Scott Murray's Blog, page 191

Liverpool v Chelsea: Premier League as it happened | Scott Murray

Liverpool started brightly, but were eventually overpowered by impressive Chelseas relentless pressing

2.40pm GMT

The last act of the match sees Mignolet shank a simple pass out of play for a corner. What a business. Nothing like a bit of cheap symbolism. A brilliant win for Chelsea, who taught Liverpool a lesson today after a slow start. They extend their lead at the top, while Liverpool go into the international break under a cloud. In fairness, they could (probably should, though its far from an open-and-shut case) have had a penalty near the end there, but a draw would have flattered them. Chelsea were magnificent today. Its hard to see them failing to win this seasons title, though of course theres a long, long way to go.

2.37pm GMT

90 min +5: Hazard is replaced by Filipe Luis. He earns a kiss from Mourinho.

2.36pm GMT

90 min +4: Courtois is booked for time-wasting.

2.36pm GMT

90 min +3: Lambert is sent into a little space down the right, but the striker, faced with a tight angle, can only dink a cross to the far post. Sterling attempts to retrieve the ball, and cuts it back for Allen, who curls a cross into the box towards Borini. The striker heads wide and high.

2.34pm GMT

90 min +2: Johnson attempts to turn Azpilicueta down the right, but the full back isnt to be beaten.

2.34pm GMT

90 min +1: Liverpool cant get the ball. Chelsea dont look like conceding late, as they did at Manchester City and Manchester United.

2.33pm GMT

90 min: Drogba comes on for Diego Costa, who was moaning a lot after being clattered for the 984th time by Skrtel. There will be five added minutes.

2.32pm GMT

88 min: Gerrard shoots from the edge of the penalty area. Its not a particularly good effort, scuffed up and off the turf, but it clanks into the left hand of Cahill, which is held far enough from his body to arouse suspicion. That would have been the cheapest of penalties, but youve seen them given, and Liverpool were right to ask the question. The referees having none of it - Im guessing Cahill being at close range was a factor - and the roof comes off Anfield, powered by irate steam.

2.29pm GMT

87 min: Borini goes on a busy meander down the right. His hard work nearly opens Chelsea up down the right, but Lambert falls over to bring the move to an end. Costa is booked for clipping Johnsons heels. Im guessing that was for persistent fouling, because that wasnt much.

2.27pm GMT

85 min: A grand old-fashioned midfield tussle as Matic robs Sterling brilliantly, and is then robbed brilliantly, by Sterling. This is all happening in the centre circle, and Chelsea are more than happy for the clock to run down while everyone faffs around miles from their danger zone.

2.26pm GMT

83 min: Oscar is booked for a clumsy slide on Johnson, who has space opening up in front of him down the right but chooses to go to sleep in the dozy style. This is pretty damn pitiful from Liverpool, who started brightly but have slipped back into Newcastle Mode.

2.24pm GMT

81 min: Lambert, on the left-hand edge of the Chelsea box, whips in a curling cross-cum-shot. Thats not a bother for Chelsea, who flood upfield, Oscar and Diego Costa nearly carving something out on the break down the right.

2.23pm GMT

80 min: Liverpool triangulate down the right, Johnson eventually clipping a little ball into the area. Borini, Lambert, Sterling and Henderson all buzz about, in an attempt to get an effort on target, but Chelsea hold firm.

2.21pm GMT

79 min: Balotelli is replaced by Lambert. How come Lambert never gets to play alongside Lallana, with whom hes got quite the understanding?

2.19pm GMT

77 min: Allen has been busy since coming on. He battles away down the left again, and slides a ball inside for Gerrard, who looks for a 30-yard redemptive stunner. Terry blocks it at source, a brilliant lunge.

2.17pm GMT

75 min: Allen bustles down the left. His looped cross is flicked on by Borini at the near post, allowing Henderson to batter a shot goalwards from 12 yards, just to the right of goal. It comes off Matic for a corner, which is cleared easily enough. Better from Liverpool, but not particularly good either. Chelsea look in control, overall.

2.15pm GMT

73 min: Liverpool cant get anything going. Chelsea allow them to pass it around for a bit, then push up to catch a snoozing Balotelli offside.

2.12pm GMT

70 min: A double change by Liverpool: Coutinho and Can are hooked, with Borini and Allen coming on.

2.11pm GMT

69 min: Johnson cuts in from the right, in the middle of the park. Matic needlessly bundles him over, and is booked.

2.10pm GMT

This is a brilliant goal. Willian, on the edge of the centre circle, sprays a magnificent diagonal ball to Azpilicueta down the left. The full back skins Coutinho on the touchline, cuts into the area and reaches the byline, pulling a cross into the six-yard area. Mignolet can only parry it out to the right-hand side of his box, where Costa lurks. He takes a touch and spanks an unstoppable effort into the right-hand side of the net. Chelsea have come from behind to lead! This is title-winning stuff.

2.08pm GMT

65 min: Balotelli picks up a silly booking by shoving Oscar in the back, 25 yards from the Liverpool goal down the left. The set piece is sent sailing to the far post, where Moreno blocks the cross. Its all got a bit scrappy.

2.07pm GMT

63 min: Ivanovic goes up for a high ball and lands on his coccyx. Ooyah, oof. Cahill opts to play on. When he loses the ball, Chelsea decide they want Liverpool to put it out. Sterling doesnt, trying to spring Balotelli clear down the left. Hes offside. Cue self-righteous melee sparked by hot-faced Chelsea players. The referee does well to calm everything down, as Terry gets up in Sterlings grille. Its over as quickly as it starts.

2.04pm GMT

62 min: Johnson performs a little shake and shimmy down the right, but having made himself a little space, wafts a weak cross into the arms of Courtois.

2.02pm GMT

59 min: Liverpool are struggling to keep hold of the ball, and their pressing game isnt what it was last season either. Coutinho skittles Hazard down the right and breaks for the box, but hes rightly penalised for clumsiness. He looks highly frustrated, another concern given that Liverpool looked like they were enjoying their football last season.

1.59pm GMT

56 min: A hesitant Skrtel nearly allows Oscar to tear clear down the inside-right channel. Moreno is on hand to hack clear. Then Willian romps off down the right, but again Moreno deals with the situation, going shoulder to shoulder with the winger and running him out of play. Ignore the occasional mistake, understandable given his age; Moreno looks full of promise.

1.56pm GMT

54 min: This is better by Liverpool. Can moves into space down the middle, and shuttles the ball forward for Coutinho, who sweeps wide left for Sterling. Sterling cuts into the box and looks for the bottom right, but his shot is parried well by Courtois. Chelsea flood up the other end through Oscar, who drifts in from the left and looks for the bottom right. Its blocked out for a corner, which - once Willian has come on for Ramires - is cleared by Liverpool without much fuss.

1.54pm GMT

51 min: Hazard chips a ball down the middle, into the Liverpool box. Lovren heads upwards, without much idea of where the ball is going to land. It falls for Costa, who has his back to goal on the penalty spot but sends a bicycle kick inches over the bar. Marvellous effort. Lovren is almost totally shorn of confidence, if todays performance is anything to go by.

1.52pm GMT

50 min: Oscar shimmies in from the left and looks to steer one into the bottom right. Its well wide. But this match has picked up from where we left off. Liverpool are looking very unsure of themselves.

1.51pm GMT

48 min: Ivanovic is booked for tugging away at Sterlings shirt, as the winger attempts to scoot upfield to release a bit of pressure. He can have no complaints, it was as obvious as they come.

1.50pm GMT

47 min: Chelsea start where they left off, pressurising Liverpool at the back. Lovren, Mignolet, Johnson and Skrtel all take turns to find out theyll not be left alone during this half either. Liverpool are pinned back in their own box, and eventually Costa earns a corner down the left. Balotelli clears Fabregass set piece, whipped to the near post. A concerned Anfield is pretty quiet right now.

1.47pm GMT

And were off again! A rerun of the Sterling-Ramires incident (43 min) suggests Ramires could have been booked for unnecessary use of the arm, which was indeed crumped into Sterlings coupon. Youll have certainly seen them given, but then Sterling had gone looking for the trouble by stepping across Ramiress line with a view to obstructing his opponent, so its hardly the most egregious of refereeing errors. No changes at half-time. Chelsea get the ball rolling again, kicking towards the Anfield Road stand.

1.36pm GMT

Half-time entertainment: So much for Chelsea parking the bus. Thats so 2013/14; theyve been a relentless attacking force here today. But for those who miss the unique charm of the London charabanc ...

1.33pm GMT

And thats that for the first half. Liverpool started purposefully, but its been all Chelsea since Emre Cans opening goal, and the home side will be glad to hear the whistle. As the players troop off, Costa and Skrtel have to be separated, grown men the pair of them. But we all secretly love to see it, dont we. Another half of football like that will be most welcome. No flipping!

1.29pm GMT

44 min: ... Liverpool deal with it easily enough. Meanwhile anyone desirous of pictures? Sure you are. Heres our Gallery of the action from Anfield.

1.29pm GMT

43 min: Sterling takes one in the mush from Ramires, but hes the one who goes in the book, as he deliberately stepped across the Chelsea midfielder to stop him breaking down the inside-right channel. Thatll be a free kick, 35 yards from goal. Chelsea load the box. And...

1.28pm GMT

41 min: Hazard cuts in from the left and lashes a shot towards the bottom right. Mignolet claims well. But again hes not being allowed to find a team-mate with any ease. This is a masterclass from Chelsea, who are all over Liverpool like a rash. Soon the balls coming straight back at Liverpool, with Costa winning a corner down the left. Mignolet, often criticised for his unwillingness to come off his line, races out and punches clear with purpose.

1.26pm GMT

40 min: Ivanovic skips past Lovren down the right, a pathetic challenge by the £20m defender. A bit of pinball, and Mignolet does very well to snaffle the ball as it threatens to creep into the bottom-right post.

1.24pm GMT

38 min: A bit of space down the left for Sterling, who nips past Ivanovic and fires a low ball into the area. Balotelli is lurking at the far post, but the ball doesnt get that far. Welcome respite for the hosts, though; theyve been under the cosh.

1.23pm GMT

36 min: This is all Chelsea. Oscar again races down the right, shuttling the ball forward for Ramires, who squares inside for Hazard on the edge of the box. Hazard shoots, but Johnson blocks again. The visitors are firmly on the front foot, not allowing the hosts out of their half. Theyre cutting off their possession at source, pressurising Mignolet beyond all reason, and the keepers not responding particularly well.

1.21pm GMT

35 min: More nonsense between Costa and Skrtel, the former cynically nudging the latter as the two battle under a high ball. The referee appears to be losing patience.

1.20pm GMT

34 min: This is beginning to get a little spicy. Henderson slides in late on Fabregas and is fortunate not to get booked. Then Costa and Skrtel clash again. Chelsea break upfield, Oscar laying off to the left for Hazard, who takes a step into the area and hammers goalwards. Johnson blocks out for a corner, which is a non-event. Chelsea are slowly taking control here.

1.18pm GMT

31 min: Can thinks about taking another whack, 25 yards out down the right, and does so. But his shot is blocked at source by Cahill. Up the other end, a weak Mignolet clearance is latched onto by Fabregas, who nearly feeds Costa down the right. The offside flag saves Liverpool, which is kind of lucky given that it transpires Can had poked the ball back, not Fabregas.

1.15pm GMT

29 min: Hazard busies himself in the middle of the Liverpool half before sliding a pass down the left for Costa, who cuts into the area and lashes a shot goalwards from 12 yards. Its deflected out for a corner, from which Terry causes more bother. Its eventually cleared, but Liverpool still dont look safe at set pieces. Say what you like about Kolo Toure and his slapstick mistakes, but the man knows how to organise a back four.

1.13pm GMT

27 min: Moreno nicks the ball off Oscar and sets Sterling away down the left. Sterling looks to curl a low pass inside for Balotelli, who is making his way down the inside-right channel, but overcooks it.

