Liverpool ease their way past PSV to top group
Albert Riera scored a brilliant second to give Liverpool the lead
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Tuesday, 09, Dec 2008 10:42
Liverpool claimed the top spot in Group D and a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a comprehensive 3-1 victory away to PSV Eindhoven.
Goals from Ryan Babel, Albert Riera and David Ngog earned the victory which moved the Premier league leaders onto 14 points, their highest ever total from the group stages of the Champions League.
With qualification already assured Rafael Benitez made several changes from last weekend's win at Blackburn, with Pepe Reina, Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso left on the substitutes bench, while Dirk Kuyt stayed behind on Merseyside.
It looked like that decision was going to backfire as the home side took a 35th minute lead when Liverpool failed to clear a corner and the ball fell to Danko Lazovic's who slot past Diego Cavalieri in the Liverpool goal.
Babel equalised on the stroke of half-time when he met a curling Lucas Leiva free-kick with a flicked header.
Liverpool upped their game in the second period and Riera made their domination count in the 68th minute when he fired an unstoppable 25-yard shot past Andreas Isaksson in the PSV goal to register his second goal in a red shirt since signing from Espanyol in August.
19-year-old Frenchman Ngog got his first for the club when he raced onto a pass from the impressive Robbie Keane and slotted the ball under Isaksson.
Liverpool were so comfortable that Benitez was able to introduce youngsters Jay Spearing, Stephen Darby and Martin Kelly in the final stages as they coasted their way to the top of the group and the last 16.