Thursday, November 29, 2007

And the Reds go marching onnnnn...

As of now I'm still feeling lazy so I should just plagiarize from the Liverpool home page. It was a great match by the way, dominating at the beginning and getting the job done at the end.

Fernando Torres struck a magnificent double as Liverpool left it late to clinch a 4-1 win over FC Porto and keep our hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League alive.

The Spain international, who has now scored 10 goals in 16 appearances, struck 12 minutes from time after his first-half opener was cancelled out by a Lisandro Lopez header with a Steven Gerrard penalty and a header from substitute Peter Crouch sealing the win.

The result means that Liverpool will qualify for the last 16 of the competition if they beat Marseille at the Stade Velodrome in an all-or-nothing clash on matchday six.

The Anfield faithful was in good voice ahead of the game and the team responded in kind, with a high-tempo opening that could have been rewarded with a penalty on five minutes, but the referee waived away Yossi Benayoun's appeals after his effort seemed to strike the arm of visiting defender Marek Cech.

Fernando Torres then showed just what he brings to the Liverpool side when he dispossessed Paulo Assuncao on the halfway line and ran at the heart of the Porto defence before unleashing a 20-yard strike that was well held by Helton.

Jesualdo Ferreira's men topped the group at the start of play and seemed content to sit back and soak up the pressure. But that all changed on 19 minutes when Fernando Torres gave Liverpool a deserved lead.

The Spain international rose unmarked to power home Steven Gerrard's corner from the right and claim his ninth goal of the campaign.

It was the perfect start for the Reds and they continued to dominate possession without truly troubling Helton in the Porto goal.

It seemed like they would go in at half-time with a priceless interval lead but on 33 minutes a defensive lapse allowed the away side in to equalise.

Przemyslaw Kazmierczak broke down the left and after evading the challenge of Steve Finnan he sent over a dangerous cross that was met by Lisandro Lopez who guided his header beyond Pepe Reina at the Kop end.

The goal was a bitter blow for the Reds but they did not lose heart and they could have restored their lead a minute later but Torres was thwarted at the last minute after a clever ball form Benayoun.

However, it could have been worse for Rafa and co and hearts where in mouths on 37 minutes when Lisandro Lopez contrived to stab his effort wide of the post after his intelligent run beat the offside trap.

Liverpool began the second period attacking the Kop end but chances were at a premium as the Portuguese outfit maintained their stubborn resistance.

Benayoun squandered the first opening of the half when he sliced his effort wide after good play by Torres before both substitute Harry Kewell and Sami Hyypia went close.

It looked like the visitors would hold on for a hard-fought draw but when Kewell fed Torres on 78 minutes the young forward held off the challenges to guide his effort past the keeper and send the home fans into delirium.

And it got better four minutes later when Steven Gerrard sent Helton the wrong way from the penalty-spot after a Porto defender was adjudged to have handled in the area.

There was even time for substitute Peter Crouch to put rub salt in the visitors' wounds as he headed in Gerrard's corner with Porto's defence all at sea.