CL: Liverpool 0-1 Marseille - TalkSoccer

**Mighty T.A.L.** · 30-09-2007, 12:02 PM

Djibril Cisse is looking forward to returning to Anfield. Cisse will play at Anfield for the first time since 2006 when he, and another former Red Bolo Zenden, will line up for Marseille in Wednesday's Champions League group stage game in Liverpool. It's an occasion the French international is looking forward to.

NJ10 · 02-10-2007, 09:07 PM

Hopefully we will get our acts together tomorrow and get a good win. We should easily have enough to deal with Marseille, although they have started pretty well in Ligue Un I gather. Hopefully he will start with Torres & Crouch, who looked very good at Reading last week, whilst Kuyt and Voronin have looked awful in their last couple of outings. I really don't think Kuyt is the answer for us, despite his awesome work ethic.

I will be steering clear of town tomorrow, Marseille will be bringing loads of fans over and last time i was introduced to them they werent the most welcoming.

**Mighty T.A.L.** · 03-10-2007, 04:43 PM

Match preview

Quote:

The Reds are looking for their first win in Group A after a 1-1 draw with Porto in their opening game last month.

Rafa Benitez takes charge of his 50th game in the Champions League and he will be determined to see his side kick-start their European campaign.

The home side will be without the suspended Jermaine Pennant following his sending off against Porto.

Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun are both battling it out to replace Pennant with Benayoun expected to get the nod following his recent goalscoring heroics.

Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger are both still sidelined with foot injuries, while Harry Kewell is still a way off from returning.

Benitez says Reds skipper Steven Gerrard is in the right frame of mind despite being involved in a car accident earlier this week.

Peter Crouch could get a rare chance to start in attack as Benitez again rotates his forwards.

Former Liverpool duo Cisse and Zenden are both expected to start for Marseille as new boss Erik Gerets takes charge of the French giants for the first time.

Marseille will be without highly-rated playmaker Samir Nasri as he is suffering from a viral infection.

Ronald Zubar returns from suspension after missing Marseille's opening win over Besiktas, but Jacques Faty has not made the trip because of a thigh problem.

Skysports

**Trim** · 03-10-2007, 08:24 PM

Liverpool 0:1 Marseille, 85th min

Matthieu Valbuena scored in the 77th minute to give Marseille the lead.

**Trim** · 03-10-2007, 08:38 PM

Game over! Liverpool beaten at home by 1-0.

**Vargas_4** · 04-10-2007, 02:32 AM

Shocking result, considering how well Liverpool plays at home.

**Lemmy** · 04-10-2007, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vargas_4

Shocking result, considering how well Liverpool plays at home.

It is a very shocking result, but it helps Porto's cause, so I can't complain

Werdna · 04-10-2007, 08:25 AM

WTF? Did someone give the players sleeping pills before the game?

I thought the game in Porto was poor but that was probably the worst performance I've seen in years!!

And why in heck didn't Rafa take Sissoko off? Everytime he touched the ball you knew it was going to Marseille...

Really noticed what a difference an Alonso or a Mascherano makes, who just keep it simple and make sure they pass the ball to a teammate.

Leto obviously still has a lot to learn, looked out of his depth at times.

But the worst was the fact they all just stood off and let Marseille play...even Andy Gray noticed that! Every time Liverpool plays well in Europe (and that goes for all the English teams) is when they play fast and pressurize the opponent in the own half. Made it even worse when they went 1-0 down and then all of a sudden played with some tempo and purpose!

Very very dissapointing, now it will be very difficult to proceed...

**Mighty T.A.L.** · 04-10-2007, 01:24 PM

Absolutley awful performance by Liverpool. Marseille was so much better and deserved the win. Liverpool couldn't keep the ball in the team at all. This was a real wake up call because Liverpool have played poor matches lately and they really need to change something. Liverpool need to play a first team!! The players seems frustrated because they don't know what do do with the ball...No system at all.

NJ10 · 04-10-2007, 04:58 PM

I dont think you can blame Benitez for that. The players were responsible with their poor commitment, attitude and performances. Gerrard may as well have stayed signing pictures at that kid's bedside for all the good he did. He's had way too many games like that this season, I guess pandering to McClaren has taken it out of him. Sissoko was without doubt the worst player on the pitch, for a professional footballer his first touch and use of the ball is pathetic. Was Mascherano injured? I dont think having a bumbling idiot alongside him helped Gerrard, and it was only a matter of time before the clown cost us big. The wingers offered a grand total of nothing- Benayoun was non existent and Leto continues to look way out of his depth. I never thought I'd ever be in the position of wanting Riise on but i was last night. Up front Crouch and Torres tried their best to make something happen but they were well out of sorts, first touch was awry and they were marked out the game for the most part.

L'OM embarrassed us there. They kept the ball so much better and actually used it in the final third instead of wasting it. Credit to them, and a wake up call to our so called stars.

I still think we will qualify, but it neednt have been this tough.