Europa League
6 December, 2012
Udinese
Daniele Padelli
25
Marco Faraoni
6
Thomas Heurtaux
75
Danilo
5
Giovanni Pasquale
26
Roberto Pereyra
37
Emmanuel Badu
7
Giampiero Pinzi
66
Pablo Armero
27
Diego Fabbrini
31
Mathias Ranegie
13
Substitutes
Mehdi Benatia
17
Max Reinthaler
49
Antonio Di Natale
10
Zeljko Brkic
1
Davide Marsura
43
Filippo Berra
48
Marco Frison
50
Liverpool
25
Pepe Reina
2
Glen Johnson
37
Martin Skrtel
23
Jamie Carragher
3
José Enrique
14
Jordan Henderson
24
Joe Allen
4
Nuri Sahin
30
Suso Sáez
7
Luis Suárez
19
Stewart Downing
Substitutes
31
Raheem Sterling
33
Jonjo Shelvey
10
Joe Cole
1
Brad Jones
11
Oussama Assaidi
16
Sebastián Coates
47
Andre Wisdom
Referee: Duarte Gomes
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Liverpool secured a safe passage into the knockout phase of this year's Europa League with a relatively comfortable 1-0 win away to Udinese. Jordan Henderson's 23rd minute strike sealed the win for Brendan Rodgers' side, who go through as group winners after defeat for second-placed Anzhi away to Young Boys this evening. Udinese rarely threatened the Liverpool goal and their search for an equaliser was made even harder when left back Giovanni Pasquale received his second yellow card in the second half. Substitute Antonio Di Natale smashed over with the last kick of the game, but Liverpool held on to progress to the next round.
Antonio Di Natale smashes just over with the last kick of the game, but Liverpool are through as group winners.
Three minutes added on at the end of the second half.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has a bit of a scuffle with Roberto Pereyra over which team is awarded a throw-in. The referee intervenes to calm things down. Ironically, the ball didn't appear to even go out of play.
Mathias Ranegie is replaced by Antonio Di Natale. Can one of Europe's most feared strikers end Liverpool's hopes in this competition?
Emmanuel Badu becomes the latest Udinese name in the referee's book.
Jamie Carragher gets a yellow card for a foul on Diego Fabbrini on the edge of the box. Dangerous position for a free kick.
Giovanni Pasquale takes out Raheem Sterling in the middle of the field. It's a mistimed challenge but it's one that the Udinese full back receives a second yellow card for, not before the referee comically fumbles with his cards on the floor.
Just 15 minutes to go for Liverpool to hold onto their lead. But Udinese are pushing for an equaliser here.
First change of the night for Liverpool, as Suso is replaced by Raheem Sterling.
Marco Faraoni is struggling for Udinese, and might have to be replaced here. It'll be a blow if he is forced off, as it'll mean Antonio Di Natale might not feature.
Another marvellous stop from Daniele Padelli; this time to deny Luis Suarez, who skips past a number of Udinese defenders in the box before poking an effort goalwards, only to see his effort tipped brilliantly behind from close range.
Giovanni Pasquale is booked for going through the back of Suso. Definite yellow card.
Jordan Henderson forces Daniele Padelli into producing the save of the night, as the Udinese stopper acrobatically tips the midfielder's volleyed effort over the bar.
The sub is having to be subbed. Mehdi Benatia receives a knock and is being replaced by 17-year-old Max Reinthaler.
From the resulting corner, Mathias Ranegie loses his marker and pumps a powerful head narrowly over the crossbar.
Lovely turn by Pablo Armero to take Glen Johnson out the game. Armero takes the ball down the left flank and into the box, but his cross is beaten behind by a strong Martin Skrtel header.
Young Boys are 2-1 up against Anzhi in the other game in Group A, but as long as Liverpool are in front, the result in Switzerland doesn't matter. Should Udinese draw level, though, Liverpool will be struggling.
Liverpool hand over possession cheaply to Udinese, whose attack culminates in Emmanuel Badu firing well wide from long range.
Stewart Downing curls in a delicious cross from the left that is headed away by Roberto Pereyra, only as far as Luis Suarez whose first time effort is blasted well over the bar from outside the box.
Driving run down the middle from Luis Suarez, who feeds in the unmarked Suso on the right-hand side. But Suso's shot - on his weaker side - is sliced wide under pressure from a Udinese defender.
Substitution for the home side at the break, as Mehdi Benatia comes on to replace Giampiero Pinzi. Looks like the Italians are going to revert back to their familiar formation with three at the back.
Liverpool get things going for the second half.
