Related News
Reds鈥 Europa loss could have a silver lining
Print Edition
WHEN Dejan Lovren’s penalty soared high over the bar in Istanbul the Liverpool players would not have been thinking about silver linings with the chance of a trophy having just slipped away.
Yet as their delayed flight touched down and the weary passengers trudged through Liverpool’s John Lennon airport in yesterday’s early hours, there may have been a collective sigh of relief that an energy-sapping Europa League campaign had ended.
Although defeat by Besiktas at the scene of one of Liverpool’s greatest European triumphs closed off a potential route to the Champions League, it increased its chances of reaching Europe’s elite via a top-four Premier League finish.
Having arrived home just 55 hours before hosting title-chasing Manchester City, the cost of Europe’s second-tier competition and the demands it places on clubs without sprawling squads would have been all too evident.
It will be a hard task for Liverpool’s fatigued players to match up to City and its vast and expensively acquired array of talents at Anfield tomorrow having had two days fewer to recuperate than their well-resourced opponents.
Having dragged itself back into contention for a top-four finish following a woeful start, the Europa League was only going to jeopardize hopes of carrying on a recent revival which has seen five wins in six league games.
The second legs of the Europa League’s last 16 are scheduled for three days before Liverpool faces top-four rival Manchester United at Anfield. The first leg of the semifinal would have been three days before it played league leader Chelsea away.
It is certainly not the time to be dwelling on what might have been.
“We can just now concentrate on our league campaign, which is now going better, and we have an excellent opportunity in other competitions,” manager Brendan Rodgers said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
