IT’S A REALITY of being successful – finding yourself playing more games than ever and eventually needing to decide on your list of priorities.
It’s never quite happened as absurdly as it has today for Liverpool – their Carabao Cup quarter-final with Aston Villa is going ahead a day before Liverpool then play their Club World Cup semi-final in, um, Qatar.
Liverpool have announced they will split their squad and use two separate groups of players in each game.
This week features a more conventional priority call – tonight’s Champions League group tie with Genk precedes a mega Premier League tie with Man City at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool won this game 4-1 on Matchday Three, but will they be tempted to rest a few bodies with Sunday in mind? Or will they go full pelt in a bid to take another step into the last-16?
Follow our live coverage here of the game here on The42.
Team news is coming in a sec….
Team News
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp has rotated his selection, presumably in anticipation of Sunday’s game with Man City. It means Andy Robertson, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are all on the bench. James Milner comes in at left-back, and there are starts for Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Divock Origi.
Teenager Curtis Jones gets a spot on the bench after his spot-kick heroics against Arsenal a week ago.
#UCL team news 🔴🔵
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 5, 2019
Tonight's line-up for matchday 4️⃣...#LIVGEN https://t.co/soXURstQgu
Genk
Here’s the Genk team, meanwhile. Paul Onuachu, who caused Liverpool plenty of problems in the last game, sits on the bench alongside SonOfGheorghe Ianis Hagi.
Dit is de opstelling voor de topper tegen Liverpool. Komaan supporters, laat jullie horen!!! 💙💙💪👊#krcgenk #livgnk #UCL #samengenk pic.twitter.com/GKwMI9WYU4
— KRC Genk (@KRCGenkofficial) November 5, 2019
Here’s how things stand in the group ahead of kick-off. Napoli are a point ahead of Liverpool and host RB Salzburg at the same time as proceedings get underway at Anfield.
A win for both of the the top two would qualify Napoli with two games to spare, while Liverpool would need just a single point in their final two games to get through.
Away from Anfield, some news breaking – Granit Xhaka has been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy.
Elsewhere tonight:
Barcelona’s spluttering season has continued with a 0-0 draw at home to Slavia Prague, having been blessed to beat them away from home a fortnight ago. It leaves them four points clear of Inter and Dortmund, who face each other later.
RB Leipzig’s flying form has been maintained, though – they’ve beaten Zenit 2-0 to move five points clear at the top of their group.
The teams are in the tunnel at Anfield, and ready to emerge to a ground already crooning their way through You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Before we kick off at Anfield, here are the other fixtures tonight:
Group E
Napoli v Salzburg
Group F
Dortmund v Inter
Group G
Lyon v Benfica
Group H
Chelsea v Ajax
Valencia v Lille
Liverpool beat Genk 4-1 a fortnight ago, and haven’t lost a Champions League game at home since 2014. Fair to say they’re favourites here.
Jordan Henderson isn’t on the bench tonight – he misses out entirely through illness.
Tonight’s referee is Slovakia’s Ivan Kruzliak, who once sent off Virgil van Dijk in a Celtic game.
Kick-off!
We are underway at Anfield!
Interesting – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seems to be playing as a No.9 position for Liverpool, in Firmino’s place.
Blimey – it’s taken Ajax a minute to take the lead at Chelsea.
..and it’s taken Chelsea a minute to equalise with a penalty.
Liverpool have settled into their groove, and are passing the ball about with ease. They’ve yet to create anything, mind.
Naby Keita picks the ball up outside the box, ghosts by an opponent with ease, but sees his shot blocked and away for a throw in.
Wijnaldum breaks down the right, but his whipped cross for Origi in the box is too far ahead of the striker.
Alexander-Arnold sprints the length of the right wing, and forces a corner. It’s taken quickly – remember that? – but Salah’s shot from range is blocked.
Liverpool attack again, and now Oxlade-Chamberlain forces a corner. This one is going into the box…
…and van Dijk wastes a good chance! He runs into space near the near post, but hooks his first time effort over the bar.
In the group’s other game – Salzburg lead agaisnt Napoli! Haaland – who else? – scores from the spot.
Liverpool are totally dominant here, but they have yet to punch a hole in the Genk defence.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Genk (Wijnaldum, 13′)
…although now they have. Origi releases Milner near the touchline, who fizzes a ball into the box. Genk can’t deal with it, it bounces off Sebastien Dewaest and Wijnaldum reacts fastest to deftly prod the ball into the roof of the net.
Wijnaldum scores.
The last time Wijnaldum scored in this competition at Anfield, the atmosphere was considerably hotter than it is now.