1.12pm GMT

26 min: Coutinho drops a shoulder and goes on a Hazardesque run down the middle of the park. Its a determined skitter, and ends with a low shot towards the bottom left from 25 yards. Courtois parries and Cahill knocks it away, the danger over.

1.10pm GMT

24 min: Now Azpilicueta and Balotelli engage in a spot of wrestling down the Liverpool right. More magnificent childishness on the part of both players. Once again the referee jogs over to remind the players that this is a football pitch and not a playground.

1.08pm GMT

22 min: Costa and Skrtel come together as they chase a long ball down the Chelsea left. Actually Costas shoved Skrtel quite hard in the back there. And then given the defender a little lip, because the black mist surrounds Skrtel, who for a second looks like hes about to lump Costa. He thinks better of it, and the referees soon on hand to remind the pair that theyre grown adults.

1.07pm GMT

21 min: Something happens at the corner! Gerrard pulls a low one back for Henderson, who miskicks. But Sterling has another chance to shoot. His effort is poor as well, but hits Cahill on the shoulder, allowing everyone to make disingenuous claims for a penalty. The referees not having a bar of it. Its another corner, but that one leads to nothing. This has been a marvellously entertaining opening. Good luck predicting the outcome!

1.05pm GMT

20 min: A bit of time and space for Johnson down the right. He earns a corner with his cross, but with men in the area, thats a wasted opportunity. Unless something happens at the corner.

1.04pm GMT

19 min: Liverpool take a little sting out of the game with some more patient passing around the back. They burst forward again through Coutinho, who rolls a ball down the inside-left channel for Balotelli. Hes clear, and tucks a lovely effort away into the bottom right. But hes a mile offside, and the flag is rightly raised.

1.03pm GMT

18 min: What a magnificent start to this match, though. Both teams have looked the part going forward! So much for bus parking.

1.02pm GMT

16 min: Thats quelled the Anfield ardour. Oscar drags a shot wide right from the edge of the Liverpool box. What Chelsea would have given for that technology back in 2005, huh?

1.01pm GMT

Its a fine response all right! Another corner for Chelsea, Ivanovic skipping down the right and winning it off Sterling, who had tracked back well. Fabregas takes this one too. He hits it deep. Costa heads goalwards from 12 yards, level with the left-hand post. Terry heads further on from six yards. Mignolet does marvellously well to parry, stopping it creeping into the bottom-left corner. But it falls to Cahill, who takes a touch and bundles it over the line. Only just, with Mignolet very nearly saving that one too, but he cant scoop it out, and the goal-line technology proves the ball was over the line.

12.58pm GMT

13 min: Costa drops a shoulder to burst into the Liverpool area down the left. He wins a corner. Fabregas takes, but Gerrard clears with a spectacular diving header. This is a decent response to falling behind by Chelsea.

12.57pm GMT

11 min: Thats really got Anfield going. Liverpool are pinging it around nicely. But Chelsea arent top of the table for nothing, and they try to respond quickly, Hazard and then Costa probing down the right. A few passes later, and Oscars trying to release Hazard into the area down the left. Not quite, the pass fired out of play for a goal kick, but it was a crisp, quick move.

12.55pm GMT

Liverpool pass it around the back in the 1970s style. Patience, patience. Eventually they spring forward, with Can bursting down the middle. Thirty yards from goal, Can takes aim and shoots. Hes looking for the top left, but the ball breaks off Cahills arm, and twangs into the top right! Courtois, going the other way, had no chance there. What a start for the home side!

12.52pm GMT

6 min: Balotelli looks busy early on, though; hes found in a little space down the left. A chance to burst into the box but he checks back and cant find a team-mate with his cross. A couple of promising early runs by Balotelli there, even if neither has quite come off.

12.50pm GMT

5 min: Skrtel rakes a long ball down the inside-right channel to release Balotelli into the area. Balotelli is a yard offside, and the flag goes up. Chelsea were slightly ragged there, though; Balotelli will rue not showing more patience there.

12.49pm GMT

3 min: Hazard goes on a determined run down the middle, and so nearly breaks into the area. Brilliant ball control at speed. Lovren steps in to intercept, putting a stop to his gallop. But Liverpool hearts were in mouths there, as Hazard romped through a huge gap in the home teams midfield.

12.47pm GMT

2 min: A free kick for Liverpool down the left. Gerrard hoicks it into the area. Its half cleared, though only to Coutinho, who sends a strange looping shot towards goal. Courtois catches without fuss on his line.

12.46pm GMT

Liverpool get the ball rolling. Chelsea are kicking towards the Kop in the first half, which means Liverpool have got their way, and will be kicking towards it in the second, as is their wont. Within 30 seconds, Can makes good for the Chelsea box and has a whack from 3o yards. The shot deflects off Terrys knee and out for a corner on the left. The set piece is easily snaffled by Courtois. A bright start by Liverpool, though.

12.45pm GMT

The usual pre-match niceties at Anfield: hands shaken, greetings made, Youll Never Walk Alone pinging off the rafters. Liverpools anthem is particularly poignant: its Remembrance Sunday tomorrow, so the teams line the centre circle, and theres a respectful minutes silence for those who went to war and never came back. Impeccable. And then the referees whistle: bedlam, bedlam, bedlam! Well be off in a minute.

12.40pm GMT

The teams are out! Liverpool are in their famous all-red strip ...

11.57am GMT

Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno, Gerrard, Can, Henderson, Coutinho, Sterling, Balotelli.
Subs: Brad Jones, Toure, Lambert, Lallana, Lucas, Allen, Borini.

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Ramires, Oscar, Hazard, Costa.
Subs: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Drogba, Mikel, Remy, Willian.

11.45am GMT

Well, wasnt this fixture a kick in the head for Liverpool last season. The slip heard round the world. Poor old Stevie G.

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Maribor v Chelsea: Champions League – as it happened | Scott Murray

Chelsea were held in Slovenia by a resolute and occasionally spectacular Maribor, for whom Agim Ibraimi scored a world-class pearler

9.35pm GMT

And that’s that! A much-deserved draw for Maribor, who were thoroughly outplayed two weeks ago at Stamford Bridge, and were expected to be swatted aside tonight. And were they? Nope! Chelsea didn’t even play that badly, and should have won it at the end with Eden Hazard’s penalty. But their hosts were simply magnificent. Agim Ibraimi’s goal was an absolute peach, and every one of his team-mates dug in to deny the Eleven Portillo(e)s In Flight. And to think earlier on we were expecting a complete lack of drama! In your face, Coronation Street and Waterloo Road! And the last word to Simon McMahon: “Think of how Mourinho would react if Chelsea had to take the train home.”

9.34pm GMT

90 min +2: A frustrated Hazard twists maniacally down the left, but can’t make space. This looks all over.

9.33pm GMT

90 min +1: There will be two added minutes, and the first sees Ndiaye replace Sallalich.

9.32pm GMT

90 min: Drogba and Fabregas tie themselves in all sorts of knots down the left wing, and eventually run the ball out of play for a goal kick. Maribor take their time, as you’d expect. I’m sure Mourinho would approve in principle, if not necessarily within the context of this match.

9.31pm GMT

89 min: Ibraimi, who tonight scored what will be one of this season’s great Champions League goals, is replaced by Bohar.

9.30pm GMT

88 min: On the touchline, Jose Mourinho is throwing semaphore shapes. This is desperate for Chelsea, who were desirous of winning this match and getting their pre-Christmas European work completed early doors.

9.29pm GMT

87 min: Hazard tries to make immediate amends, going on a baroque jig down the inside-right and hammering a low shot goalwards from the edge of the box, but once again Handanovic is behind it. This half of football has been relentless. Brilliant, and relentless.

9.27pm GMT

86 min: A dreadful effort by Hazard, who scuffs it towards the bottom right. Handanovic parries clear! This is astonishing!

9.26pm GMT

85 min: Viler has been wonderful tonight, but he’s made the mistake that looks like costing his team the match. Hazard twists this way and that down the inside-right channel, and is flipped into the air like a fried egg. A no-brainer of a decision, and a booking.

9.25pm GMT

84 min: Arghus’s loose clearing header falls to Diego Costa, who hits a first-time blooter from 30 yards. It’s straight at Handanovic.

9.25pm GMT

82 min: From the right of the Maribor D, Fabregas teases a clever diagonal ball over the Maribor back line, with a view to releasing Drogba into the box down the left. But the striker is snoozing, and miscontrols. He’s also offside, according to a slightly dubious linesman’s flag.

9.23pm GMT

80 min: Chelsea look the more likely, but Maribor aren’t letting this go. Mendy twists and turns down the right, then slides a ball inside for Tavares, who hammers a low shot towards the bottom left. Cech’s not getting to that if it’s on target, but fortunately for Chelsea, he’s mishit it slightly, and the ball zips wide left. This has been a brilliant match.

9.21pm GMT

79 min: Chelsea are robbed by the linesman’s flag. Fabregas is sent into the area down the left and pulls the ball back for Diego Costa, who rams home low and hard from 12 yards. But Fabregas is, incorrectly, judged offside. A poor decision.

9.20pm GMT

78 min: Hazard bombs down the right and into the box. He waits for Diego Costa to reach the edge of the D, and flicks the ball to the striker. Diego Costa flicks the dropping ball towards the top-left corner, a majestic effort, but Handanovic is the equal of it, arcing his back to tip over in the spectacular fashion. That’s Champions League quality football all round. Sheer brilliance. The corner comes to nothing.

9.18pm GMT

76 min: Now it’s Chelsea’s turn to miss a sitter. Oscar diddles down the inside-right channel and flicks a ball forward to release Hazard into the box. He’s only got Handanovic to beat, but his flick is way too cute. The keeper smothers, and somehow the scores are still level!

9.17pm GMT

74 min: Tavares breaks down the middle of the park! He’s clear, and shoots low, but Cech saves brilliantly with his feet. None of it matters, as the Chelsea back line had stepped up in time; Tavares is offside. Just before the goal, incidentally, Zahovic was replaced by Mendy.

9.16pm GMT

This is so simple. The corner’s lifted towards Terry, on the penalty spot. He heads down towards the bottom left, where Matic is in attendance to bundle over the line. Everyone in yellow celebrates, but they’ve got the good grace not to make a huge song and dance about it.

9.14pm GMT

72 min: Should the plural of Portillo be Portilloes? I suppose it should be. Ah well, ‘tis done now. Oscar, by the way, cuts in from the left and curls a wonderful effort inches wide of the right-hand post. In fact, it took a deflection. It’s a corner, from which ...

9.13pm GMT

71 min: Another penalty shout for Eleven Portillos In Flight! Ramires makes off down the right and fires a low cross to the near post. Oscar enters the box and looks to take up possession, but he’s clipped by Arghus. The referee’s not having any of it.

9.11pm GMT

69 min: “My God,” cries Simon McMahon, “I’ve got Portillo’s jacket in HD on my telly right in front of me, right now. It’s canary yellow. Try wearing that in Methil.” Chelsea are wearing yellow too, of course. Eleven Portillos In Flight. Diego Costa battles with Stojanovic as the pair chase a ball down the left. Diego Costa enters the box and goes down after a weak tug. No penalty, though you’ve seen them given. It’s only a corner, from which Zouma half-heads, half-shouders an attempt wide right from 12 yards. Not far from the top-right corner, that.

9.09pm GMT

66 min: Diego Costa finds a little space in the left-hand side of the Maribor area again. And again he hoicks a dreadful effort high and wide. Chelsea have picked up the pace here, and are beginning to ask questions, though that’s not stopped them looking highly frustrated whenever a move breaks down.

9.08pm GMT

65 min: Viler robs the ball from Oscar, 25 yards from the Chelsea goal. He lines up a defence-splitting pass for Zahoivic, but Fabregas nips in to steal the ball away. Up the other end, Oscar slides a ball down the right and nearly releases Diego Costa, but the excellent Viler, everywhere at the moment, slides in to intercept. This is end to end, and a lot of fun.

