled shot across the keeper came back off the post and Leverkusen cleared the danger. A little over five minutes later, and Owen was presented with an almost exact copy of his earlier chance, but this time lifted the ball over the keeper and wide of the far post when a better option may have been to knock the ball around the keeper, who was charging off his line and towards Owen. The two misses where to prove costly, but not, perhaps, as costly as the substitution which was to take place after an hour of the game. With the scores at 1-1, and Liverpool matching Leverkusen in both the amount of possession and the number of chances, Gerard Houllier chose to withdraw Dietmar Hamann. Hamann had not had his best game ever, but with the score still very much in Liverpool's favour, and Leverkusen being restricted to so little, it seemed that the only sensible explanation was that Hamann was injured. It was later proved not to be the case, and replacing Hamann on the pitch was Smicer. It seemed a tactical blunder at the time, and within six minutes of the change, Liverpool were 3-1 down on the night, and staring right at a scoreline which have been enough to put Leverkusen into the semi finals. Ballack netted the first from a header after outjumping Xavier, and Berbatov, a half time substitute, was the man with the third goal, pouncing from close range after an initial shot had beaten Dudek but been cleared off the line by Henchoz. The volume in the BayArena, which had been sensational all night, suddenly reached new heights with the Bayer fans knowing that they were in front on aggregate. The home defence seemed to be holding out without too many problems and Liverpool were being frustrated every time they attempted to get near the Bayer penalty area. With 11 minutes remaining on the clock, Jari Litmanen was given the ball on the far left side of the Leverkusen penalty area, and set off on a run towards goal, stepping past a couple of Bayer defenders, delaying his shot a couple of times along the way, before finally sticking the ball in the bottom corner of the net. It was almost fairy tale stuff, and the man who put us on our way against Roma just three weeks earlier was again a hero. Surely Liverpool wouldn't let a semi final place slip away again! It was always going to be a tense finish, and Ballack went close to a hattrick immediately following the goal with a fierce shot from inside the box that flew over the bar. It was the last let off of the night for Liverpool though, as Leverkusen made no mistake with their next chance. A through ball was played behind the defence, and as Carragher stood appealing for offside, Lucio blasted a low shot through Dudek's legs to put Leverkusen in the driving seat once again. The Liverpool fans stood in shock. There was no 'in between' as far as the score was concerned. Each side was either winning or losing, and Liverpool had gone from one to the other no less than four times during the night in a match which was more a roller coaster. The fourth goal was the killer, and there was no way back for Liverpool after that, and as the final whistle blew, it was the Leverkusen fans who were left celebrating qualification to the semi finals. Nevertheless, their was almost no feeling of bitterness among the Liverpool fans and the splendid atmosphere continued until well after the end of the match, with opposition fans joining in the singing of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' before chants of 'Bayer' rang around the away section as the home players walked around the pitch to applaud the fans. It was cup football at it's very best, and exactly the sort of night which European football was made for. View exclusive photographs from this match!
|