But that was the Barcelona Comeback, tonight Anfield is a lot more quiet, presumably in expectation of a win.
Genk are still sitting deep, presumably clinging onto nothing. Liverpool are so dominant, and are winning the ball back so quickly on the few occasions they lose it.
Milner has a go from distance, but it’s comfrotable for Genk ‘keeper Coucke.
Genk break upfield, lose the ball, and Liverpool play it into the right channel quickly for Salah. Defender Jhon Lucumi tugs at Salah’s arms a few times to keep up with him, and eventually Salah went to ground in the box.
The referee adjudged the foul to be just outside the box though. Alexander-Arnold looking interested…
The free-kick is cleared, but Genk’s coutner is scuppered by a brilliant tackle by Origi.
Liverpool counter the counter, and Oxlade-Chamberlain slips Keita away to the left of the box. He takes it close to goal..but his shot is saved by Coucke! The ball pinballs about but is finally hacked clear.
Oooh, lovely through ball by Keita almost finds Salah scampering through, but Genk survive. They have started to open up a bit and attack now, which will suit Liverpool’s counter-attacking threat.
Coucke gets away with a bad clearance that almost left Salah with a tap-in.
Lovely interplay by Liverpool affords Oxlade-Chamberlain some space inside the box. He dummied from his right onto his left – and then from his left onto the right – but his shot is eventually blocked.
A sloppy backpass by Milner almost leaves Liverpool in bother, but Joe Gomez does well to snap into a tackle and deal with the issue.
Oxlade-Chamberlain drops deep, turns and charges forward before being chopped down – fairly – by Sander Berge. He stayed on the turn clutching his ankle and is walking pretty gingerly now.
Salah comes to life! Milner picks him out in the box, and Salah’s touch gives him space beyond the last defender, but his shot from a tight angle whizzes narrowly past the post!
Elsewhere – Ajax are now 3-1 up away to Chelsea.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has recovered from that knock, and plays a nice one-two with Salah.
Salah then clips a cross for Origi, which is behind for a corner.
Air-shot!
Alexander-Arnold’s corner is again an outswinger for a totally unmarked van Dijk, but his attempt at a first-time volley is out of time with the ball arriving to him, and he swipes at thin air and watches the ball bounce behind him.
Liverpiool follow up with a Keita shot that goes tamely wide.
Terrific defending by Alexander-Arnold!
Genk bring something at last, and a cross from the right is ready to land for Samatta, but Alexander-Arnold gets a touch to put the ball behind for a corner.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Genk (Samatta, 40′)
And Genk score with their first attempt on target! Liverpool fall asleep on the corner, and Samatta flicks the corner goalward and beyond Alisson from the near post.
That’s a wake-up for the Champions!
Genk go close again!
Blimey, Liverpool are reeling. Bryan Heynen rolls around Gomez in the box – he’s given way too much space! – and screws a shot wide of Alisson’s near post.
No clean sheet for Liverpool now since beating Sheffield United on 28 September. That’s eight games ago.
Origi goes close!
Fabinho wins the ball back on the edge of the box, leaves the through ball for Keita, but Origi pulls his shot wide of the far post.
In the other game in Group E – Napoli have equalised against Salzburg.
One minute to be added at the end of this half at Anfield.
Fabinho clips a ball forward for Salah, but Lucumi takes it off his toe. Corner for Liverpool.
It’s cleared, Alexander-Arnold screws a snapshot goalward, and it’s diverted just wide by van Dijk’s head!
Half-time: Liverpool 1-1 Genk
Well, Liverpool took an early lead and were comfortable for vast tracts of that half. They failed to build on it, though, and Samatta punished them for a moment of slackness and leaves the game level at the break.
The champions have work to do. We’ll be back in a few.
Elsewhere tonight:
Napoli 1-1 Salzburg
Dortmund 0-2 Inter
Lyon 2-0 Benfica
Chelsea 1-3 Ajax
Valencia 0-1 Lille
We’re back underway!
No changes for Liverpool but they’ve shaken things up positionally up front. Salah is central, Origi has gone to the right and Oxlade-Chamberlain left.
Origi take a pop from distance, but it’s comfortably gathered at a second attempt by Coucke.
More terrific defending by Alexander-Arnold! Berge is slipped through one-on-one with Alisson, and he pulls the ball back for Heynen, but the right-back slides in and deals with the danger.
The linesman’s flag went up but replays show that to be an error, so it would have been ruled in by VAR. Crucial intervention by the defender.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Genk (Oxlade-Chamberlain, 52′)
Liverpool hit the front again! Salah pokes the ball left in the area to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who gets the ball out of his feet with a swish twirl and then hammers a low shot into the corner!
