Liverpool crush poor Real Madrid
Steven Gerrard scored twice in his 100th European game for Liverpool
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Tuesday, 10, Mar 2009 10:12
Liverpool eased into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 4-0 destruction of Real Madrid at Anfield this evening.
Having won 1-0 at the Bernabeu a fortnight ago, Liverpool were in firm control of the tie and in the end cruised into the next round as Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard (2) and Andrea Dossena scored the goals in a great Liverpool display.
In one of those memorable nights at Anfield, the Kop was swinging and the Liverpool fans almost got the perfect start as their side had two efforts on goal and were only denied by the exceptional Iker Casillas.
Torres turned Cannavaro brilliantly and found himself through on goal but Casillas made a fine save with his legs. The Spanish keeper was forced to make another great save from the resulting corner as Javier Mascherano tried his luck from 25 yards out and Casillas palmed the ball away which was arrowing towards the top corner.
Liverpool made a lightning start to the game and got a deserved goal, although it came through controversial circumstances.
Liverpool played a hopeful ball into the Madrid penalty area which Torres chested down, but Pepe got in front of him and was about to clear the ball before he looked to be pulled back by the Liverpool striker and the ball fell to Dirk Kuyt who guided the ball back to Torres to finish.
The first half-an-hour was a complete miss-match as Liverpool were all over the Spanish giants. The Madrid defence were finding it hard to deal with Torres whose trickery and cross from the left flank led to Steven Gerrard having a sliding shot on goal which was saved by Casillas.
But despite all their good play, it was a terrible penalty decision which saw Liverpool double their lead. Gabriel Heinze was penalised for handling inside the penalty area when the ball clearly hit the Argentinian's shoulder. Gerrard stepped-up to coolly slot the ball home.
It became a damage-limitation process for Madrid at the start of the second-half as Gerrard scored Liverpool's third. Ryan Babel crossed the ball into the danger area and Gerrard found the back of the net with a spectacular volley.
Liverpool put the icing on the cake to a memorable win when substitute Dossena slotted the ball past a demoralised Casillas after Mascherano laid the ball into the path of the Italian.