9.05pm GMT

63 min: Oscar has a belt from 30 yards, down the inside-left channel. His effort blams into Drogba. Nothing’s going Chelsea’s way right now.

9.03pm GMT

60 min: Chelsea should be in all sorts of trouble here. Viler romps into acres down the left. Chelsea are backpedaling, all at sea. (Presumably in a metaphorical pedalo?) Anyways, Viler fires a low cross to the back post. Zahovic is racing in, and with Cech taken out of play by the excellence of Viler’s ball, it’s a tap-in to an empty net from a couple of yards, albeit at high speed. Zahovic leans back and wangs it over the bar. Hey, he’s only 18. But what a miss.

9.01pm GMT

59 min: Chelsea are playing three at the back now, and Maribor make use of the extra space, Zahovic tearing down the right and earning a corner. Ibraimi takes the set piece, and loops it to the far post, where Rajcevic meets the ball with his head, albeit not with any particular conviction.

8.59pm GMT

57 min: Hazard embarks on another delightful, twinkle-toed run. This one is straight down the middle, and pulls Maribor’s entire defence towards him on the edge of the D. He then flips the ball to his left where Diego Costa is in acres of space in the area. Diego Costa shoots, but for once Diego Costa does not score: he slices a dismal effort left and high as you like. Very poor.

8.58pm GMT

56 min: Jose Mourinho listens to Dante Danger (55 min) and hauls off Filipe Luis. Ramires comes on in his stead. That’s all three subs used already. So much for treating this match as a nice rest.

8.57pm GMT

55 min: Chelsea look stunned. Their passing has gone to pot. “Filipe Luis!” splutters Dante Danger. “Why was he so slow to close down Ibraimi? He is definitely in the Glen ‘looks better going forward’ Johnson school of full backs.” Glen Johnson was taught how to play full back?

8.55pm GMT

53 min: Stojanovic is booked for a late clip on Fabregas’s ankle. He can have no complaints.

8.54pm GMT

52 min: Arghus clatters into Drogba, who is making his way down the inside-right channel, 30 yards from goal. Free kick in a very dangerous position. Oscar blooters it into the wall. Witless. The polar opposite of that majestic strike against QPR at the weekend.

8.53pm GMT

This is a pearler! Viler makes room down the left and loops a cross into the box. Zouma’s header clear is weak, only finding Ibraimi on the right-hand edge of the box. Ibraimi takes a touch, and curls a peach up over Cech and back down into the top-left corner! Drama? Oh we’ve got drama!

8.51pm GMT

49 min: Diego Costa embarks on a power run down the inside left. He’s got Drogba to his left, but opts to run into a purple wall instead.

8.50pm GMT

47 min: Drogba crosses from the right. Rajcevic volleys the ball back. Drogba returns it with a volley of his own. This is rat-a-tat stuff. The ball clanks off Rajcevic’s thigh, and nearly squirts into the bottom right with Handanovic momentarily wrong-footed, but the keeper adjusts quickly and snaffles the ball.

8.48pm GMT

46 min: Chelsea begin the half doing the possession thing, making a point. Maribor haven’t touched the ball yet.

8.47pm GMT

Chelsea get the ball rolling for the second half, having made a double change: Schurlle and Willian have been hooked, with Diego Costa and Oscar coming on. I wonder if Brendan Rodgers has issued a press release about this yet?

8.43pm GMT

Half-time reminder: Seeing you’ll be staying with us here, set your video, or planner, for BBC2 at 9pm, when Michael Portillo takes a locomotive journey to the boundaries of good taste.

8.32pm GMT

Well, that’s not gone to script for Chelsea. The home side rocked for the first ten minutes, but since then it’s been fairly even. Could we have the potential for some drama here? No flipping!

8.30pm GMT

44 min: Schurrle wheechs a cross into a poorly defended Maribor box from the right, but there’s nobody in the middle to take advantage. On the touchline, Jose Mourinho is wearing one of those faces.

8.30pm GMT

43 min: Viler makes good down the left and curls a low cross into the area. Zahovic, running in towards the left-hand post, sticks a leg out, but Terry steps in first to blooter the ball behind for a corner. The set piece is a nonsense, like Chelsea’s before it, but Viler is soon coming at Chelsea down the left again. His cross is overcooked, and the danger, such as it was, is over.

8.27pm GMT

42 min: Hazard drops a shoulder to glide in from the right, and pearls a shot towards the bottom right. Handanovic does well to turn the ball round the post. Chelsea’s corner is a thundering non-event.

8.26pm GMT

41 min: Hazard goes on a Maradonaesque jitter down the right, and nearly breaks through four challenges and into the area, but he’s crowded out. Sallalich, up the other end, looks to break free of Matic down the right, but is clipped. No free kick, though. Frustration for both sides, with little coming off.

8.24pm GMT

39 min: Chelsea pass it hither and yon, but go nowhere.

8.23pm GMT

37 min: ... sends a fairly dismal sidefoot straight down Handanovic’s throat. Not sure which top corner he was looking for there, it went straight down the middle. Maribor attempt to break upfield, but Tavares gifts the ball to Willian, who sets Schurrle away down the inside right. Schurrle whistles a daisycutter towards the bottom-left corner, and he beats Handanovic, but the effort flies wide of the post.

8.21pm GMT

36 min: Matic powers down the middle of the park and attempts to break into the box. His picking up of the pace spooks Filipovic, who slides in recklessly to the left of the D, upending Matic, conceding a free kick in a dangerous position 30 yards from goal, and picking up a booking. Drogba steps up, and ...

8.20pm GMT

35 min: Ibraimi dances down the right. Hazard concedes a free kick by showing him his studs. Maribor load the box. Ibraimi curls one in, and it’s immediately headed out by Matic.

8.18pm GMT

33 min: Drogba is back on. What a waste of petrol.

8.17pm GMT

32 min: Drogba is down on the floor with his right boot off. A medical complaint. Not sure what happened to him, but he’s frowning a lot, and the hospital tractor, or whatever that motorised buggy is called, wheelspins onto the pitch before shuttling him off the field of play.

8.15pm GMT

28 min: Fabregas rolls a ball down the inside-left channel for Drogba to chase. Drogba overpowers Stojanovic, and breaks clear into the area, but he’s pulled at the right-back’s arm. Foul. As is Drogba’s language, I’ll be bound, as he angrily discusses the matter at long distance with the referee.

8.13pm GMT

27 min: It’s not quite happening for Chelsea right now. Drogba peels off down the right. His cross, pulled back to the edge of the D, is headed weakly into Handanovic’s hands by Schurrle. Fabregas was coming in behind, hoping to pelt the dropping ball. But no.

8.11pm GMT

25 min: Filipe Luis is booked, ludicrously, for winning the ball off Sallalich. The referee is of the opinion he clattered the Maribor man from behind. A lot of hand waving. The resulting free kick is 40 yards out, and so Ibraimi tries to find the top-left corner with a comical up-and-under. Some decorum, please, one of the best keepers in the world in goal here! (The effort floats miles wide left, for the record.)

8.09pm GMT

22 min: Schurrle misses an open goal from two yards. Willian fires a low ball through the Maribor six-yard area from the right. Handanovic, diving by his left-hand post, can’t stop it, and it reaches the German World Cup winner - who shins it wide left from 72 inches out. The flag goes up for offside, but no matter: the saves-his-blushes cliche shouldn’t apply there, for that was a ludicrous miss. Oh Andre!

8.07pm GMT

21 min: That’s been a fine response from Maribor, who were all over the place for the first ten minutes or so. The crowd do their bit with a deafening bit of call and response. Their team deserve no less after gathering themselves.

8.05pm GMT

20 min: Now Filipovic has a crack, from a central position, the best part of 30 yards out. That’s never beating Cech.

8.04pm GMT

19 min: Sallalich, his dander up, cuts in from the left and has a pelt from 20 yards. His shot’s an awkward bouncing thing, heading towards the bottom right, and Cech does rather well to gather it without any fuss or drama.

8.03pm GMT

17 min: More of the Chelsea passing, though Maribor have it in hand right now.

8.02pm GMT

14 min: And this is even better! Chelsea fall asleep, and suddenly Tavares sashays between Terry and Matic down the inside-right channel. He’s clear, with Zahovic to his left! Instead of going for goal, he lays off inside for his strike partner, but puts too much juice on the ball. Zahovic gathers the ball to the left of the Chelsea goal and pulls it back for Sallalich, rushing in from the left wing. Sallalich fizzes a low shot on target from the edge of the box, but Zouma is on hand to hack clear. That would have put a different complexion on this match.

7.59pm GMT

13 min: This is a little better from Maribor, though. Sallalich finds a little space down the left and curls one into the box. Terry hacks the low ball clear.

7.58pm GMT

12 min: A little relief for Maribor as Zahovic dances on the left-hand edge of the Chelsea box. He’s got nobody to pass to, though, and the ball’s soon whistled off his toe. Chelsea romp upfield through Hazard down the left, but Mertelj blocks him just before he enters the box.

7.57pm GMT

11 min: Drogba and Hazard exchange passes in front of the Maribor D. Drogba takes a shot towards the bottom left. It’s deflected a little, but Handanovic gets a palm to the ball. Chelsea are rampant, and the home side are all over the shop. An opening goal is surely just a matter of time.

7.55pm GMT

9 min: A couple of passes in the Chelsea half for Maribor, but Willian robs Tavares, and a long ball’s launched down the middle. It should be bread and butter for defenders in the Champions League, but neither Arghus nor Rajcevic read the flight, and Drogba nearly powers clear. If he’d taken that under control, he was one on one with the keeper.

7.54pm GMT

8 min: Fabregas immediately picks up the ball from Terry’s loose header, makes for the byline down the left, and lifts another cross into the centre, where Zouma heads just over the bar from eight yards while aiming for the top left. He should have scored. This has been an accomplished start by Chelsea, though, and an appalling one by Maribor.

7.53pm GMT

7 min: Chelsea are passing the ball around. A lot. Hazard hovers down the left wing, then shuttles a ball forward for Filipe Luis, who wins another corner. Fabregas’s delivery is better, to the far post, but Terry’s header is weak and off target.

7.51pm GMT

5 min: Fabregas’s corner fails to beat the first man, but he’s soon coming back at Maribor, clear down the inside-left channel. His cross is poor. Chelsea have already had three chances down this flank. Maribor are struggling to gain any sort of meaningful possession.

7.49pm GMT

4 min: Maribor are being pressed left, right and centre by Chelsea, who look in the mood to show no mercy. Did you expect anything less? Fabregas sprays a delicious diagonal ball 40 yards for Ivanovic on the right. He checks back when he could have burst clear, but Chelsea are soon probing down the other wing, first through Drogba, then Hazard, who wins a corner.

7.48pm GMT

Maribor get the ball rolling. From a distance, and if you adjust the contrast a bit, Maribor’s kit looks a little like the one Wimbledon got themselves promoted in, back in 1986. There’s an immediate brouhaha in the Maribor box, with Filipe Luis finding a bit of space down the left and lifting a ball into the centre. Handanovic punches clear with Drogba lurking. After that 6-0 at Stamford Bridge, an early goal would give poor Maribor the proper fear. But they survive that one; a mere 89 minutes to go.

7.44pm GMT

The teams are out! Tonight’s visual signatures: Maribor sport Portillo-esque bright purple, while Chelsea are in Portillo-esque bright yellow. The Uefa anthem parps out of the PA, and George Frideric Handel continues spinning in his grave. Hands are shaken, stretches are performed, and we’ll be off in a minute.

7.30pm GMT

Maribor: Handanovic, Stojanovic, Rajcevic, Arghus, Viler, Ibraimi, Mertelj, Filipovic, Sallalich, Tavares, Zahovic.
Subs: Cotman, Suler, Ndiaye, Mendy. Vrsic, Trajkowski, Bohar.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Filipe Luis, Fabregas, Matic, Willian, Schurrle, Hazard, Drogba.
Subs: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ramires, Oscar, Saleh, Diego Costa.

