Wait, Liverpool still have a chance of winning

[Lazie]

a trophy? Damn! I wonder if Wigan playing in the Euro League?

[Dunny]

Liverpool fell to a 1-0 defeat to Lille in the first leg of their last 16 Europa League encounter in France.
Eden Hazard scored the only goal of the game five minutes from time to condemn Liverpool to a second defeat in four days.
The game looked to be heading for a draw until Hazard's free-kick wide on the left evaded everyone inside the box and ended up going into the far corner of the net.
Liverpool were far from their best with Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel both going close in the first half.
For Liverpool - unbeaten in France since a 1-0 Champions League defeat to Monaco in November 2004 - it was the worst possible result coming so soon on the back of a woeful performance at Wigan on Monday.
Their difficult task was outlined to them in the first minute as Lille came out in no mood to admire their more illustrious opponents as Yohan Cabaye forced Jose Reina into a save within 38 seconds.
One of the most intriguing battles was between winger Hazard and Emiliano Insua, who was destroyed on a regular basis by Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia.
The 19-year-old Belgian struck an early blow by skipping past his opponent and drilling a cross through the six-yard area but no team-mate was close enough to take advantage.
Lille were more Arsenal than Wigan in their approach - despite their heavily-sanded patchy pitch - and passed the ball around with ease to often leave their opponents chasing shadows.
However, for all their possession they looked like they were missing top scorer Gervinho, the Ivorian who was sidelined by injury.
Bizarrely, Liverpool had the best two chances of the first half.
Great chance

Babel should have given the visitors the lead in the 26th minute after a neat exchange with Torres but shot too close to Mickael Landreau and the goalkeeper deflected the effort with his legs.
Hazard was proving Lille's best outlet and his cross saw Pierre-Alain Frau deflect a shot over after being pressured by Jamie Carragher.
Gerrard responded with a dipping 35-yard strike just over Landreau's crossbar before, in the 41st minute, Landreau produced a brilliant low save to repel Torres' close-range header from Johnson's deep cross.
Hazard had the ball in the net soon after half-time but was flagged offside.
Liverpool at least began the second half better than they had the first and six minutes after the restart Lucas volleyed Torres' headed flick-on wide.
Lille, by contrast, had lost some of their attacking verve as they were drawn into a more attritional contest unsuited to their style.
On the hour Babel had a fierce shot parried away by Landreau, before Insua was booked for a foul on Hazard as he threatened to break away.
Five minutes later Reina allowed a long-range shot from Frau slip through his fingers but fortunately for the Liverpool goalkeeper it ballooned behind for a corner.

Booking

Torres was then booked for his persistent complaints to referee Claus Bo Larsen.

Cabaye drilled a dipping strike inches over Reina's crossbar before he was replaced by Stephane Dumont, with Albert Riera coming on for Babel with 17 minutes remaining.
Hazard went down in the area under Carragher's challenge with seven minutes to go but Larsen waved away protests.
However, a minute later the winger made sure when he curled in a free-kick which missed everyone in front of Reina, who could only watch as the ball crept into the far corner.
And it could have been far worse had substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's shot not hit the post and gone wide.

[Assasin]

My friend alway a talk bout Crouch, and Robbie Keanne and spurs. Guess what Keanne scored 6 in 5 games at Celtic, and we know the Spurs striker them all performing. Guess which strike force misfiring?

[Dunny]

Liverpool turn real beaten stick to rahtid!!

[Peter R]

to r a s s yuh mean...

[Dunny]

JAVIER MASCHERANO insists Liverpool are heading in the right direction.


The Argentinian midfielder hit back at the critics after Liverpool's 1-0 Europa League defeat in Lille on Thursday.

And he sounded exactly the same as boss Rafa Benitez, who reckoned the result had been an improvement on Monday's disappointing defeat at Wigan.

Benitez claimed: "This was a big improvement on the last game. The reaction from the players was very good."

Mascherano, 25, also insisted Liverpool had been unlucky to lose in France, agreeing with Benitez they had created enough chances to at least earn a draw.

He said: "It is a difficult feeling because we lost a game we did not deserve to lose. It was a totally different game compared to Wigan.

"We were working very hard and we didn't deserve what happened, but that is football. We conceded a foul and Hazard took a good free-kick and it was a good goal for them.

"The match was nothing like the Wigan one. We know we didn't play well there or create chances. But at least in Lille we created a few chances and should really have scored.

"Wigan was a very bad game and a very bad night. We didn't work as hard as we can and we could not complain that we lost. Lille was completely different, but still we need to improve

"It is still very tight and we have a chance to come back in the tie at Anfield.

"I am confident we can do it. It's half-time and we have the chance to change it."

Liverpool were beaten when Eden Hazard's 85th-minute free-kick - intended as a cross - sailed over a forest of heads and sneaked into the far corner.

Benitez, speaking immediately after the defeat, said: "You must look at the positives.

"The attitude of the players was fantastic. After Wigan we were talking about our fans, saying we couldn't let them down again. The effort and spirit were excellent this time."

Liverpool host Portsmouth on Monday hoping to revive their flagging top-four hopes before Lille head to Anfield for the return leg of their last-16 clash on Thursday.

Mascherano says those games offer a chance to get their season back on track before they take on Manchester United at Old Trafford next Sunday.

He added: "We've got to think we can win these two games, to get through to the quarter-finals and also get three points to help us in the Premier League.

"It is going to be a very busy week but we feel everything is still in our hands. Our target is the same - to finish in the top four and to do well in the Europa League.

"Of course it was so disappointing to lose these two games. But we have to have confidence that we can pull through. We've done it before and can do it again."

On paper, Portsmouth - virtually doomed to the drop - should provide the perfect opposition for Liverpool to bang in a few goals and rack up a morale-boosting win.

But nobody at Anfield will be taking anything for granted after their shock 2-0 defeat at Fratton Park in December - one of 15 losses this term.