Goals: Besiktas—Arslan 72’
Recap: It took 120 minutes and five rounds of penalties, but Besiktas were able to eliminate Liverpool from the Europa League on Thursday.
Needing one goal to essentially kill the tie, Liverpool pressured the hosts for a majority of the first half. The club entered the break with 58 percent possession and six attempts, but neither were able to beat Cenk Gonen between the posts. Tolgay-Ali Arslan had better luck in the second half. The 24-year-old powered home a shot from distance in the 72nd minute, bringing Besiktas level on aggregate and pushing the tie to penalties.
After five five clinical finishes from the hosts, Dejan Lovren stepped up to keep Liverpool alive. He failed to, sending his take off the mark.
Key Moment: Demba Ba had one final opportunity to send Besiktas through to the quarterfinals in regular time. Unfortunately for the 29-year-old, his right-footed shot in front of goal rattled off the crossbar.
Man of the Match: Atiba Hutchinson was a force in midfield for Besiktas. The 32-year-old finished with seven tackles and two dribbles.
Lesson Learned: In the long run, this result will benefit Liverpool. The club never showed well in European competition, finishing the group stage of the Champions League with just five goals in six matches. The Reds could only muster one more in 210 minutes of Europa League action. With a less congested schedule, Brendan Rodgers and company can now focus on a more plausible top-four finish in the Premier League and a run to the FA Cup final.
Up Next: Both clubs return to league action on Mar. 1, with Besiktas battling Balikesirspor and Liverpool hosting Manchester City.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.