6.30pm GMT

Looking for a little bit of drama tonight? At 7.30pm on ITV, it’s time for a visit to Coronation Street. Then at 8pm on BBC1, catch up with the young rapscallions who attend the Waterloo Road comprehensive. And finally over on BBC2 at 9pm, a new sci-fi thriller, Michael Portillo’s Great Continental Railway Journeys, in which a man bravely struggles with, but is eventually overpowered by, a primary-coloured sports jacket.

Continue reading...

Maribor v Chelsea: Champions League as it happened | Scott Murray

Chelsea were held in Slovenia by a resolute and occasionally spectacular Maribor, for whom Agim Ibraimi scored a world-class pearler

9.35pm GMT

And thats that! A much-deserved draw for Maribor, who were thoroughly outplayed two weeks ago at Stamford Bridge, and were expected to be swatted aside tonight. And were they? Nope! Chelsea didnt even play that badly, and should have won it at the end with Eden Hazards penalty. But their hosts were simply magnificent. Agim Ibraimis goal was an absolute peach, and every one of his team-mates dug in to deny the Eleven Portillo(e)s In Flight. And to think earlier on we were expecting a complete lack of drama! In your face, Coronation Street and Waterloo Road! And the last word to Simon McMahon: Think of how Mourinho would react if Chelsea had to take the train home.

9.34pm GMT

90 min +2: A frustrated Hazard twists maniacally down the left, but cant make space. This looks all over.

9.33pm GMT

90 min +1: There will be two added minutes, and the first sees Ndiaye replace Sallalich.

9.32pm GMT

90 min: Drogba and Fabregas tie themselves in all sorts of knots down the left wing, and eventually run the ball out of play for a goal kick. Maribor take their time, as youd expect. Im sure Mourinho would approve in principle, if not necessarily within the context of this match.

9.31pm GMT

89 min: Ibraimi, who tonight scored what will be one of this seasons great Champions League goals, is replaced by Bohar.

9.30pm GMT

88 min: On the touchline, Jose Mourinho is throwing semaphore shapes. This is desperate for Chelsea, who were desirous of winning this match and getting their pre-Christmas European work completed early doors.

9.29pm GMT

87 min: Hazard tries to make immediate amends, going on a baroque jig down the inside-right and hammering a low shot goalwards from the edge of the box, but once again Handanovic is behind it. This half of football has been relentless. Brilliant, and relentless.

9.27pm GMT

86 min: A dreadful effort by Hazard, who scuffs it towards the bottom right. Handanovic parries clear! This is astonishing!

9.26pm GMT

85 min: Viler has been wonderful tonight, but hes made the mistake that looks like costing his team the match. Hazard twists this way and that down the inside-right channel, and is flipped into the air like a fried egg. A no-brainer of a decision, and a booking.

9.25pm GMT

84 min: Arghuss loose clearing header falls to Diego Costa, who hits a first-time blooter from 30 yards. Its straight at Handanovic.

9.25pm GMT

82 min: From the right of the Maribor D, Fabregas teases a clever diagonal ball over the Maribor back line, with a view to releasing Drogba into the box down the left. But the striker is snoozing, and miscontrols. Hes also offside, according to a slightly dubious linesmans flag.

9.23pm GMT

80 min: Chelsea look the more likely, but Maribor arent letting this go. Mendy twists and turns down the right, then slides a ball inside for Tavares, who hammers a low shot towards the bottom left. Cechs not getting to that if its on target, but fortunately for Chelsea, hes mishit it slightly, and the ball zips wide left. This has been a brilliant match.

9.21pm GMT

79 min: Chelsea are robbed by the linesmans flag. Fabregas is sent into the area down the left and pulls the ball back for Diego Costa, who rams home low and hard from 12 yards. But Fabregas is, incorrectly, judged offside. A poor decision.

9.20pm GMT

78 min: Hazard bombs down the right and into the box. He waits for Diego Costa to reach the edge of the D, and flicks the ball to the striker. Diego Costa flicks the dropping ball towards the top-left corner, a majestic effort, but Handanovic is the equal of it, arcing his back to tip over in the spectacular fashion. Thats Champions League quality football all round. Sheer brilliance. The corner comes to nothing.

9.18pm GMT

76 min: Now its Chelseas turn to miss a sitter. Oscar diddles down the inside-right channel and flicks a ball forward to release Hazard into the box. Hes only got Handanovic to beat, but his flick is way too cute. The keeper smothers, and somehow the scores are still level!

9.17pm GMT

74 min: Tavares breaks down the middle of the park! Hes clear, and shoots low, but Cech saves brilliantly with his feet. None of it matters, as the Chelsea back line had stepped up in time; Tavares is offside. Just before the goal, incidentally, Zahovic was replaced by Mendy.

9.16pm GMT

This is so simple. The corners lifted towards Terry, on the penalty spot. He heads down towards the bottom left, where Matic is in attendance to bundle over the line. Everyone in yellow celebrates, but theyve got the good grace not to make a huge song and dance about it.

9.14pm GMT

72 min: Should the plural of Portillo be Portilloes? I suppose it should be. Ah well, tis done now. Oscar, by the way, cuts in from the left and curls a wonderful effort inches wide of the right-hand post. In fact, it took a deflection. Its a corner, from which ...

9.13pm GMT

71 min: Another penalty shout for Eleven Portillos In Flight! Ramires makes off down the right and fires a low cross to the near post. Oscar enters the box and looks to take up possession, but hes clipped by Arghus. The referees not having any of it.

9.11pm GMT

69 min: My God, cries Simon McMahon, Ive got Portillos jacket in HD on my telly right in front of me, right now. Its canary yellow. Try wearing that in Methil. Chelsea are wearing yellow too, of course. Eleven Portillos In Flight. Diego Costa battles with Stojanovic as the pair chase a ball down the left. Diego Costa enters the box and goes down after a weak tug. No penalty, though youve seen them given. Its only a corner, from which Zouma half-heads, half-shouders an attempt wide right from 12 yards. Not far from the top-right corner, that.

9.09pm GMT

66 min: Diego Costa finds a little space in the left-hand side of the Maribor area again. And again he hoicks a dreadful effort high and wide. Chelsea have picked up the pace here, and are beginning to ask questions, though thats not stopped them looking highly frustrated whenever a move breaks down.

9.08pm GMT

65 min: Viler robs the ball from Oscar, 25 yards from the Chelsea goal. He lines up a defence-splitting pass for Zahoivic, but Fabregas nips in to steal the ball away. Up the other end, Oscar slides a ball down the right and nearly releases Diego Costa, but the excellent Viler, everywhere at the moment, slides in to intercept. This is end to end, and a lot of fun.

9.05pm GMT

63 min: Oscar has a belt from 30 yards, down the inside-left channel. His effort blams into Drogba. Nothings going Chelseas way right now.

9.03pm GMT

60 min: Chelsea should be in all sorts of trouble here. Viler romps into acres down the left. Chelsea are backpedaling, all at sea. (Presumably in a metaphorical pedalo?) Anyways, Viler fires a low cross to the back post. Zahovic is racing in, and with Cech taken out of play by the excellence of Vilers ball, its a tap-in to an empty net from a couple of yards, albeit at high speed. Zahovic leans back and wangs it over the bar. Hey, hes only 18. But what a miss.

9.01pm GMT

59 min: Chelsea are playing three at the back now, and Maribor make use of the extra space, Zahovic tearing down the right and earning a corner. Ibraimi takes the set piece, and loops it to the far post, where Rajcevic meets the ball with his head, albeit not with any particular conviction.

8.59pm GMT

57 min: Hazard embarks on another delightful, twinkle-toed run. This one is straight down the middle, and pulls Maribors entire defence towards him on the edge of the D. He then flips the ball to his left where Diego Costa is in acres of space in the area. Diego Costa shoots, but for once Diego Costa does not score: he slices a dismal effort left and high as you like. Very poor.

8.58pm GMT

56 min: Jose Mourinho listens to Dante Danger (55 min) and hauls off Filipe Luis. Ramires comes on in his stead. Thats all three subs used already. So much for treating this match as a nice rest.

8.57pm GMT

55 min: Chelsea look stunned. Their passing has gone to pot. Filipe Luis! splutters Dante Danger. Why was he so slow to close down Ibraimi? He is definitely in the Glen looks better going forward Johnson school of full backs. Glen Johnson was taught how to play full back?

8.55pm GMT

53 min: Stojanovic is booked for a late clip on Fabregass ankle. He can have no complaints.

8.54pm GMT

52 min: Arghus clatters into Drogba, who is making his way down the inside-right channel, 30 yards from goal. Free kick in a very dangerous position. Oscar blooters it into the wall. Witless. The polar opposite of that majestic strike against QPR at the weekend.

8.53pm GMT

This is a pearler! Viler makes room down the left and loops a cross into the box. Zoumas header clear is weak, only finding Ibraimi on the right-hand edge of the box. Ibraimi takes a touch, and curls a peach up over Cech and back down into the top-left corner! Drama? Oh weve got drama!

8.51pm GMT

49 min: Diego Costa embarks on a power run down the inside left. Hes got Drogba to his left, but opts to run into a purple wall instead.

8.50pm GMT

47 min: Drogba crosses from the right. Rajcevic volleys the ball back. Drogba returns it with a volley of his own. This is rat-a-tat stuff. The ball clanks off Rajcevics thigh, and nearly squirts into the bottom right with Handanovic momentarily wrong-footed, but the keeper adjusts quickly and snaffles the ball.

8.48pm GMT

46 min: Chelsea begin the half doing the possession thing, making a point. Maribor havent touched the ball yet.

8.47pm GMT

Chelsea get the ball rolling for the second half, having made a double change: Schurlle and Willian have been hooked, with Diego Costa and Oscar coming on. I wonder if Brendan Rodgers has issued a press release about this yet?

8.43pm GMT

Half-time reminder: Seeing youll be staying with us here, set your video, or planner, for BBC2 at 9pm, when Michael Portillo takes a locomotive journey to the boundaries of good taste.

8.32pm GMT

Well, thats not gone to script for Chelsea. The home side rocked for the first ten minutes, but since then its been fairly even. Could we have the potential for some drama here? No flipping!

8.30pm GMT

44 min: Schurrle wheechs a cross into a poorly defended Maribor box from the right, but theres nobody in the middle to take advantage. On the touchline, Jose Mourinho is wearing one of those faces.

8.30pm GMT

43 min: Viler makes good down the left and curls a low cross into the area. Zahovic, running in towards the left-hand post, sticks a leg out, but Terry steps in first to blooter the ball behind for a corner. The set piece is a nonsense, like Chelseas before it, but Viler is soon coming at Chelsea down the left again. His cross is overcooked, and the danger, such as it was, is over.

8.27pm GMT

42 min: Hazard drops a shoulder to glide in from the right, and pearls a shot towards the bottom right. Handanovic does well to turn the ball round the post. Chelseas corner is a thundering non-event.

8.26pm GMT

41 min: Hazard goes on a Maradonaesque jitter down the right, and nearly breaks through four challenges and into the area, but hes crowded out. Sallalich, up the other end, looks to break free of Matic down the right, but is clipped. No free kick, though. Frustration for both sides, with little coming off.

8.24pm GMT

39 min: Chelsea pass it hither and yon, but go nowhere.

8.23pm GMT

37 min: ... sends a fairly dismal sidefoot straight down Handanovics throat. Not sure which top corner he was looking for there, it went straight down the middle. Maribor attempt to break upfield, but Tavares gifts the ball to Willian, who sets Schurrle away down the inside right. Schurrle whistles a daisycutter towards the bottom-left corner, and he beats Handanovic, but the effort flies wide of the post.

8.21pm GMT

36 min: Matic powers down the middle of the park and attempts to break into the box. His picking up of the pace spooks Filipovic, who slides in recklessly to the left of the D, upending Matic, conceding a free kick in a dangerous position 30 yards from goal, and picking up a booking. Drogba steps up, and ...

8.20pm GMT

35 min: Ibraimi dances down the right. Hazard concedes a free kick by showing him his studs. Maribor load the box. Ibraimi curls one in, and its immediately headed out by Matic.

