#UEFACHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2017/18
THE FIRST LEG OF THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH PLAYED AT ANFIELD AGAINST MANCHESTER CITY THE CURRENT LEAGUE LEADER OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE, WHICH ENDED IN A SURPRISING 3-0 IN FAVOUR OF THE MIGHT REDS WHOSE FORM THIS SEASON HAS BEEN SPECTACULAR COULD BE THEIR TICKET TO THE FINAL.
LIVERPOOL STARTED SLUGGISHLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON, UNTIL THE ADDITION OF THE EGYPTIAN FORWARD MOHAMMED SALAH TO BOOST THE ATTACKING FRONT LINE OF LIVERPOOL FC. ALTHOUGH IT HELPED THEM IN THE ATTACK AS THE ATTACKERS WHO ARE SADIO MANE FROM SENEGAL, ROBERTO FIRMINO FROM BRASIL AND MOHAMMED SALAH FROM EGYPT ARE SAID TO BE THE THREE MOST DEADLY ATTACKERS, BECAUSE OF THEIR POWER, SKILLS, ENERGY, SPEED AND ABILITY TO TAKE ON DEFENDERS. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE CLUBS LONG LASTING DEFENCE ISSUES WHICH HAS BEEN THE PROBLEM OF THE REDS SINCE AFTER THE FORMER MANAGER RAFA BENITEZ,LEFT THE CLUB.
THIS HAS COST THEM MANY TROPHIES AND VICTORIES. MOSTIMES GOING TO WATCH LIVERPOOL F.C PLAY AS A FAN YOU WOULD CARRY YOUR HEART IN YOUR HANDS BECAUSE YOU ARE SURE OF NOT GETTING A CLEAN SHEET. BUT WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF VIRGIL VAN DIRK AS A CENTER FORWARD AND ROBERTSON AS A LEFT WINGER, PARING EITHER VVD AND JOEL MATIP OR DEJAN LOVREN AS CENTER BACKS AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A ONE TIME HIGHLY RATED GERMAN GOALKEEPER LORIS KARIUS INTO THE SQUAD SEEMS TO HAVE GIVEN ANOTHER SOLID ROCK IN THE DEFENCE SYSTEM, RECENTLY YOU CAN AGREE WITH ME THAT LIVERPOOL FC KEEPS MORE CLEAN SHEET IN RECENT GAMES THAN WHEN THEY STARTED THEIR CAMPAIGN.
IN 2017/18 PREMIER LEAGUE GAMES, YOU WILL AGREE THAT IT IS LIVERPOOL FC THAT TARNISHED THE IMAGE OF MANCHESTERCITY UNBEATEN RUN. ALTHOUGH LIVERPOOL SUFFERED AN EMBARRASSING DEFEAT AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM AFTER SADIO MANE WAS SEEN SENT OFF BY THE REFEREE IN A CONTROVERSIAL CHALLENGE IN THE EARLY MINUTE OF THE GAME.
THE REDS HAVE CONTINUED TO PROVE OTHER CLUBS LIKE SPARTAK MOSCOW (7-0) F.C PORTO (5-0) THEY HAVE MET INCLUDING (3-0) MANCHESTERCITY WRONG. THE PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURE OF THE RETURN LEG AT THE ANFIELD STADIUM TOOK ANOTHER DIMENSION WHEN THE REDS WHERE LEADING WITH 3 GOALS AT FIRST HALF OF THE GAME, BEFORE CITY PRESSED ON AT THE SECOND HALF OF THE GAME AND THE GAME ENDED IN A DRAMATIC 4-3 AS THE SCORELINE, HAVING LIVERPOOL AS THE FAVOURED TEAM. IT WAS LIKE THERE WASN’T ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BOTH SIDES UNTIL FAITH HAVE THEM AS RIVALS AT THE ON GOING UEFA CHAMPION LEAGUE, QUTERFINAL GAME. THE FIRST LEG HAS BEEN PLAYED AND LIVERPOOL FC CAME OUT AS THE FAVORITES AGAIN WITH A FANTASTIC 3-0 WIN AT ANFIELD. WITH THE ABOVE STATISTICS YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT LIVERPOOL F.C HAVE BEEN DOING TREMENDOUSLY WELL. MANY FOOTBALL AND SOCCER PUNDITS HAVE GIVEN LIVERPOOL FC A GREEN LIGHT TO THE SEMIFINAL, WHILE SOME SAID THEY BELIEVED MANCHESTER CITY WILL COMEBACK AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM.
THE SECOND LEG WAS AGAIN PLAYED AT ETIHAD STADIUM WITH MANCHESTER CITY SCORING IN THE EARLY MINUTES OF THE GAME, FROM A BALL ASSISTED BY RAHEEM STERLING. THE MATCH PROCEEDED TO END 2-1 IN FAVOUR OF LIVERPOOL F.C, AFTER MOHAMMED SALLAH AND ROBERTO FIRMINO JOINTLY SCORED A GOAL EACH TO END THE DREAMS OF MANCHESTERCITY F.C GOING INTO THE SEMI-FINAL OF THE COMPETITION.
LIVERPOOL WHERE AGAIN DRAW TO MEET AS.ROMA AT THE #UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE COMPETITION. AS.ROMA WHOSE COMEBACK FORM AGAISNT BARCELONA SAW THEM SENDING THE SPANISH GIANTS OUT OF THE COMPETITION WITH A 3-0 VICTORY IN FAVOUR OF THE ITALIAN CLUB.
THE FIRST LEG OF THE SEMI-FINAL WAS PLAYED AT ANFIELD, THE GAME WAS DOMINATED BY LIVERPOOL WHO DIDN’T ALLOW THE ITALIAN CLUB SIDE TO HAVE PEACE IN THE PITCH OF PLAY. LIVERPOOL AT THE 68TH MINUTE WERE LEADING BY 5-0 GOALS TO NOTHING. THE GOALS WAS SCORED BY THE FRONT ATTACKERS OF LIVERPOOL. THE BRAZILLIAN ROBERTO FIRMINO SCORED 2 GOALS WITH 2 ASSIST, MOHAMMED SALAH THE EGYPTIAN KING AS FANS WOULD CALL HIM DIDN’T MISS IN THE ACTION AS HE ALSO SCORED 2 GOALS AND ASSISTED 2, WHILE THE SENEGALESE SADIO MANE SCORED 1 GOAL.
BEFORE THE END OF THE GAME, AS.ROMA CAME BACK SCORING 2 GOALS WITH ONE GOAL RULED TO BE PENALTY, THAT WAS A LITTLE HOPE FOR THEM.
NOW THE 2ND LEG IS AROUND THE CORNER, THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE GOING TO SEE A REPEAT OF WHAT HAPPENED AGAINST BARCELONA? OR WILL LIVERPOOL MAINTAIN THERE STRONG FORM TO MOVE INTO THE FINAL WITHOUT OXLADE-CHAMBERLIN WHO PICKED UP AN INJURY THAT HAS RULED HIM OUT OF THE REST OF THE SEASON?
LET’S HEAR YOUR VIEWS!