Anderlecht are a team renowned for being dominant in Belgium and poor in Europe, often humiliatingly used as an example of the gulf in class between the leagues allowed to participate in the European Cup. Underpinning exactly what the team is about is a leaky defence, porous and rocky, whose favourite habit seems to be leaving large gaps for the opposition to take advantage of. The offence is, on the other hand, a little more advanced and threatens to score on occasion; up against some of the most miserly back fours on the continent however, Anderlecht often find themselves shunned and puzzled as to what to do next.
Enter Liverpool, European Champions but in the bottom half of the table domestically, and Anderlecht were by far our easiest Champions League opposition thus far. Beginning with a rejuvenated Djibril Cisse on his own up front, Rafa gave the team a true ‘Valencia’ feel, with a defensive midfield playing behind playmaker Luis Garcia. The beginning of the match was dominated by sloppiness from the Reds, with Reina making an excellent save with his legs in the opening minutes of the game. This chance became available due to poor defensive awareness from just about every defender in Red, but the attack soon made up for that.
Luis Garcia powered the best chance of the game into the stands behind the Anderlecht net before John Arne Riise, a constant threat down the left-hand side, cut onto his right foot for a bending shot. I kid you not, his right foot, and the ball swirled inside just enough for the keeper to get a few fleeting fingers to it and force a corner. So it isn’t just for standing on after all, eh John? Liverpool would not have to wait long for the goal to arrive, with the pressure Benitez’s team were exerting all over the pitch simply bewildering an inexperienced-looking opposition. Dietmar Hamann’s right-hand side cross just moments later found itself falling perfectly for goal-hungry Cisse, and a guided volley rocketed into the net from just eight yards out.
Liverpool looked as though they would score again and saw out the first half with a mixture of grit, experience and class, with Xabi Alonso once more running the show supplemented by his typical finesse. Only in the second half did Anderlecht come forward with any real intent, yet the ever-reliable Carragher and still-strong Hyypia simply blocked out any flame of a Belgian attack coming Liverpool’s way. Riise flashed a few more chances wide with the help of Cisse, whilst a certain highlight was the arrival of fit-again Harry Kewell, looking thirsty and driven in his role as a striker. Vanden Borre of Anderlecht went the closest his team got to an equaliser towards the end, yet in truth Liverpool should have scored more and won by two or three clear goals. Finishing continues to let us down, although at least now one of our strikers appears ready to put together a goalscoring run in Djibril Cisse. Overall, this was a successfully negotiated tie handled perfectly by both Benitez and his team – just one more win should now take Liverpool into the next stage of the Cup we currently own.
Player ratings – Reina 7, Traore 7, Carragher 8, Hyypia 8, Josemi 6, Riise 8, Alonso 9, Hamann 7, Sissoko 8, Garcia 7, Cisse 8. Subs – Kewell 7, Zenden 6, Warnock 6.
If Only, If Only…
This week brought with it the revelations from Phil Thompson’s long-awaited autobiography that Liverpool narrowly missed out on Manchester United’s Ronaldo last summer. With a firm £4 million bid lodged with Sporting Lisbon officials, Houllier and Thompson believed that they had their man when they spotted on the news that our friends from Manchester had bought him for an extra £8 million. In a quick, fleeting thought, I momentarily dreamt of Morientes and Crouch feeding off the service of what I would call a ‘proper’ winger down the flanks. What a difference that signing could have made to the Liverpool team, what a massive, bewildering difference. It’s about time we beat our rivals to a huge signing once in a while; the club must use the tag of European Champions to land an influential signing in 2006, before the Reds risk becoming a second-rate club in not only the transfer market, but also the Premiership.
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There will be no Fulham match report this week as John Roache is away.