8.18pm GMT

33 min: Drogba is back on. What a waste of petrol.

8.17pm GMT

32 min: Drogba is down on the floor with his right boot off. A medical complaint. Not sure what happened to him, but hes frowning a lot, and the hospital tractor, or whatever that motorised buggy is called, wheelspins onto the pitch before shuttling him off the field of play.

8.15pm GMT

28 min: Fabregas rolls a ball down the inside-left channel for Drogba to chase. Drogba overpowers Stojanovic, and breaks clear into the area, but hes pulled at the right-backs arm. Foul. As is Drogbas language, Ill be bound, as he angrily discusses the matter at long distance with the referee.

8.13pm GMT

27 min: Its not quite happening for Chelsea right now. Drogba peels off down the right. His cross, pulled back to the edge of the D, is headed weakly into Handanovics hands by Schurrle. Fabregas was coming in behind, hoping to pelt the dropping ball. But no.

8.11pm GMT

25 min: Filipe Luis is booked, ludicrously, for winning the ball off Sallalich. The referee is of the opinion he clattered the Maribor man from behind. A lot of hand waving. The resulting free kick is 40 yards out, and so Ibraimi tries to find the top-left corner with a comical up-and-under. Some decorum, please, one of the best keepers in the world in goal here! (The effort floats miles wide left, for the record.)

8.09pm GMT

22 min: Schurrle misses an open goal from two yards. Willian fires a low ball through the Maribor six-yard area from the right. Handanovic, diving by his left-hand post, cant stop it, and it reaches the German World Cup winner - who shins it wide left from 72 inches out. The flag goes up for offside, but no matter: the saves-his-blushes cliche shouldnt apply there, for that was a ludicrous miss. Oh Andre!

8.07pm GMT

21 min: Thats been a fine response from Maribor, who were all over the place for the first ten minutes or so. The crowd do their bit with a deafening bit of call and response. Their team deserve no less after gathering themselves.

8.05pm GMT

20 min: Now Filipovic has a crack, from a central position, the best part of 30 yards out. Thats never beating Cech.

8.04pm GMT

19 min: Sallalich, his dander up, cuts in from the left and has a pelt from 20 yards. His shots an awkward bouncing thing, heading towards the bottom right, and Cech does rather well to gather it without any fuss or drama.

8.03pm GMT

17 min: More of the Chelsea passing, though Maribor have it in hand right now.

8.02pm GMT

14 min: And this is even better! Chelsea fall asleep, and suddenly Tavares sashays between Terry and Matic down the inside-right channel. Hes clear, with Zahovic to his left! Instead of going for goal, he lays off inside for his strike partner, but puts too much juice on the ball. Zahovic gathers the ball to the left of the Chelsea goal and pulls it back for Sallalich, rushing in from the left wing. Sallalich fizzes a low shot on target from the edge of the box, but Zouma is on hand to hack clear. That would have put a different complexion on this match.

7.59pm GMT

13 min: This is a little better from Maribor, though. Sallalich finds a little space down the left and curls one into the box. Terry hacks the low ball clear.

7.58pm GMT

12 min: A little relief for Maribor as Zahovic dances on the left-hand edge of the Chelsea box. Hes got nobody to pass to, though, and the balls soon whistled off his toe. Chelsea romp upfield through Hazard down the left, but Mertelj blocks him just before he enters the box.

7.57pm GMT

11 min: Drogba and Hazard exchange passes in front of the Maribor D. Drogba takes a shot towards the bottom left. Its deflected a little, but Handanovic gets a palm to the ball. Chelsea are rampant, and the home side are all over the shop. An opening goal is surely just a matter of time.

7.55pm GMT

9 min: A couple of passes in the Chelsea half for Maribor, but Willian robs Tavares, and a long balls launched down the middle. It should be bread and butter for defenders in the Champions League, but neither Arghus nor Rajcevic read the flight, and Drogba nearly powers clear. If hed taken that under control, he was one on one with the keeper.

7.54pm GMT

8 min: Fabregas immediately picks up the ball from Terrys loose header, makes for the byline down the left, and lifts another cross into the centre, where Zouma heads just over the bar from eight yards while aiming for the top left. He should have scored. This has been an accomplished start by Chelsea, though, and an appalling one by Maribor.

7.53pm GMT

7 min: Chelsea are passing the ball around. A lot. Hazard hovers down the left wing, then shuttles a ball forward for Filipe Luis, who wins another corner. Fabregass delivery is better, to the far post, but Terrys header is weak and off target.

7.51pm GMT

5 min: Fabregass corner fails to beat the first man, but hes soon coming back at Maribor, clear down the inside-left channel. His cross is poor. Chelsea have already had three chances down this flank. Maribor are struggling to gain any sort of meaningful possession.

7.49pm GMT

4 min: Maribor are being pressed left, right and centre by Chelsea, who look in the mood to show no mercy. Did you expect anything less? Fabregas sprays a delicious diagonal ball 40 yards for Ivanovic on the right. He checks back when he could have burst clear, but Chelsea are soon probing down the other wing, first through Drogba, then Hazard, who wins a corner.

7.48pm GMT

Maribor get the ball rolling. From a distance, and if you adjust the contrast a bit, Maribors kit looks a little like the one Wimbledon got themselves promoted in, back in 1986. Theres an immediate brouhaha in the Maribor box, with Filipe Luis finding a bit of space down the left and lifting a ball into the centre. Handanovic punches clear with Drogba lurking. After that 6-0 at Stamford Bridge, an early goal would give poor Maribor the proper fear. But they survive that one; a mere 89 minutes to go.

7.44pm GMT

The teams are out! Tonights visual signatures: Maribor sport Portillo-esque bright purple, while Chelsea are in Portillo-esque bright yellow. The Uefa anthem parps out of the PA, and George Frideric Handel continues spinning in his grave. Hands are shaken, stretches are performed, and well be off in a minute.

7.30pm GMT

Maribor: Handanovic, Stojanovic, Rajcevic, Arghus, Viler, Ibraimi, Mertelj, Filipovic, Sallalich, Tavares, Zahovic.
Subs: Cotman, Suler, Ndiaye, Mendy. Vrsic, Trajkowski, Bohar.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Filipe Luis, Fabregas, Matic, Willian, Schurrle, Hazard, Drogba.
Subs: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ramires, Oscar, Saleh, Diego Costa.

6.30pm GMT

Looking for a little bit of drama tonight? At 7.30pm on ITV, its time for a visit to Coronation Street. Then at 8pm on BBC1, catch up with the young rapscallions who attend the Waterloo Road comprehensive. And finally over on BBC2 at 9pm, a new sci-fi thriller, Michael Portillos Great Continental Railway Journeys, in which a man bravely struggles with, but is eventually overpowered by, a primary-coloured sports jacket.

Continue reading...

The Fiver | It’s a new day

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

Arsenal and Liverpool both had a fairly eventful time of it in Big Cup last night. But whose antics were the most unbelievable? Arsenal shipped three goals at home in the last 29 minutes of their match, a collapse which almost certainly locks them into their usual pattern of finishing second in the group, drawing Bayern Munich, then losing 4-0 away from home in the first leg. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, selected 11 professional footballers to play a professional football match, which they did fairly competently, albeit without reward. Yes, he really did do that!

Continue reading...

The Fiver | Its a new day

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

Arsenal and Liverpool both had a fairly eventful time of it in Big Cup last night. But whose antics were the most unbelievable? Arsenal shipped three goals at home in the last 29 minutes of their match, a collapse which almost certainly locks them into their usual pattern of finishing second in the group, drawing Bayern Munich, then losing 4-0 away from home in the first leg. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, selected 11 professional footballers to play a professional football match, which they did fairly competently, albeit without reward. Yes, he really did do that!

Continue reading...

Real Madrid v Liverpool: Champions League – as it happened | Scott Murray

Brendan Rodgers’ surprise selection dug in purposefully at the Bernabeu, though a resilient display wasn’t enough to stave off defeat

Mourinho aims sly dig at Liverpool team selection for Madrid game
A gallery of pretty pictures from the Santiago Bernabéu
Here’s how Arsenal threw it away against Anderlecht

9.37pm GMT

And that’s that. A deserved victory for Real Madrid, but given what everyone was thinking before kick-off, a moral vict... ah, no, it’s not really a moral victory. Real were the better team. But that performance will give Liverpool succour, and may just turn around their season. They’ve not rediscovered their attacking sass, but at least the old determination and pressing verve is back. It’ll be very interesting to see their team sheet against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, put it that way. After tonight’s match, Brendan Rodgers will feel he’s earned the right to tinker as he pleases.

9.35pm GMT

90 min +3: Sterling and Manquillo fanny around deep in Real territory, down the right. Eventually the flag goes up for offside, and the chance to put one into the mixer is gone.

9.34pm GMT

90 min +2: Bale puts the ball into the Liverpool net after a strong run down the right, but he was offside. Mignolet does that thing where he ostentatiously pretends to have known it all along.

9.33pm GMT

90 min +1: The travelling support thunder out a defiant rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.

9.32pm GMT

90 min: Moreno, Toure, Coutinho, Gerrard and Allen triangulate prettily down the left, but it’s all too deep and Real are never in serious danger. There will be three added minutes of this.

9.30pm GMT

88 min: A free kick for Liverpool in the centre circle. Gerrard pumps it forward. Toure battles for it, and earns a throw down the left. Allen and Moreno confuse each other at the throw, and all the pressure whistles off into the ether.

9.29pm GMT

87 min: Tonight’s goalscoring hero Benzema is replaced by Hernandez. “A moral victory is the best kind,” opines Simon McMahon. “In the moral victory stakes, Dundee United FC have won four Scottish Cups and two European trophies.” You should see Basingstoke Town’s roll of honour in my mind’s eye.

9.27pm GMT

85 min: Bale powers off on a run down the inside-right. Moreno matches him for pace, then panics and decides to upend him on the edge of the box. A no-brainer booking, as cynical as it comes. And kind of needless, for he was keeping up with Bale there. Bale takes the set piece himself, and whips one towards the top right. Mignolet punches clear, a fine save. “Can we just declare this a moral victory, and move on to the Chelsea game?” wonders Gar Byrne, who’ll be kicking himself for opening his mouth if Liverpool ship three late ones.

9.25pm GMT

83 min: Erstwhile Liverpool defender Arbeloa is replaced by Nacho.

9.24pm GMT

82 min: Mignolet drops a shoulder to dribble past Ronaldo (!) just outside his area. To say Liverpool hearts were in mouths there is the mother, father and extended family of all understatements. Still, what skill! That’ll be one to tell the grandkids.

9.23pm GMT

81 min: Gerrard slides a ball down the inside-left channel for Lallana, who miscontrols but nearly frees Borini into the box nevertheless. Borini’s on the back foot, though, and can’t react to the half-chance.

9.21pm GMT

80 min: Can has been replaced by Coutinho, by the way.

9.20pm GMT

9.20pm GMT

78 min: It’s Isco’s turn to prepare to shoot in the Liverpool box, to the left of goal having brought down a deep Ronaldo cross from the right. But Manquillo steps in to block. Marcelo eventually steers a weak shot wide right from the edge of the box.

9.18pm GMT

76 min: Marcelo is booked for a fairly agricultural lunge on Sterling. No need for it, in the middle of the park with the winger going nowhere.

9.18pm GMT

75 min: Borini busies himself around Ramos down the inside-right channel, makes away with the ball, and tucks it away in the Real net. But he’s penalised - rightly - for a shove on the Real defender.

9.16pm GMT

74 min: Bale has a whack at goal from 25 yards. The ball balloons off Toure and out for a corner on the right. Kroos’s corner is met by Gerrard. Clear, but Real are coming back at Liverpool in double-quick time. Marcelo’s shot from the inside-left channel deflects off Skrtel. Another corner, on the left. Kroos, on the edge of the box, fires inches over the bar, a shot travelling at 349mph.