Cracking finish, and a third goal against Genk for Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Liverpool are turning the screw now. Twice Coucke has flapped at crosses, some lovely link-up play from Origi and Wijnaldum might have been rewarded had Salah been on his toes, and Coucke then denied Van Dijk from a deep cross that was returned after the corner was cleared.
They’ve found a higher gear!
Ajax have now upgraded their damage to Chelsea to a battering. It’s 4-1 at Stamford Bridge.
What a chance for Salah! He shunted Dewaest off the ball, and finds himself one-on-one with Coucke. He jinks inside, but hits his shot tamely at the goalkeeper.
He’s really not at it tonight.
The Ox strikes again for #LFC! 🔴#LIVGNK #UCL #VMSport pic.twitter.com/5nRnwodvYB
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 5, 2019
Anfield screams for a penalty but referees both human and video-assisted say no. An impudent flick by Salah finds Wijnaldum, whose shot appeared to hit the arm of Cuesta, but it’s come to nothing.
Again a shot hits Cuesta on his arm, Oxlade-Chamberlain appeals, and the referee is unmoved. It was down by his side, it would have been a joke decision had it been given.
Okay, Salah hasn’t had his shooting boots on, but some of his link-up play has been stunning. He rolled a ball behind the Genk defence for Wijnaldum which the Dutchman couldn’t do much with, then a minute later finds Milner with a back-heel in about half an inch of space.
Milner barrelled through, the ball broke back for Alexander-Arnold, who shot high into the Kop.
Liverpool have been irresistible in these last 10 minutes, but haven’t yet found the goal to kill the game.
Elsewhere – Chelsea have a goal back against Ajax – now they are losing 4-2 – and Dortmund have scored twice to haul themselves level at 2-2 with Inter.
Change for Genk – Ito off for Dieumerci Ndongala.
More great play by Salah – he takes the ball in the box, dribbles around a defender and finds Oxlade-Chamberlain, who can only shoot straight at Coucke.
CHAOS at Stamford Bridge. Daley Bind and Joel Veltman have been sent off, and Chelsea have scored a penalty to take the game back to 4-3!
Andy Robertson and Sadio Mane coming on for Liverpool.
And now Chelsea have made it 4-4!
Meanwhile, nothing is happening at Anfield.
Ever get the feeling you’re watching the wrong game?
Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain make way for Robertson and Mane.
Milner is fouled by Cuesta on Liverpool’s left. He has moved into midfield now.
Robertson’s cross is deep, and headed behind for a corner. Milner’s set-piece is much too deep though, and Genk clear.
5-4 to Chelsea!
3-2 to Dortmund!
Nothing is happening at Anfield!
Ah – Chelsea’s fifth goal has been disallowed by VAR, it’s still 4-4.
Meanwhile, Genk thought they might have a corner but it wasn’t. That’s about all we have going on here.
Big save Alisson!
Liverpool fall asleep again, with Heynen picked out in oceans of room in the box. His shot is beaten away by Alisson, and the follow-up is headed over by Hrovosky.
Bewilderingly slack from Liverpool.
Casper De Norre is booked for moaning about a throw-in decision.
Gomez shoots wildly out of position, and Genk play around him too easily, but the cross into the area is poor and is dealt with.
Then Liverpool break, but Salah can’t thread a pass through for Mane.
This game isn’t done yet…
Double change for Genk. 6ft 8 striker Paul Onuachu is on – for the right back – and Theo Bongonda is on too. Genk have a free-kick…
..and again Alisson deals with it! The free is thwacked away by Gomez but straight to Mahele on the right, and his cross is punched clear by Alisson before it reaches the link of Genk players at the back post!
Liverpool sweep forward on the break, but Salah can’t make up his mind in the box and the move comes to nothing.
Firmino about to come on for Liverpool.
Origi sees a shot blocked behind for a corner.
It’s his last act – he makes way for Firmino.
Liverpool took the corner short and eventually thwacked it deep for Salah, some lovely interplay comes to naught, and ends with Van Dijk hitting a shot tamely wide.
Three minutes of added time to play.
Superb header by Van Dijk to deal with a cross from the left from Genk. Liverpool are nearly there…
Full-time: Liverpool 2-1 Genk
Well, Liverpool made tough work of that but ultimately went top of the group as a result of the draw in Naples. They’ve shown a few vulnerabilities tonight, but they’ve seen it out and can now switch attention fully to Sunday.
Cheers for following, bye!
