Liverpool 0, Marseille 1 - post match analysis

Oct 4 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

IT isn’t just Rafael Benitez’s team selection that is undergoing rotation at Anfield this season. Having forged his reputation at Liverpool on success in Europe, the Spaniard admits priorities are now being realigned towards ending a championship drought that stretches back to 1990.

Further evidence of this arrived last night, when another desperate Champions League performance ended in deserved defeat against Marseille.

Mathieu Valbuena’s stunning 77th-minute strike consigned Liverpool to their first loss of the season, their first home defeat in the group stage under Benitez and a first ever defeat to French opposition at Anfield.

It leaves Liverpool already five points behind Marseille in Group A after only two games and with a serious task ahead of them to progress to the knockout stages.

Benitez’s team selection, with Javier Mascherano, John Arne Riise, Dirk Kuyt and Alvaro Arbeloa on the bench, was maybe proof Europe has taken a backseat to domestic challenges in the Spaniard’s thinking.

Such an outlook was mirrored by Liverpool ’s supporters. Sami Hyypia had admitted that group games at Anfield were now lacking in atmosphere compared to the knockout stages, fans maybe spoilt by recent Champions League adventures.

Certainly, there was a distinct lack of edge and anticipation in the build-up to last night’s game. And, dare it be said, a dangerous dose of complacency.

Floundering in their domestic league, Marseille were considered no great threat. But, undoubtedly keen to impress new coach Erik Gerets, the French side were in the ascendancy from start to finish; their goalkeeper Steve Mendanda had only one serious save to make.

Liverpool haven’t been so impotent on their own turf in Europe since Benitez’s Valencia visited in the Champions League five years ago.

And while the Spaniard was wary of inside information provided by returning duo Djibril Cisse and Bolo Zenden, no-one could have predicted the home team’s ineffective display.

Of course, with four games remaining in the group, there remains enough time for Liverpool to ensure this defeat isn’t a knockout blow to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

Both Istanbul and Athens were reached after earlier defeat at Anfield, and Benitez’s men must now lean heavily on their impressive European away record.

The fringe players brought in last night failed to strengthen their claims for regular inclusion, although in truth they weren’t helped by the general malaise around them.

Peter Crouch, reinstated up front with a warning from Benitez there could be no excuses for failing to perform, worked hard but made little impact, his memorable double against Galatasaray at the same stage of last season’s competition becoming an ever-distant memory.

Yossi Benayoun, goalscorer in the last two games, was on the periphery, Sebastian Leto’s lack of experience on only his third start was painfully evident and only Benitez knows how the hapless Momo Sissoko wasn’t put out of his misery before full-time.

While a less than 100% fit Cisse made only the substitutes’ bench last night at Anfield – no change there, then – Zenden was named in a Marseille starting line-up that also included Benoit Cheyrou, younger brother of the lamentable Bruno.

While the French outfit were beating Beskitas 2-0 in their opening group game a fortnight ago, a lucky Liverpool laboured to a 1-1 draw in Porto; their performance last night was marginally worse.

Struggling with a surface made slick by a pre-match downpour and contending with another much-changed line-up, Benitez’s side lacked early rhythm and purpose.

Their only hint of a chance came with Torres, the Spaniard let down by a poor touch when put into space by Crouch’s dummy and later denied by a fine sliding challenge by Gael Givet after being sent through by Steven Gerrard.

By contrast, Marseille were vibrant, defended stoutly and pressed forward at every opportunity, and subsequently enjoyed the best openings.

After Fabio Aurelio had miscontrolled a crossfield pass from Gerrard, Karim Ziani – the stellar performer on the night by some distance – quickly played in Niang, whose shot was well blocked by Pepe Reina at close range.

Marseille had the ball in the net twice in the first half. There were no complaints in the 42nd minute when Valbuena was ruled offside after latching on to Niang’s pass and stepping around Reina to score.

But the visitors were fuming at the same referees’ assistant eight minutes earlier after full-back Taye Taiwo burst down the left and crossed towards Niang, whose shot was brilliantly beaten out by Reina only for Ziani to rattle in the rebound.

However, French celebrations were instantly curtailed by another flag. Television replays suggested Niang had strayed marginally beyond the last man, but it should have acted as a warning for Liverpool .

A poor 45 minutes from the home side was encapsulated when, in attempting to deceive the Marseille defence at a free-kick, Aurelio’s goalbound shot struck the unwitting referee Konrad Plautz.

The second half brought no obvious improvement from Benitez’s side, Niang striking at Reina from Zenden’s flick-on and firing a low shot from a free-kick that was held by the Liverpool goalkeeper.

Even the usually talismanic Gerrard, wrongly booked early on for a tackle on Laurent Bonnart, was unable to rouse his team-mates, curling wide from 20 yards.

There were ambitious claims for a home penalty when the ball struck Givet’s arm, and Hyypia’s header from the resultant corner deflected wide.

But Marseille took a deserved lead 13 minutes from time. After Sissoko had lost possession for the umpteenth time to the alert Lorik Kana, Valbuena played a one-two with Zenden before curling a brilliant 25-yard effort in off the underside of Reina’s crossbar.

It was the first goal the keeper had conceded from open play this season.

In the closing moments, Zenden left the field injured – no change there, then – but there was absolutely no hint that Liverpool were even capable of forcing Marseille goalkeeper Mendanda into a save, Hyypia wastefully sending a free header wide from substitute Andriy Voronin’s corner.

It was only in injury time that Liverpool managed to rouse themselves. Benayoun’s header was deflected just wide, Mendanda saved at the feet of Gerrard and, from the scramble that ensued, substitute Dirk Kuyt’s shot was blocked and Torres struck the base of the post.

But an equaliser would have been harsh on Marseille. If the Premier League is Liverpool’s priority, they may not have any choice in the matter if they keep performing like this in Europe.