9.14pm GMT

72 min: ... scoops a free kick straight at Mignolet, who should catch the ball despite its slight swerve, but punches clear instead. It’s enough, though. Real are beginning to look very dangerous again.

9.13pm GMT

71 min: Marcelo down the left again. This time his low cross finds Bale, 12 yards out, level with the left-hand post. His rising sidefoot twangs the crossbar, middle C. Ronaldo picks up the loose ball, and is bundled over by Can, just to the left of the D. Ronaldo steps up, and ...

9.12pm GMT

69 min: A double change for Liverpool, with Gerrard and Sterling coming on for Lucas and Markovic. One way or another, how this pans out will be interesting. It’s Basel 4, Ludogorets 1, by the way, if you allow me to use the old-school Guardian headline style.

9.10pm GMT

68 min: Ronaldo has the ball at his feet in the Liverpool area. He drops a shoulder and looks to find the top right, but Toure comes across to block. Another corner, which Liverpool deal with. Seconds later, Marcelo’s romping down the left and fires a hard ball to the far post, where Benzema bangs over from close range. That would have looked very spectacular had it gone in. But it was a good chance, nevertheless.

9.09pm GMT

65 min: Ramos slaps his hand into Borini’s coupon as the pair bustle around a static ball. It’s absolutely nothing, almost certainly accidental, though if you catch a referee on a bad day, well you’ve seen them given. A second yellow would have been a total outrage - Borini went down extremely theatrically - but Ramos should keep his hands down, just in case.

9.06pm GMT

63 min: Can hoicks a long ball down the middle for Borini. The Liverpool striker is ahead of the Real back line, but a yard offside. Not even a yard. The correct decision, but pretty close. Who knew Brendan Rodgers was a fan of Charles Reep?

9.04pm GMT

62 min: Sort of. Borini takes, looking for the top right. His effort, not brilliant, pings off Modric’s back and out on the left. The resulting corner comes to nothing. And then Real make the first change of the evening, swapping Rodriguez for Bale.

9.02pm GMT

60 min: Ramos is booked for sliding through Borini just outside the Real D, Liverpool having put a few passes together in the Real half. Can Liverpool make something from this free kick, the best part of 30 yards from goal?

9.01pm GMT

59 min: Another free kick for Real, out on the right. Rodriguez finds the head of Ronaldo, but he’s under pressure from Toure and sends the ball miles over the bar.

9.00pm GMT

58 min: Moreno, determined in attack, slides a pass down the left channel for Lallana, who on the edge of the box has his back to goal, turns, and fires a low effort just wide of the right-hand post. A decente effort, though Casillas almost certainly had it covered.

8.59pm GMT

56 min: Moreno, making good down the left, whistles a low shot down Casillas’s throat from 25 yards. Never beating the keeper, but that’s keeping Casillas honest at least. Speaking of which, he’s just grabbed a long upfield hoof, right on the edge of his box. A suggestion he handled outside the area there.

8.57pm GMT

55 min: Arbeola flicks a ball past Moreno. It smacks into his hand, hanging limply by his side. That’s another free kick in a dangerous position, this time just outside the box on the right. Rodriguez takes. Can, having quickly learned from Toure (52 mins), blooters clear. It’s been a bit backs-to-the-wall at times, but Liverpool have defended pretty well this evening. So far.

8.55pm GMT

53 min: Markovic goes on a determined meander down the inside-right channel. He draws a challenge from Rodriguez, who upends him from behind. That’s a yellow card.

8.54pm GMT

52 min: Benzema has a whack from 20 yards, just to the right of goal. His shot is blocked. Markovic attempts to clear with an insouciant wand-like flick of his leg. Can tries a clever header. Toure thinks “bugger this”, and puts his foot through it. Blooter. Marvellous.

8.52pm GMT

50 min: Lucas plants his studs on Benzema’s instep. That looked accidental, but a sore one. A wee pause in play. The action hasn’t quite been breathless since the restart, but Real have been stroking it around quite a lot, and Liverpool are having trouble keeping possession.

8.51pm GMT

49 min: Real Madrid have come out on the front foot. Ronaldo tries to sidefoot into the bottom-right corner from the edge of the box. Mignolet smothers, but only after making a holy show of himself in spilling a ball he should have gathered first time.

8.50pm GMT

48 min: Ronaldo belts a fairly lame free kick straight at Lucas, who blocks. The ball’s lumped back in the area, for Varane to head wide right.

8.49pm GMT

47 min: Ronaldo opens his legs and makes off down the left. Skrtel slides in, upending him Smalling-style just outside the area. That’s a no-brainer booking. And this is a free kick in an extremely dangerous position, on the left-hand corner of the box. Ronaldo and Rodriguez stand over it.

8.47pm GMT

The hosts get the ball rolling. No changes. Basle went in 2-0 up at half-time against Ludogorets, by the way. Not ideal for Liverpool, but they can’t be relying on other teams at this level. And here’s Alex Welby on Mourinho’s wee dig at Brendan’s selection: “What a short memory.”

8.37pm GMT

Half-time entertainment:

8.31pm GMT

A fair scoreline, but Liverpool have performed staunchly.

8.30pm GMT

45 min: Moreno powers down the left and whips a low ball along the corridor of uncertainty. That’s a fine cross. Moreno has been excellent in this half.

8.29pm GMT

43 min: Rodriguez takes a belt from 20 yards, cutting in from the right, after Isco fired a low, dangerous ball straight through the Liverpool box from the left.

8.28pm GMT

41 min: Some determined, pesky play by Moreno, bustling about on the edge of the Real area after Manquillo breaks down the right. He feeds Can, who reaches the byline and has team-mates in the middle. But Can overhits his cross, a 7-iron instead of a delicate sand wedge. Real didn’t look particularly stable there, though, and for a second it nearly opened up for Moreno to take a shot. The full backs in highly advanced areas there; if nothing else, Liverpool are showing ambition in attack, even if Casillas has had nothing to do yet.

8.26pm GMT

39 min: Modric sends a bouncing bomb down the middle of the park. Ronaldo is clear of Skrtel and Toure, but can’t control the ball as it loops away from his outstretched leg. If he’d taken that down, it was 2-0. Soon after, Lucas is giving the ball away cheaply, and Mignolet is required to parry a stinging Benzema shot from the left of the D.

8.23pm GMT

38 min: Basel have taken the lead in the other group game, Breel Embolo giving the Swiss a 34th-minute lead against Ludogorets.

8.22pm GMT

36 min: Varane curls a ball over the Liverpool back line from the right touchline, by the centre circle. It’s dropping for Benzema, who’s ahead of Toure and Skrtel. Toure sticks out a leg and lifts the ball over the bar. For a second it looks like looping over the stranded Mignolet and into the top left, but it’s a well-judged intervention. Once again, the corner comes to naught.

8.19pm GMT

34 min: Lucas tugs Isco’s arm, 30 yards from goal, level with the left-hand post. That’ll be a free kick, and one which Ronaldo will be pelting with extreme prejudice towards goal. Tok! A fine effort is whistled towards the top-left corner. It dips a little before it reaches the goal, and Mignolet punches clear.

8.18pm GMT

33 min: Ronaldo, Benzema and Rodriguez play the pretty triangles, left to right along the front of the Liverpool box. Rodriguez takes a whack, but Toure blocks. Liverpool attempt to break, Lucas again firing a long one for Markovic to chase. Ramos snuffs out the danger.

8.16pm GMT

31 min: Borini, with no support, bustles away down the left. He’s eventually clipped to the floor by Arbeloa, perhaps looking to do his old club a favour. This will be a free kick just to the left of the Real box. Lallana whips the set piece in, but it’s cleared with ease by Ramos. “Mario Balotelli has been utterly useless so far,” blasts Sean Kelly. “It’s impossible to tell if he is even on the pitch! If he made some more effort then maybe Real Madrid wouldn’t have so much joy up the left, through the middle and down the right.” Satire, ladies and gentlemen. It’s like the BBC never took TW3 off the air.

8.14pm GMT

29 min: Liverpool started reasonably well at Anfield, too. They’ll need to keep it tight this time. They’ve not seen much of the ball since giving it away rather cheaply at the restart.

8.13pm GMT

Real have been pretty damn quiet, but suddenly they burst into life. Marcelo is sent scampering down the left by Isco, and curls towards the far post, where Benzema lifts a leg to steer home a rising ball. A difficult finish, even if it was into an empty net, Mignolet having been written out of the story by the excellent cross.

8.11pm GMT

25 min: Moreno, Lallana and Can triangulate down the left. It’s a clever period of possession for Liverpool, who probe patiently until something opens up, which it eventually does for Allen. But Allen doesn’t burst down the channel and into the box with any confidence, and his timid ball into the centre is easily blocked, then cleared, by Varane. I can’t quite work out Joe Allen.

8.09pm GMT

23 min: Kolo Toure shows he’s not just about the tricky wingplay, throwing himself in front of a Ronaldo shot, hammered from 25 yards. Fine last-ditch defending.

8.07pm GMT

21 min: Moreno goes on a magnificent swerving run from his left back position, inside the field, then back to the wing. He’s dumped on his arse by the halfway line. Thirty seconds or so later, Toure drops a shoulder and channels his inner Garrincha, skating past Benzema and then Rodriguez down the left wing. Neither move goes anywhere, but Liverpool have clearly turned up with a view to enjoying themselves. While they can, at the very least. Wonderfully entertaining runs by the Liverpool defenders.

8.04pm GMT

19 min: It’s an open, fun game, this one. Ronaldo drops a shoulder and enters the Liverpool area down the left. He fizzes a low shot towards the near post, where Mignolet gathers calmly. The keeper is soon out again to punch an Isco cross from the left miles clear.

8.02pm GMT

17 min: It nearly opens up for Liverpool on the break, Lucas flicking a ball down the middle for Markovic, who decides to take on last man Varane in a foot race. He nearly bursts clear, but the Real defender is made of the proper stuff, keeps on Markovic’s shoulder, and eventually barges his man off the ball.

8.01pm GMT

16 min: Ronaldo nearly diddles Skrtel down the left, but has to settle for a corner. Skrtel makes up by battering a clearing header 50 yards upfield. The home side are beginning to get into the groove, though, and are soon coming at Liverpool again, Benzema and Rodriguez causing all sorts of bother down the right. Liverpool swarm around them to eventually hack clear.

8.00pm GMT

14 min: Mignolet, who has had pelters directed at him all season, has started this match well. Now he’s coming off his line with confidence - note the date and time - to claim a Marcelo cross from the left.

7.58pm GMT

12 min: A raking right-to-left ball by Can very nearly releases Borini down the channel. Varane stretches his neck muscles and heads back upfield. Meanwhile here’s Matt Dony: “Ultimately, I’m more concerned about Andy Townsend’s commentary than I am about any potential tonking.” You’ll not read wiser words tonight. You’ll certainly not hear them.

7.56pm GMT

10 min: And after that bright start for Liverpool, Real Madrid should be ahead. Skrtel stands on the ball, 20 yards from his own goal, just to the left of the D. Benzema robs him and lays off inside for Ronaldo, whose rising shot from the edge of the area is tipped away from trouble by Mignolet. Again, the resulting corner comes to nothing.

7.54pm GMT

9 min: Clear and vocal support for Brendan Rodgers from the Liverpool fans. Markovic goes on a romp down the right and feeds Manquillo, whose cross is dealt with by Ramos. The away side are firmly on the front foot right now.

7.52pm GMT

6 min: Can, Allen, Lallana and Moreno exchange passes down the inside-left channel as Liverpool advance. Markovic considers a shot from the edge of the box, but tries to feed Borini, who is crowded out. This is a fairly uptempo start from the visitors. The travelling fans are doing their best to turn up a little heat on Real, who have started fairly slowly. Apart from the time they, er, nearly scored, but the point stands: Liverpool look bright so far.

