team regulars Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling, Jordan
Henderson and Mario Balotelli started on the bench.
The hosts began the game at a frenetic pace forcing Liverpool
keeper Simon Mignolet to pull off some smart saves.
Rodgers' side struggled to get hold of the ball but defended in
numbers to contain the threat from Cristiano Ronaldo and co.
It was not long, however, before Karim Benzema - long
rumoured to be a Liverpool target - managed to break the
deadlock.
Isco found Marcelo on the left flank in the 27th minute and his
pinpoint cross found Benzema, who snuck past Kolo Toure to
fire past Mignolet.
Ronaldo nearly doubled the lead before the break but his free-
kick was well saved by the Belgian keeper.
Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti brought on the world's most
expensive player, Gareth Bale, to inject some pace into the
home side and Benzema soon fired over from close range.
Rodgers eventually introduced Gerrard and Sterling in the 69th
minute but the home side continued their dominance and Bale
hit the bar from inside the box.
The Welsh winger had a late free-kick well saved by Mignolet but
the tournament holders ensured their passage to the last 16
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.
0 comments:
Post a Comment