Xcuse, guess what?

[Lazie]

The sackcloth and ashes working boss!

[Mosiah]

As if there were any doubt...

[Sir X]

The 16th awaits you ,wha me say somethings is just our birthright.


Marseille 0-4 Liverpool

John Sinnott


Torres has scored three Champions League goals

Liverpool overwhelmed Marseille to win a third successive Champions League Group A game and reach the last 16.
Steven Gerrard won a penalty on four minutes and although his spot-kick was saved by Steve Mandanda, the Liverpool captain crashed home the rebound.
Fernando Torres then scored a superb solo goal, beating a posse of Marseille players before curling the ball in.
Early in the second half Dirk Kuyt swept home a third and in stoppage time Ryan Babel broke clear for the fourth.
The victory capped a remarkable recovery in Liverpool's Champions League campaign, given that after three games Rafael Benitez's side had found themselves bottom of the group with just one point.
Three years ago Liverpool's final Champions League group game against Olympiakos at Anfield had required a spectacular late Gerrard goal to secure a dramatic passage to the knockout rounds.
The Marseille tie looked even more tense potentially, but two goals inside the opening 11 minutes provided the platform for a comfortable victory.
Just as he had done against Olympiakos, Gerrard proved pivotal, with the skipper having an eventful start to the game.
Kuyt's pass from the kick-off was too short and Gerrard was left writhing in agony as he was tackled by Mamadou Niang.
He took a couple of minutes to shake off the injury, but when Gerrard had recovered the spring in his step he won the penalty that led to Liverpool's opening goal.
A neat interchange between Kuyt and Torres set free the marauding Gerrard who powered his way to the Marseille penalty area.
606: DEBATE
Give your reaction to Liverpool's win over Marseille

Gael Givet's sliding tackle was badly misjudged providing Gerrard with the chance to put Liverpool ahead from the penalty spot.
Gerrard passed up that opportunity as Mandanda got a hand to his penalty kick, but the Liverpool captain was quick to smash the rebound into the roof of the net.
Torres's goal was beautifully executed.
After receiving a pass from Harry Kewell, the Spanish striker scooped the ball round Julien Rodriguez to create a slither of space in front of Mandanda's goal.
And Torres finished off his scintillating approach play with a rolled pass into the corner of the goal.
With Marseille showing little signs of troubling Liverpool's defence the French club's coach Eric Gerets introduced the French young player of the year Samir Nasri just past the half-hour.
The French international had an immediate impact, lifting the spirits of the Marseille crowd and winning a couple of free-kicks.
But Liverpool weathered Nasri's arrival and Gerrard went close with a free-kick as did Kewell with a volley.
Torres continued to torment Rodriguez, ghosting past the former Rangers defender, only to lift his shot over the bar.
At the restart Gerets made his second substitution, throwing on Djibril Cisse, but rather than revive the Marseille cause the former Liverpool striker found himself looking on as Kuyt extended Liverpool's lead.
Mandanda's poor clearance only reached Kewell and the Australian's quick-thinking and pass found Kuyt unmarked in the box. The Dutchman paused to consider his options before sweeping the ball past Mandanda. Cisse went close with a header for Marseille, but Liverpool added a fourth in stoppage time as substitute Babel ran clear and then past Mandanda to slip the ball into an empty net.

[Lazie]

As if there were any doubt...

hehehe ... when Xcuse was the only one hoping.

[Mosiah]

Experience tells as Liverpool oust OM

Tuesday 11 December 2007
Match report by Chris Burke from Stade Vélodrome
SharePrintDiggSave

var ipImg = new ipPhoto('ipImg','ipLink','ipThumb', '/multimediafiles/photo/competitions/ucl/635626_biglandscape.jpg','l','/e/multimedia','photoid+635626'); Fernando Torres celebrates his goal (©Getty Images)Photos/Wallpapers »
Written off nearly two months ago, Liverpool FC completed their incredible UEFA Champions League comeback with a 4-0 victory at Olympique de Marseille, catapulting themselves into the knockout phase thanks to an explosive start at the Stade Vélodrome.
Marseille third
FC Porto’s win over Beşiktaş JK elsewhere in Group A meant a draw would have sufficed for the hosts, but their dreams of progress were in tatters within eleven minutes after Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres stunned the locals with a goal apiece. Marseille never recovered from that and their resistance was ended by Dirk Kuyt striking right after the break, before Ryan Babel's late fourth sent the Ligue 1 side into the UEFA Cup.
Gerrard breakthrough
An intimidating crowd whistled every Liverpool touch in the early exchanges, but Rafael Benítez's men helped settle any nerves with a dramatic early breakthrough. Marseille’s rearguard foolishly let Gerrard race clear in midfield and a clumsy Gaël Givet challenge in the area allowed the Reds' captain the chance to convert from the spot. Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda denied him down the middle, yet Gerrard dispatched the rebound with characteristic big-match calm to give Liverpool a fourth-minute lead.
Torres skill
If that goal had caught Marseille napping, the French side simply looked helpless just seven minutes later. This time, Harry Kewell fed Torres on the left and the Spain striker danced gracefully past three tackles before slipping the ball inside the far post. The lions promised by Marseille coach Erik Gerets were looking decidedly tame in the face of such a devastating start and the Belgian tactician was forced to play his joker ahead of schedule, introducing injury-doubt Samir Nasri for Benoït Cheyrou on 34 minutes.
Liverpool chances
Marseille gradually began adding pressure towards the end of the half, but the better chances still transpired at the other end, with Gerrard curling a free-kick narrowly wide, left-wing nuisance Kewell volleying a loose ball just over and Torres also firing too high with a lob. And the hosts suffered another blow before the return to the dressing rooms when Givet picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Jacques Faty.
Kuyt strike
They started the second half with a switch too, replacing one former Liverpool man with another. Boudewijn Zenden made way for marksman Djibril Cissé, however it was a current Liverpool striker who delivered the next blow, following a poor kick from Mandanda. Kewell intercepted and played an excellent pass inside for Kuyt, who rushed through the middle, jabbed high into the net and effectively ended the match as a contest with 48 minutes gone.
Cissé chance
Liverpool increased the damage when Babel sidestepped Mandanda and rolled the ball home a minute into added time, and they can now start to plan another assault on the continental title after having stared into the abyss not so long ago.
©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

[Sir X]

RAFA: I AM SO PROUD
Jimmy Rice 11 December 2007 Rafa Benitez spoke of his pride after watching his players defy the odds to keep their Champions League dream alive. The Reds strolled to a 4-0 win in Marseille on Tuesday night to book their place in the last 16.

It was their third straight victory in Group A after a faltering start.

Benitez said: "I am really proud of the players and the supporters. It was an amazing performance from everyone concerned with Liverpool.

"The players had the right mentality. The key was they were really focused on the game. We scored an early goal and afterwards we controlled nearly everything.

"Now I am thinking about United."

Liverpool now await the draw on December 21 knowing they'll face either Seville, Real Madrid, Inter, AC Milan or Barcelona.

[T.K.]

This game was a fraud. Fifa should investigate for match fixing. - T.K.