Hi all, and welcome to The42′s live coverage of Midtjylland versus Liverpool which has unfortunately fallen on the lap of me, Gavan Casey.
I think we all know the scéal here: Liverpool have already tied up top spot in group D of the Champions League, so tonight is mostly about seeing a few of Jurgen Klopp’s young guns, including Caoimhín Kelleher, in action.
The 22-year-old Cork man does indeed start his third consecutive game between the sticks for the 2019 European champions, having previously kept clean sheets against Ajax and Wolves.
Full teams on the way in a tick, with kick-off at 17:55.
Liverpool
Midtjylland
So, eight changes for Liverpool, with Kelleher being one of only three — along with Fabinho and Mo Salah — to retain their places from the weekend.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will captain the visitors for the first time, while there’s a Champions League debut for Leighton Clarkson in the middle of the park.
Opta have put together a nice little graphic, actually, of how they predict both teams will line out.
Champions League debutant Leighton Clarkson is an all-action central midfielder with a proficiency in set pieces. The 19-year-old featured in pre-season and struck up something of a bond with Liverpool’s star attackers. He has played five times for Liverpool’s U23s this season, scoring once and providing two assists.
A-A, captain.
Lead them out, skip 💪#FCMLIV | #UCL
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 9, 2020
Almost time…
The players take the knee in protest against racism, and Liverpool get us under way in Denmark.
The Reds — wearing red — hang on!
Mo Salah is in on goal!
GOOOOAAALLLL! Mo Salah makes it 1-0 to the visitors in the opening seconds!
A farcical start by the Danes as a backpass from midfield goes badly astray, with Salah pouncing and sprinting towards goal before squeezing it past Hansen in the hosts’ goal.
Liverpool take an early, early lead.
A clash of heads between Sory Kaba and Awer Mabil offers pause for breath, with both men thankfully okay. The game is yet to truly settle, here. Midtjylland had a header flash well wide from a free-kick a few moments ago. Otherwise, it’s been pinball since Salah’s goal.
Here’s that Salah goal, courtesy of Virgin Media.
Liverpool lead after less than a minute! 🔴
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) December 9, 2020
Mo Salah with a bit of an unusual goal. 🤭#FCMLIV | #UCL | #VMSport pic.twitter.com/nYLXkn4zEy
But of weird one, all right. But sharp by Salah early doors.
Incidentally, Salah’s goal was clocked at 55 seconds, making it Liverpool’s quickest ever in the Champions League.
Other than that, nothing really happening in the game thus far. Stop-start affair with Origi receiving treatment on the floor for 90 seconds or so, there, before returning to his feet and running off what looked like a knock to his shin or foot.
Dreyer has a volleyed effort which he shanks well wide of Caoimhín Kelleher’s goal. The hosts have enjoyed most of the ball since going a goal behind, but Liverpool — as is their wont — are pressing quite effectively.
Shocking call by me not making a cup of tea before kick-off, to be honest. Would nearly be inclined to give one of you the login if you could take the wheel for five minutes.
Almost a chance for Liverpool as Minamino wedges a beautiful ball over the top for Salah, whose effort on the bounce is well stopped by Hansen. The Egyptian was offside, however, with the flag going up after the Midtjylland keeper’s stop.
Tsimikas has gotten forward well. End product has been a mixed bag so far. One terrible cross, one nice infield pass, one decent deep cross which just about floated over Salah.
Chance for Liverpool!
That’s a really good save, again, by Hansen. Lovely cross from the right by Minamino which was steered expertly towards goal on the volley by Diogo Jota. Hansen, though, makes a reflexive save.
Real chance, really good stop by the hosts’ ‘keeper. Positive by Minamino again from a creative perspective. That’s two lovely balls he’s played from centre-right and wide right.
Liverpool comfortably on top, now. Nice interchange between Minamino, Salah and Jota in the final third leads to another Tsimikas cross, but it’s too close to Hansen. Commentator says Origi could have done more to try and get across Hansen which is harsh. Just a pretty poor cross, ultimately.
Down the other end, Paulinho delivers a decent cross from the left which is well defended by Tsimikas, but his attempted clearance hits Fabinho and diverts out for a corner.
It comes to nothing as Fabinho guides a bobbling ball into the arms of Kelleher with his head.
It’s been lively for a dead rubber. Liverpool just don’t really know how to take a day off under Klopp and only he will know why his team is dotted with such experience — especially considering his recent complaints about the schedule. They’re not out again until 16:30 on Sunday, and perhaps he sees tonight as an opportunity to allow a number of key players who have missed minutes recently to get properly up to speed.
One of them, Salah, is making a B line for goal at every opportunity, and sees his most recent effort — as he cut inside from the right — deflected skywards.
Chance for Liverpool!
Oh, that’s a bit of a sitter for Origi, but he miscues.
I think it was Tsimikas who won the ball on the left flank and set Keita away. There’s a wonderful interchange between Keita and Salah, the latter of whom plays a first-time pass to Origi to put him clean through on goal.
But maybe purely for the aesthetic of it, Origi tries to finish it off first-time and skews it just wide. If he had taken a touch, I could have gone and made that cuppa and still made it back in time for his effort. He was in acres!
Big chance for Midtjylland a moment ago which, to be totally honest, I actually missed — not because I went to make tea, but because I rewound to watch that Origi chance again.
Long story short, Kaba had a header from the left-hand side which beat Caoimhín Kelleher but not Fabinho, who read it expertly well and cleared it off the line.