7.49pm GMT

4 min: Real Madrid get their ball back. Benzema, to the left of the Liverpool D, slips it inside for Rodriguez, for whom it opens up. He aims for the top right, but Mignolet, at full stretch, palms away for a corner. Fine shot, fine save. The corner comes to nothing. “Am I the only one who thinks that 16-1 for Liverpool is worth a punt?” asks Simon McMahon. “Yeah, thought so.”

7.47pm GMT

2 min: Liverpool knock it around the back awhile, in the grand 1981 style. The away fans are giving it plenty. “We are Liverpool, la la la la la,” they chant. It’s difficult to tell whether this is acid comment on the team selection. It’s certainly defiant. As is Liverpool’s performance in the opening exchanges; they’ve hogged the ball.

7.45pm GMT

Liverpool get the ball rolling. So, before there’s any meaningful action, anyone for a little optimism? “Maybe I’m out of touch, but don’t the players Liverpool have rested actually do very little in terms of addressing their essential weakness defending set-pieces?” wonders Harry Tuttle. “Rodgers will have got these lads drilled to keep the ball, at least. As long as they don’t concede a corner or foul anyone in their own half they’ll be fine.”

And here’s Rob Lavine: “The team selection seems clear enough to me. Rodgers has put the three best defensive midfielders - Lucas, Can and Allen - in together with the best defensive winger, Lallana, and the striker, Borini, most likely to put in a shift. Presumably, the plan is to try and hold them off until half time and then send on Sterling, Gerrard, Henderson, etc. to drive at them as they tire. It probably won’t work but it’s certainly not a case of putting out a B team.”

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! Real Madrid are in their famous merengue kit, while Liverpool sport their equally iconic all-red clobber. Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, has been justifying his selection: “I’ll be surprised if fans are disappointed. We’ve got a strong team out, we’re certainly not forfeiting it. The last game we won was against Swansea, and a lot of these players played in that. Our form is nowhere near what it’s been in the last 18 months, so our best team right now would be hard to pick. After the game tonight, we focus on Chelsea.”

7.27pm GMT

Pre-match chit-chat, as several of our readers consider the Liverpool starting XI and adopt the brace position:

7.09pm GMT

Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Rodriguez, Modric, Kroos, Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Navas, Pepe, Bale, Hernandez, Nacho, Medran, Torro.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Moreno, Toure, Skrtel, Manquillo, Can, Lucas, Lallana, Allen, Markovic, Borini.
Subs: Brad Jones, Johnson, Gerrard, Coutinho, Henderson, Sterling, Balotelli.

6.45pm GMT

The official team sheets aren’t in yet, but we do know the Liverpool starting XI. Here it is! Mignolet, Manquillo, Toure, Skrtel, Moreno, Lucas, Can, Allen, Lallana, Markovic, Borini. A distinctly League Cup flavour, some would argue, with star men Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho, Mario Balotelli and Jordan Henderson on the bench. And Brad Jones. And Glen Johnson. But look at it another way: Kolo Toure has been part of a defence to leave the Bernabeu with a win, alongside erstwhile Arsenal colleagues Philippe Senderos, Emmanuel Eboue and Mathieu Flamini back in 2006. So anything’s possible. And this starting XI did cost £112.5m, to be fair.

6.00pm GMT

We all remember last month at Anfield. No need to pick at open sores.

Continue reading...

Real Madrid v Liverpool: Champions League as it happened | Scott Murray

Brendan Rodgers surprise selection dug in purposefully at the Bernabeu, though a resilient display wasnt enough to stave off defeat

Mourinho aims sly dig at Liverpool team selection for Madrid game
A gallery of pretty pictures from the Santiago Bernabéu
Heres how Arsenal threw it away against Anderlecht

9.37pm GMT

And thats that. A deserved victory for Real Madrid, but given what everyone was thinking before kick-off, a moral vict... ah, no, its not really a moral victory. Real were the better team. But that performance will give Liverpool succour, and may just turn around their season. Theyve not rediscovered their attacking sass, but at least the old determination and pressing verve is back. Itll be very interesting to see their team sheet against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, put it that way. After tonights match, Brendan Rodgers will feel hes earned the right to tinker as he pleases.

9.35pm GMT

90 min +3: Sterling and Manquillo fanny around deep in Real territory, down the right. Eventually the flag goes up for offside, and the chance to put one into the mixer is gone.

9.34pm GMT

90 min +2: Bale puts the ball into the Liverpool net after a strong run down the right, but he was offside. Mignolet does that thing where he ostentatiously pretends to have known it all along.

9.33pm GMT

90 min +1: The travelling support thunder out a defiant rendition of Youll Never Walk Alone.

9.32pm GMT

90 min: Moreno, Toure, Coutinho, Gerrard and Allen triangulate prettily down the left, but its all too deep and Real are never in serious danger. There will be three added minutes of this.

9.30pm GMT

88 min: A free kick for Liverpool in the centre circle. Gerrard pumps it forward. Toure battles for it, and earns a throw down the left. Allen and Moreno confuse each other at the throw, and all the pressure whistles off into the ether.

9.29pm GMT

87 min: Tonights goalscoring hero Benzema is replaced by Hernandez. A moral victory is the best kind, opines Simon McMahon. In the moral victory stakes, Dundee United FC have won four Scottish Cups and two European trophies. You should see Basingstoke Towns roll of honour in my minds eye.

9.27pm GMT

85 min: Bale powers off on a run down the inside-right. Moreno matches him for pace, then panics and decides to upend him on the edge of the box. A no-brainer booking, as cynical as it comes. And kind of needless, for he was keeping up with Bale there. Bale takes the set piece himself, and whips one towards the top right. Mignolet punches clear, a fine save. Can we just declare this a moral victory, and move on to the Chelsea game? wonders Gar Byrne, wholl be kicking himself for opening his mouth if Liverpool ship three late ones.

9.25pm GMT

83 min: Erstwhile Liverpool defender Arbeloa is replaced by Nacho.

9.24pm GMT

82 min: Mignolet drops a shoulder to dribble past Ronaldo (!) just outside his area. To say Liverpool hearts were in mouths there is the mother, father and extended family of all understatements. Still, what skill! Thatll be one to tell the grandkids.

9.23pm GMT

81 min: Gerrard slides a ball down the inside-left channel for Lallana, who miscontrols but nearly frees Borini into the box nevertheless. Borinis on the back foot, though, and cant react to the half-chance.

9.21pm GMT

80 min: Can has been replaced by Coutinho, by the way.

9.20pm GMT

9.20pm GMT

78 min: Its Iscos turn to prepare to shoot in the Liverpool box, to the left of goal having brought down a deep Ronaldo cross from the right. But Manquillo steps in to block. Marcelo eventually steers a weak shot wide right from the edge of the box.

9.18pm GMT

76 min: Marcelo is booked for a fairly agricultural lunge on Sterling. No need for it, in the middle of the park with the winger going nowhere.

9.18pm GMT

75 min: Borini busies himself around Ramos down the inside-right channel, makes away with the ball, and tucks it away in the Real net. But hes penalised - rightly - for a shove on the Real defender.

9.16pm GMT

74 min: Bale has a whack at goal from 25 yards. The ball balloons off Toure and out for a corner on the right. Krooss corner is met by Gerrard. Clear, but Real are coming back at Liverpool in double-quick time. Marcelos shot from the inside-left channel deflects off Skrtel. Another corner, on the left. Kroos, on the edge of the box, fires inches over the bar, a shot travelling at 349mph.

9.14pm GMT

72 min: ... scoops a free kick straight at Mignolet, who should catch the ball despite its slight swerve, but punches clear instead. Its enough, though. Real are beginning to look very dangerous again.

9.13pm GMT

71 min: Marcelo down the left again. This time his low cross finds Bale, 12 yards out, level with the left-hand post. His rising sidefoot twangs the crossbar, middle C. Ronaldo picks up the loose ball, and is bundled over by Can, just to the left of the D. Ronaldo steps up, and ...

9.12pm GMT

69 min: A double change for Liverpool, with Gerrard and Sterling coming on for Lucas and Markovic. One way or another, how this pans out will be interesting. Its Basel 4, Ludogorets 1, by the way, if you allow me to use the old-school Guardian headline style.

9.10pm GMT

68 min: Ronaldo has the ball at his feet in the Liverpool area. He drops a shoulder and looks to find the top right, but Toure comes across to block. Another corner, which Liverpool deal with. Seconds later, Marcelos romping down the left and fires a hard ball to the far post, where Benzema bangs over from close range. That would have looked very spectacular had it gone in. But it was a good chance, nevertheless.

9.09pm GMT

65 min: Ramos slaps his hand into Borinis coupon as the pair bustle around a static ball. Its absolutely nothing, almost certainly accidental, though if you catch a referee on a bad day, well youve seen them given. A second yellow would have been a total outrage - Borini went down extremely theatrically - but Ramos should keep his hands down, just in case.

9.06pm GMT

63 min: Can hoicks a long ball down the middle for Borini. The Liverpool striker is ahead of the Real back line, but a yard offside. Not even a yard. The correct decision, but pretty close. Who knew Brendan Rodgers was a fan of Charles Reep?

9.04pm GMT

62 min: Sort of. Borini takes, looking for the top right. His effort, not brilliant, pings off Modrics back and out on the left. The resulting corner comes to nothing. And then Real make the first change of the evening, swapping Rodriguez for Bale.

9.02pm GMT

60 min: Ramos is booked for sliding through Borini just outside the Real D, Liverpool having put a few passes together in the Real half. Can Liverpool make something from this free kick, the best part of 30 yards from goal?

9.01pm GMT

59 min: Another free kick for Real, out on the right. Rodriguez finds the head of Ronaldo, but hes under pressure from Toure and sends the ball miles over the bar.

9.00pm GMT

58 min: Moreno, determined in attack, slides a pass down the left channel for Lallana, who on the edge of the box has his back to goal, turns, and fires a low effort just wide of the right-hand post. A decente effort, though Casillas almost certainly had it covered.

8.59pm GMT

56 min: Moreno, making good down the left, whistles a low shot down Casillass throat from 25 yards. Never beating the keeper, but thats keeping Casillas honest at least. Speaking of which, hes just grabbed a long upfield hoof, right on the edge of his box. A suggestion he handled outside the area there.

8.57pm GMT

55 min: Arbeola flicks a ball past Moreno. It smacks into his hand, hanging limply by his side. Thats another free kick in a dangerous position, this time just outside the box on the right. Rodriguez takes. Can, having quickly learned from Toure (52 mins), blooters clear. Its been a bit backs-to-the-wall at times, but Liverpool have defended pretty well this evening. So far.

8.55pm GMT

53 min: Markovic goes on a determined meander down the inside-right channel. He draws a challenge from Rodriguez, who upends him from behind. Thats a yellow card.

8.54pm GMT

52 min: Benzema has a whack from 20 yards, just to the right of goal. His shot is blocked. Markovic attempts to clear with an insouciant wand-like flick of his leg. Can tries a clever header. Toure thinks bugger this, and puts his foot through it. Blooter. Marvellous.

8.52pm GMT

50 min: Lucas plants his studs on Benzemas instep. That looked accidental, but a sore one. A wee pause in play. The action hasnt quite been breathless since the restart, but Real have been stroking it around quite a lot, and Liverpool are having trouble keeping possession.

8.51pm GMT

49 min: Real Madrid have come out on the front foot. Ronaldo tries to sidefoot into the bottom-right corner from the edge of the box. Mignolet smothers, but only after making a holy show of himself in spilling a ball he should have gathered first time.

8.50pm GMT

48 min: Ronaldo belts a fairly lame free kick straight at Lucas, who blocks. The balls lumped back in the area, for Varane to head wide right.

8.49pm GMT

47 min: Ronaldo opens his legs and makes off down the left. Skrtel slides in, upending him Smalling-style just outside the area. Thats a no-brainer booking. And this is a free kick in an extremely dangerous position, on the left-hand corner of the box. Ronaldo and Rodriguez stand over it.

8.47pm GMT

The hosts get the ball rolling. No changes. Basle went in 2-0 up at half-time against Ludogorets, by the way. Not ideal for Liverpool, but they cant be relying on other teams at this level. And heres Alex Welby on Mourinhos wee dig at Brendans selection: What a short memory.

