SOCCER/Debrecen 0 Liverpool 1:THE SORROW arrived tamely. There was no wrenching twist of fate for Liverpool, just the drab understanding that Fiorentina had maintained their 1-0 lead over Lyon to the end. This win in Budapest has not spared them elimination from the Champions League.
The club’s drop into the unfashionable Europa League may lower spirits further. There is just a weak satisfaction in knowing they took a win here, even if Debrecen were close to a leveller in stoppage time. Rafael Benitez will be concerned now by a dip in funds and drop in his side’s morale when a revival is called for in the Premier League. At least they completed last night’s task professionally.
The match was, above all, a test of concentration for Liverpool. Knowing the value of a win here was to be determined by events in Florence, it would have been simple for the players’ minds to wander. With a goal in the fourth minute, the visitors confirmed their sense of urgency. Following a short corner on the right, Fabio Aurelio curled an inswinging ball to the far post where Jamie Carragher nodded it back for David Ngog to score from close range.
There was professionalism as well as hope to Liverpool’s display when thoughts might have drifted to Italy. Benitez’s side seemed their old selves in attitude and team selection. Glen Johnson returned at right-back and Carragher was thereby free to resume his normal role at the heart of the defence. Even with Yossi Benayoun named among the substitutes, this was a line-up of heartening familiarity.
The sense of a team in recovery was dimmed mostly by the fact Fernando Torres continued to be sidelined as a rest cure is attempted for his hernia problem, but that issue receded with the opener from his understudy Ngog.
Debrecen, with five midfielders, were cautious even though there was no longer anything at stake. Andras Herczeg’s side have known for a while the bottom place in Group E has been reserved for them. The ambition in their ranks seemed to be to preserve a reputation as a squad who fall short rather than capitulate.
The home supporters had their first opportunity to cheer, in taunting manner, when word came through that Fiorentina had opened the scoring against Lyon. Debrecen might actually have levelled, but Gergely Rudolf could not hit the target with a free header in the 34th minute.
Liverpool, understandably, were the side who presented a consistent danger and Ngog was wasteful when Dirk Kuyt’s pass invited him to score a second. The Frenchman shot against goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic. For all that, Ngog has the sense to relish the outings he is getting while Torres is sidelined.
In addition to appreciating his work, Liverpool may also have liked the seriousness with which they were being taken in Budapest. Despite the inconsequence of the result for Debrecen, the fixture had attracted a substantial attendance. The allure of Liverpool is seemingly unaffected by the current difficulties at the club.
Benitez would also have seen an opportunity to ready his squad for a recovery on the domestic scene. A victory away to Debrecen is scarcely an historic feat but Liverpool were pursuing merely their second win in 11 fixtures. If nothing else, the manager wanted to return to Merseyside confident of an upturn in the club’s fortunes in the Premier League.
There was still, of course, a win to be clinched. If they had somehow failed to interpret the roar of the home crowd following a PA announcement, they would have learned at the interval that Fiorentina were in front. The contest in the group was still close and it was incumbent on Liverpool to remove any question about the outcome here. Gerrard showed the expected urgency in his readiness to push into the penalty area and goalkeeper Poleksic had to dive to his left to parry an effort from the captain in the 58th minute.
Liverpool received a reminder that theirs was a narrow advantage when Emiliano Insua gave the ball away and so set up the situation in which Rudolf went down in the wistful quest for a penalty.
Debrecen, understandably, had at least taken heart from the realisation they still lagged by just a single goal. It grew harder, too, for Liverpool to sustain their attacking and they could have paid dear in stoppage time when Reina was forced to kick clear a weak Coulibaly effort.
DEBRECEN: Poleksic, Bodnar, Meszaros, Mijadinoski, Fodor (Dombi 78), Szelesi, Kiss, Szakaly (Coulibaly 62), Czvitkovics, Laczko, Rudolf. Subs not used: Pantic, Ramos, Komlosi, Bernath, Varga. Booked: Szelesi.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Kuyt, Lucas, Mascherano, Aurelio (Dossena 89), Gerrard (Aquilani 90), Ngog (Benayoun 77). Subs not used: Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Spearing, Skrtel.
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Holland).