Not much Kelleher could have been expected to do about it but he gets by with a little help from his friend.
Save by Kelleher!
Wouldn’t quite class it as a chance for Midtjylland as it was from such an acute angle, but a powered drive — I think by Mabil — is palmed away by the Blackrock man. Stood up to it well at his near post.
Down the other end, chance for Liverpool! Diogo Jota has a left-footed effort from inside the area which is turned away altogether more spectacularly by Hansen. Good stop by the home ‘keeper.
Chance for Liverpool!
For the first time in the whole game, skipper Alexander-Arnold gets forward down the right. His lofted cross eventually falls to Naby Keita at the edge of the area, who has a clear sight of goal, but can only drive his shout straight down the throat of Hansen. Got good contact on the shot but couldn’t aim it towards either corner.
That’s it for the first half, with Keita’s opportunity the last piece of real action.
Decent game, in fairness. Midtjylland giving a decent account of themselves, Liverpool playing relatively well. Would like to see more of the youngsters in the second half, considering it’s been largely Keita, Salah, Diogo Jota and Minamino driving the visitors in the first.
Catch you all again in a few!
Back under way at the MCH Arena and an early chance for Midtjylland! Pinball in Liverpool’s area, poor defending, and Evander sees his effort cannon back off the crossbar with Kelleher beaten all ends up.
The Danes are on top early in the second half, applying real pressure at the moment.
Fabinho has been replaced at half-time but, by all accounts, just being rested. Billy Koumetio has replaced the Brazilian and, with respect to the 18-year-old Frenchman, Fabinho’s absence has already been majorly felt in this second half.
Some end-to-end stuff, here, with last-ditch interceptions preventing chances at either end.
Disaster for Caoimhín Kelleher. Dreyer bore down on goal for the hosts and managed to dink the ball over him, only to go down in a heap and see the ball comfortable cleared off the line.
Kelleher did trip him, on replay, and although Dreyer looked offside to the naked eye, the penalty is given. Yellow for Kelleher, too.
GOOOOOAAALLL! Scholz converts from the spot. Kelleher went the right way but it’s an unstoppable spotter.
1-1.
Chance for Midtjylland!
It’s in danger of going a bit pear-shaped, now, for Liverpool, as Evander comes relatively close with a snapshot that drifts past the far post.
The Danes are just making so much more headway, and causing so much more panic, since Fabinho’s withdrawal.
And, in fairness, it’s understandable — Liverpool’s defence is now extremely young-looking and quite inexperienced.
Presumably for that very reason, on comes Jordan Henderson — and his first course of action is to try and gee up his team-mates.
Kelleher gets out well to smother the ball before replacement Isaksen can pounce for Midtjylland. Decent awareness by the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Firmino on for Origi.
Disallowed goal for Midtjylland — Scholz fires home from an acute angle but had strayed into an offside position — basically off the pitch — during the ensuing goalmouth scramble.
It was a great finish — bulleted past Kelleher into the roof of the net — but it’s ruled out after a long check.
Here’s the penalty incident.
It was Caoimhín Kelleher who gave away the penalty in Denmark.
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) December 9, 2020
Foul was given after a VAR check.#FCMLIV | #UCL | #VMSport pic.twitter.com/vRBuBeCaFE
It has subsequently been shown, by the way, that Dreyer was not offside as he was taken down by Kelleher. Perfect decision in the end, and Midtjylland well worth their goal so far.
Sadio Mane about to come on. Klopp really likes winning, doesn’t he?
Oooft — good save by Kelleher, in the meantime! Captain Sviatchenko gets a firm head on a ball towards goal but Kelleher pushes it to safety.
Chance for Midtjylland!
Well, in the end, Henderson prevents it from becoming a chance, maybe — a superb block in his own area.
Midtjylland broke after Clarkson lost possession in the hosts’ half and they literally had a six-on-two! They fashion an opportunity on the left-hand side of the box but the shot doesn’t go far before Henderson diverts it out for a corner.
Disallowed goal for Liverpool! Well, well, well! Moments after Midtjylland spurn an opportunity to potentially win it, Liverpool thought they had done it at the other end!
It was Minamino who got it, prodding home a loose ball from all of seven yards. But after a long check, the officials ruled that Sadio Mane handled it as he attempted to head towards goal.
Look, it seems harsh, but Liverpool don’t protest too wildly, either.
Eight minutes of added time, by the way. Four remaining after that long check on Minamino’s disallowed goal.
Paulinho has a drive from 25 yards but he sticks it straight at Kelleher. Two (at least) to go.
Oooft! Anderson not too far away with a spectacular effort for the hosts; his attempted layoff bounces back to him and so he knees it and volleys it just over Kelleher’s bar.
Big Caoimh! Midtjylland lob it into the area in search of a winner but the young goalkeeper comes out with both fists and sends it towards the halfway line, taking out an unfortunate attacker in the process. Super goalkeeping.
So, it turned into a bit of a VAR-fest in the second half but an entertaining game finishes one apiece, with Liverpool shading the first and Midtjylland largely on top in the second after Fabinho was withdrawn for a rest.
Good learning experience for Klopp’s young defenders in particular, you’d think.
Caoimhín Kelleher is finally beaten in goal after conceding a penalty, but shows some decent glimpses of his own ability, too.
That’s it from us. Keep an eye on The42 for a full report which will land up on site shortly.