8.37pm GMT

Half-time entertainment:

8.31pm GMT

A fair scoreline, but Liverpool have performed staunchly.

8.30pm GMT

45 min: Moreno powers down the left and whips a low ball along the corridor of uncertainty. Thats a fine cross. Moreno has been excellent in this half.

8.29pm GMT

43 min: Rodriguez takes a belt from 20 yards, cutting in from the right, after Isco fired a low, dangerous ball straight through the Liverpool box from the left.

8.28pm GMT

41 min: Some determined, pesky play by Moreno, bustling about on the edge of the Real area after Manquillo breaks down the right. He feeds Can, who reaches the byline and has team-mates in the middle. But Can overhits his cross, a 7-iron instead of a delicate sand wedge. Real didnt look particularly stable there, though, and for a second it nearly opened up for Moreno to take a shot. The full backs in highly advanced areas there; if nothing else, Liverpool are showing ambition in attack, even if Casillas has had nothing to do yet.

8.26pm GMT

39 min: Modric sends a bouncing bomb down the middle of the park. Ronaldo is clear of Skrtel and Toure, but cant control the ball as it loops away from his outstretched leg. If hed taken that down, it was 2-0. Soon after, Lucas is giving the ball away cheaply, and Mignolet is required to parry a stinging Benzema shot from the left of the D.

8.23pm GMT

38 min: Basel have taken the lead in the other group game, Breel Embolo giving the Swiss a 34th-minute lead against Ludogorets.

8.22pm GMT

36 min: Varane curls a ball over the Liverpool back line from the right touchline, by the centre circle. Its dropping for Benzema, whos ahead of Toure and Skrtel. Toure sticks out a leg and lifts the ball over the bar. For a second it looks like looping over the stranded Mignolet and into the top left, but its a well-judged intervention. Once again, the corner comes to naught.

8.19pm GMT

34 min: Lucas tugs Iscos arm, 30 yards from goal, level with the left-hand post. Thatll be a free kick, and one which Ronaldo will be pelting with extreme prejudice towards goal. Tok! A fine effort is whistled towards the top-left corner. It dips a little before it reaches the goal, and Mignolet punches clear.

8.18pm GMT

33 min: Ronaldo, Benzema and Rodriguez play the pretty triangles, left to right along the front of the Liverpool box. Rodriguez takes a whack, but Toure blocks. Liverpool attempt to break, Lucas again firing a long one for Markovic to chase. Ramos snuffs out the danger.

8.16pm GMT

31 min: Borini, with no support, bustles away down the left. Hes eventually clipped to the floor by Arbeloa, perhaps looking to do his old club a favour. This will be a free kick just to the left of the Real box. Lallana whips the set piece in, but its cleared with ease by Ramos. Mario Balotelli has been utterly useless so far, blasts Sean Kelly. Its impossible to tell if he is even on the pitch! If he made some more effort then maybe Real Madrid wouldnt have so much joy up the left, through the middle and down the right. Satire, ladies and gentlemen. Its like the BBC never took TW3 off the air.

8.14pm GMT

29 min: Liverpool started reasonably well at Anfield, too. Theyll need to keep it tight this time. Theyve not seen much of the ball since giving it away rather cheaply at the restart.

8.13pm GMT

Real have been pretty damn quiet, but suddenly they burst into life. Marcelo is sent scampering down the left by Isco, and curls towards the far post, where Benzema lifts a leg to steer home a rising ball. A difficult finish, even if it was into an empty net, Mignolet having been written out of the story by the excellent cross.

8.11pm GMT

25 min: Moreno, Lallana and Can triangulate down the left. Its a clever period of possession for Liverpool, who probe patiently until something opens up, which it eventually does for Allen. But Allen doesnt burst down the channel and into the box with any confidence, and his timid ball into the centre is easily blocked, then cleared, by Varane. I cant quite work out Joe Allen.

8.09pm GMT

23 min: Kolo Toure shows hes not just about the tricky wingplay, throwing himself in front of a Ronaldo shot, hammered from 25 yards. Fine last-ditch defending.

8.07pm GMT

21 min: Moreno goes on a magnificent swerving run from his left back position, inside the field, then back to the wing. Hes dumped on his arse by the halfway line. Thirty seconds or so later, Toure drops a shoulder and channels his inner Garrincha, skating past Benzema and then Rodriguez down the left wing. Neither move goes anywhere, but Liverpool have clearly turned up with a view to enjoying themselves. While they can, at the very least. Wonderfully entertaining runs by the Liverpool defenders.

8.04pm GMT

19 min: Its an open, fun game, this one. Ronaldo drops a shoulder and enters the Liverpool area down the left. He fizzes a low shot towards the near post, where Mignolet gathers calmly. The keeper is soon out again to punch an Isco cross from the left miles clear.

8.02pm GMT

17 min: It nearly opens up for Liverpool on the break, Lucas flicking a ball down the middle for Markovic, who decides to take on last man Varane in a foot race. He nearly bursts clear, but the Real defender is made of the proper stuff, keeps on Markovics shoulder, and eventually barges his man off the ball.

8.01pm GMT

16 min: Ronaldo nearly diddles Skrtel down the left, but has to settle for a corner. Skrtel makes up by battering a clearing header 50 yards upfield. The home side are beginning to get into the groove, though, and are soon coming at Liverpool again, Benzema and Rodriguez causing all sorts of bother down the right. Liverpool swarm around them to eventually hack clear.

8.00pm GMT

14 min: Mignolet, who has had pelters directed at him all season, has started this match well. Now hes coming off his line with confidence - note the date and time - to claim a Marcelo cross from the left.

7.58pm GMT

12 min: A raking right-to-left ball by Can very nearly releases Borini down the channel. Varane stretches his neck muscles and heads back upfield. Meanwhile heres Matt Dony: Ultimately, Im more concerned about Andy Townsends commentary than I am about any potential tonking. Youll not read wiser words tonight. Youll certainly not hear them.

7.56pm GMT

10 min: And after that bright start for Liverpool, Real Madrid should be ahead. Skrtel stands on the ball, 20 yards from his own goal, just to the left of the D. Benzema robs him and lays off inside for Ronaldo, whose rising shot from the edge of the area is tipped away from trouble by Mignolet. Again, the resulting corner comes to nothing.

7.54pm GMT

9 min: Clear and vocal support for Brendan Rodgers from the Liverpool fans. Markovic goes on a romp down the right and feeds Manquillo, whose cross is dealt with by Ramos. The away side are firmly on the front foot right now.

7.52pm GMT

6 min: Can, Allen, Lallana and Moreno exchange passes down the inside-left channel as Liverpool advance. Markovic considers a shot from the edge of the box, but tries to feed Borini, who is crowded out. This is a fairly uptempo start from the visitors. The travelling fans are doing their best to turn up a little heat on Real, who have started fairly slowly. Apart from the time they, er, nearly scored, but the point stands: Liverpool look bright so far.

7.49pm GMT

4 min: Real Madrid get their ball back. Benzema, to the left of the Liverpool D, slips it inside for Rodriguez, for whom it opens up. He aims for the top right, but Mignolet, at full stretch, palms away for a corner. Fine shot, fine save. The corner comes to nothing. Am I the only one who thinks that 16-1 for Liverpool is worth a punt? asks Simon McMahon. Yeah, thought so.

7.47pm GMT

2 min: Liverpool knock it around the back awhile, in the grand 1981 style. The away fans are giving it plenty. We are Liverpool, la la la la la, they chant. Its difficult to tell whether this is acid comment on the team selection. Its certainly defiant. As is Liverpools performance in the opening exchanges; theyve hogged the ball.

7.45pm GMT

Liverpool get the ball rolling. So, before theres any meaningful action, anyone for a little optimism? Maybe Im out of touch, but dont the players Liverpool have rested actually do very little in terms of addressing their essential weakness defending set-pieces? wonders Harry Tuttle. Rodgers will have got these lads drilled to keep the ball, at least. As long as they dont concede a corner or foul anyone in their own half theyll be fine.

And heres Rob Lavine: The team selection seems clear enough to me. Rodgers has put the three best defensive midfielders - Lucas, Can and Allen - in together with the best defensive winger, Lallana, and the striker, Borini, most likely to put in a shift. Presumably, the plan is to try and hold them off until half time and then send on Sterling, Gerrard, Henderson, etc. to drive at them as they tire. It probably wont work but its certainly not a case of putting out a B team.

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! Real Madrid are in their famous merengue kit, while Liverpool sport their equally iconic all-red clobber. Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, has been justifying his selection: Ill be surprised if fans are disappointed. Weve got a strong team out, were certainly not forfeiting it. The last game we won was against Swansea, and a lot of these players played in that. Our form is nowhere near what its been in the last 18 months, so our best team right now would be hard to pick. After the game tonight, we focus on Chelsea.

7.27pm GMT

Pre-match chit-chat, as several of our readers consider the Liverpool starting XI and adopt the brace position:

7.09pm GMT

Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Rodriguez, Modric, Kroos, Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Navas, Pepe, Bale, Hernandez, Nacho, Medran, Torro.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Moreno, Toure, Skrtel, Manquillo, Can, Lucas, Lallana, Allen, Markovic, Borini.
Subs: Brad Jones, Johnson, Gerrard, Coutinho, Henderson, Sterling, Balotelli.

6.45pm GMT

The official team sheets arent in yet, but we do know the Liverpool starting XI. Here it is! Mignolet, Manquillo, Toure, Skrtel, Moreno, Lucas, Can, Allen, Lallana, Markovic, Borini. A distinctly League Cup flavour, some would argue, with star men Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho, Mario Balotelli and Jordan Henderson on the bench. And Brad Jones. And Glen Johnson. But look at it another way: Kolo Toure has been part of a defence to leave the Bernabeu with a win, alongside erstwhile Arsenal colleagues Philippe Senderos, Emmanuel Eboue and Mathieu Flamini back in 2006. So anythings possible. And this starting XI did cost £112.5m, to be fair.

6.00pm GMT

We all remember last month at Anfield. No need to pick at open sores.

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Real Madrid v Liverpool: Champions League live! | Scott Murray

Champions League live updates from the 7.45pm GMT kick-offCristiano Ronaldos remarkable Real Madrid goalscoring recordSend any thoughts to scott.murray@theguardian.com

6.00pm GMT

We all remember last month at Anfield. No need to pick at open sores.

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The Fiver | Like a confused dog who has misplaced his squeaky bone

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

Its another quiet Friday, so with no news to report, the Fiver has decided to assist a down-on-their-luck professional footballer with their contract negotiations, by publishing a few quotes brazenly designed to chivvy along their contract negotiations. Heres $tevie Mbe, who today admitted that his time at the heart of Liverpools midfield might soon be over. In terms of what the world already knew, news that the leggy legend can no longer seriously cut it at the very top level, his jaw now regularly seen hanging loose as he pants and runs around in circles like a confused dog who has misplaced his squeaky bone, is up there with other breaking stories such as JFK SHOT, MAN LANDS ON MOON and BIG FIRE AT REICHSTAG.

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Football transfer rumours: Manchester United move for Abdul Majeed Waris?

Todays rumours are counting the days

Its Halloween, and cute little kiddies all around the world go out to observe the time-honoured custom of Food And Coin Now Or Window Put Through With Brick. Steven Gerrard is too old to play that game these days, but that hasnt stopped him issuing a threat of his own today. Hes told Liverpool he might be off in the summer if they dont get a wriggle on and offer him a new contract. Where to? Good question.

Manchester United are in for a couple of strikers, because theyve got that habit now. Abdul Majeed Waris of Trabzonspor and Italian hitman Mario Balo hold on Mattia Destro are in their sights. Chelsea are also interested in the Roma forward. Arsenal, meanwhile, desperately need a defensive midfielder and as many defenders as they can source, so naturally theyre in for Destro too, as well as Barcelonas 73rd-choice striker Pedro.

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