No luck and lack of incision cost Liverpool when it counted
Chris O'KeefeSomething in the air last night was different, the nerves, the expectations, the gut feeling if you like wasn't there. Even at three goals down in Istanbul, whilst others were leaving prematurely, I can honestly say I envisaged a fightback, perhaps not in the way it materialised.
The night before, I feared Milan would win but again not how it came about. My premonition was one piece of brilliance from Kaka being enough in a much more cagey affair. As it happened the piece of work did come from Kaka but only after Milan took a great slice of luck in getting in front.
Liverpool were shading the game in the first half against a rather ragged Rossaneri who were being tamed in attack and beaten in midfield by Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso. However, the wingers employed by Rafael Benitez to stretch Carlo Ancelotti's side were squandering the chances in the final third to give Liverpool an advantage. Balls into the box were at a premium from Bolo Zenden and Jermaine Pennant and clear chances didn't arise except from mistakes.
Liverpool's two best chances came from Milan mistakes. Pennant caught Marek Jankulovski in dwelling with the ball and shot across Dida but just lacking the power to truly test the Brazilian. The second came at a time when Liverpool were more desperate for the breakthrough. Gennaro Gattuso gifted the ball to Gerrard who beat Alessandro Nesta but, on his weaker side, needed to test Dida more than he did. Perhaps that moment was a sign that achievements in Istanbul weren't to be repeated here?
Fillipo Inzaghi's first goal was hardly instinctive, it was a body to deflect a seemingly innocuous Andrea Pirlo free-kick. It was the kind of luck Milan were going to need given the performance, and the kind of luck some Milan fans think was evading them in Istanbul. Jose Reina was helpless to stop it.
His second was very typical of the situation. Liverpool throwing men forward in search of a response, Kaka now without the Argentine Mascherano to shadow his every move, was free to find the pass the sliced Liverpool open. Inzaghi left the defence standing, only Reina to beat found a gap under the Spaniard's frame to put Milan in touching distance of the trophy.
Dirk Kuyt's header with only a matter of minutes left gave Liverpool fans inside the stadium hope of yet another comeback, but doing so for a third year running was asking a lot in the circumstances. Milan finally got the European Cup in their hands.
It's easy to pick at the things which didn't go right on the night. Should Peter Crouch have come on earlier? Should he have started up front to provide more help for Dirk Kuyt? Was Harry Kewell right for the situation? Hindsight, this wonderful that makes us better than those chosen to take those decisions in the moment itself!
From a personal viewpoint, playing Riise in an advanced role would still have been preferable to playing one up front. The point was that Benitez was right to play five in midfield and try to win that battle, the problem was getting the width to utilise the narrowness of the Milan midfield. Basically Liverpool had much the better of the game but lacked the creativity required to beat what was essentially an ordinary AC Milan side by comparison to the one that played in the 2005 final.
Rafael Benitez said that Liverpool lost to a good side, he may have been generous in his praise. What is perhaps more certain is that Liverpool lost what appeared a great opportunity and Benitez may think if only, like hindsight a great tool if you get hold of it beforehand!
posted by C O'K @ 12:17 pm
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