 Liverpool stroll against dire PSV
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands : Liverpool have one foot in the semi-finals of the Champions League after a 3-0 quarter-final first-leg victory over a dismal PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.
Captain Steven Gerrard, John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch bagged the goals to silence the Phillips Stadium.
It was no less than Liverpool deserved against a surprisingly negative PSV, whose season is beginning to unravel before them.
The Dutch league leaders have been reeled in by Ajax and AZ Alkmaar in their domestic league and need a miracle at Anfield next week to progress to the last four for the second time in three seasons.
Gerrard, who was about the only impressive player for England last week in their 3-0 Euro 2008 qualifier defeat of Andorra, said that Liverpool had set out their stall perfectly.
"We proved very hard to break down tonight (Tuesday)," said Gerrard.
"All we need to do now is to finish it off and be professional about it."
PSV coach Ronald Koeman sprang a surprise before kick off by employing the same tactic that flummoxed Arsenal in the previous round.
Koeman played Finnish defensive midfielder Mika Vayrynen as his most advanced player, a role Philip Cocu, who reverted to his holding duties against Liverpool, had occupied in the 1-0 home leg victory over the Gunners.
However, what worked in stifling the free-flowing, pacy, passing style of Arsene Wenger's outfit, had little affect against the simple game-plan favoured by Rafael Benitez.
PSV produced almost nothing in the first-half while Liverpool relied on the aerial threat of Crouch and the industry of Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt to fashion the odd opening.
It was centre-back Jamie Carragher, making his 50th Champions League appearance and breaking the Liverpool record of Phil Neal, who had the first sight of goal, but his header from Gerrard's corner was brilliantly tipped away by Brazilian goalkeeper Gomes.
On 23 minutes, PSV did carve Liverpool open and Jan Kromkamp, who plied his trade at Anfield for eight months in 2006, sent over a teasing cross but Vayrynen's left foot volley bounced into the ground, off Carragher and over the bar.
It was the moment that PSV's lack of an out and out striker - such as former Barcelona hitman Patrick Kluivert, who was warming the bench - became abundantly apparent.
Four minutes later Liverpool broke the deadlock.
Javier Mascherano - deemed not good enough even for struggling West Ham's bench but now starting in a Champions League quarter-final at the heart of Liverpool's midfield - fed the overlapping Steve Finnan down the right and he sent a sumptuous cross into the box.
Gerrard arrived late and climbing above Kuyt buried his header with aplomb.
Koeman's tactical acumen came under further scrutiny after the break as he replaced his flying Peruvian winger Jefferson Farfan with Chinese full-back Sun Xiang.
After two lucky escapes, PSV shot themselves in the foot on 49 minutes when a wayward clearance from Belgian centre-back Timmy Simons fell to Riise 25 yards out.
The Norwegian needed no second invitation to dispatch a dipping volley into the top corner of the net.
Finally Koeman opted to pull on a striker and he replaced Ecuador midfielder Edison Mendez with Kluivert, a winner of this competition with Ajax back in 1995.
Liverpool could have scored another on 58 minutes when Gomes spilled Kuyt's cross, but Riise failed to turn in the rebound with his back to goal.
The third goal arrived in the 63rd minute. Crouch rose above a PSV defender to head home Finnan's cross from the right and take his tally to four in his last two matches.
"I think we probably played better than we expected," said the England striker.
"We are perhaps peaking at the right time. It is a fantastic result and to score three goals away from home speaks for itself," he added.
PSV started to pour forward and take risks after that but it proved too little too late.
The only black spot for Liverpool was an apparent snapped Achilles to Brazilian full-back Fabio Aurelio 17 minutes from time. |