Interesting results in Brendan Rodgers is a strange team, but nothing to the point where Liverpool at the end of 5 months.
If the sight of Rafa Benitez back in management did not jolt memories over how far Liverpool have slipped down the European ladder, then the evidence which unfolded a few hours provided its own painful reminder.
A thundering drive from Elsad Zverotic denied them a place in the knockout stages with a game to spare.
Now Brendan Rodgers’ men must better Young Boys result in their last game against Udinese in Italy to go through. It had seemed that Joe Cole’s first goal since April 2011 in a red shirt with 17 minutes remaining was going to take them into the last 32.
When the two sides had met back on Swiss soil in September, a 5-3 success for Rodgers’ makeshift side suggested Young Boys would be cast as the whipping boys of Group A. Yet they had steadied their fortunes sufficiently since to ensure they arrived at Anfield as potentially dangerous rivals who had plundered nine goals in their four group games.
Their intent was evident from the kick-off, Raul Bobadilla dribbling forward, finding Raphael Nuzzolo and from his cross Gonzalo Zarate attempted the sort of ambitious overhead kick that only Zlatan Ibrahimovic can make good.
A thundering drive from Elsad Zverotic denied them a place in the knockout stages with a game to spare.
Liverpool vs Young Boys Bern: Brendan Rodgers hopes to help Joe Cole !
Now Brendan Rodgers’ men must better Young Boys result in their last game against Udinese in Italy to go through. It had seemed that Joe Cole’s first goal since April 2011 in a red shirt with 17 minutes remaining was going to take them into the last 32.
When the two sides had met back on Swiss soil in September, a 5-3 success for Rodgers’ makeshift side suggested Young Boys would be cast as the whipping boys of Group A. Yet they had steadied their fortunes sufficiently since to ensure they arrived at Anfield as potentially dangerous rivals who had plundered nine goals in their four group games.
Their intent was evident from the kick-off, Raul Bobadilla dribbling forward, finding Raphael Nuzzolo and from his cross Gonzalo Zarate attempted the sort of ambitious overhead kick that only Zlatan Ibrahimovic can make good.
The midfielder never looked as if he believed he would score – keeper Marco Wolfli pushing clear his shot – but the moment pepped Liverpool’s belief and Henderson’s blushes were soon eased. Slick interplay this time saw Cole play a clever one-two with Suso and the former England midfielder clipped a ball across for Shelvey to head home.
With Steven Gerrard on for the injured Andre Wisdom a minute before the goal, there should have been more goals to silence the 2,500 travelling fans, who unfurled a banner reading In Memory of Hillsborough midway through the half, with Nuzzolo smuggling an effort off the line after Skrtel had applied a touch to Cole’s shot when a Liverpool corner was not cleared properly.
Young Boys plucked an equaliser deserving of the applause that was to ripple around Anfield.
Alexander Farnerud’s cross-field ball found Bobadilla. The Argentine forward controlled the pass on his right thigh and when the ball sat up, he lashed a left-foot volley from a tight angle that flew past Reina.
But Liverpool – and Cole in particular – showed character to recover from the setback. Luis Suarez had been introduced, but it was Gerrard who created the goal with Cole pirouetting away from Ojala before finishing left-footed. Zverotic. however, had the final word.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Reina, Wisdom (Gerrard 32), Skrtel, Carragher, Downing; Henderson, Suso (Suarez 60), Sahin: Cole (Sterling 75), Shelvey, Assaidi. Booked: Sahin. Goals: Shelvey 33, Cole 72.
Young Boys (4-1-4-1): Wolfli; Sutter, Nef, Veskovac (Ojala 23), Lecjaks; Zverotic; Schneuwly (Vietkiviez 82), Zarate, Farnerud, Nuzzolo (Frey 76); Bobadilla. Goals: Bobadilla 52, Zverotic 88.
Referee: Al Yefet (Israel).
Watch Liverpool vs Young Boys Bern 2-2 Match Video:
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