With the last touch of the half, an acrobatic, overhead Luis Suarez effort from inside the six-yard box is brilliantly tipped over by Daniele Padelli. There's a bit of afters between the two as the referee brings an end to the first period, and they continue to bicker as they leave the field. Jordan Henderson's 23rd minute goal has Liverpool ahead, and they're going through to the knockout stages as it stands.
Liverpool are attacking in numbers here. Suso carries the ball forward and then feeds in Suarez, who lashes over from inside the area. He perhaps had a couple of better options in the middle but decided to go for goal instead.
Suso gets his head to a Jonjo Shelvey cross, but just can't quite direct the ball goalwards, nodding well over the bar instead.
Good work from Jose Enrique to support the Liverpool attack down the left. The Spaniard is played in on the overlap and crosses low in the direction of Luis Suarez, but goalkeeper Daniele Padelli gets down well to prevent the Uruguayan from poking home.
Needless yellow card for Liverpool, as Suso is booked for kicking the ball away in frustration.
Luis Suarez breaks free in acres of space, but is adjudged to have strayed offside. Really tight call, but probably the right one.
Jonjo Shelvey is played through on goal but is closed down by an Udinese defender, who fails to clear properly, giving Shelvey another chance to do something. But the young midfielder's cross into the box is batted away by the defence.
Glen Johnson bundles the ball over the line after Stewart Downing's cutback, but the goal is ruled out after the referee deems the ball went out of play.
Suarez peels off his man to head goalwards from a corner but his effort can only find Suso in the six-yard box, who neatly lays the ball off for Jordan Henderson to slot home.
Jordan Henderson scores for Liverpool!
Liverpool are awarded a free kick after Fabbrini - already on a yellow - goes through Jonjo Shelvey again. He scored a sublime set piece in the reverse of this fixture, but his effort this time goes straight into the wall.
Roberto Pereyra advances into the box from the left flank, finding himself in a stand-off with Glen Johnson. With not much on, he attempts an audacious chip over Pepe Reina, who gets back well to tip behind for a corner.
Diego Fabbrini is the first man in the referee's book for a dangerous-looking lunge on Jonjo Shelvey. He could actually be quite relieved the card isn't a different colour there.
Pablo Armero whips in a ball from the left, and Mathias Ranegie gets across his man brilliantly to glance a header goalwards. At first, Pepe Reina looks as though he's got it covered, but ends up scrambling across the goalline, only to see the ball whistle wide of the far post.
Nuri Sahin is having to be replaced. It doesn't look like the Liverpool physios can stem the flow of blood coming out of his nose. Let's hope it's not broken. Jonjo Shelvey comes on, and with his first touch, fires well wide from the edge of the box.
Liverpool are operating with 10 men as it stands, with Nuri Sahin off the field with what looks like a nosebleed. Fairly cautious start from both sides, with neither goalkeeper having been tested yet.
Liverpool's job is simple: win and they're through to the knockout stage. If they lose, they're out, and if they draw, they're relying on Young Boys to slip up against Anzhi. Amazingly, the Reds can still finish in first, second, third or fourth place in Group A.
Martin Skrtel goes up for a header with Mathias Ranegie and the pair accidentally clash in the challenge. Skrtel is down for a moment or two, but gingerly gets back to his feet eventually.
Udinese get things underway. Both teams turn out in their home strips this evening.
Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Jose Enrique, Henderson, Allen, Sahin, Fernandez Saez, Suarez, Downing. Subs: Jones, Cole, Assaidi, Coates, Sterling, Shelvey, Wisdom.
Padelli, Faraoni, Heurtaux, Danilo, Pasquale, Pereyra, Agyemang-Badu, Pinzi, Armero, Fabbrini, Ranegie. Subs: Brkic, Di Natale, Benatia, Marsura, Berra, Reinthaler, Frison.
Join us just before the slightly earlier kick-off time of 18:00 GMT for all the latest team news and all the action from Italy.
Luis Suarez's Premier League suspension means he is set to start his first Europa League away game of the season. Steven Gerrard didn't travel because of illness, while Lucas Leiva, who returned to first team action at the weekend, has been rested alongside Daniel Agger.
The reverse of this fixture was played out at Anfield at the beginning of October, where an under-strength Liverpool hosted Udinese. A Jonjo Shelvey goal had the hosts 1-0 up by half time, but Antonio Di Natale levelled immediately after the break. Then midway into the second period came a flurry of three goals in five minutes. Sebastian Coates put the ball into his own net on 70 minutes to put Udinese 2-1 in front, before Giovanni Pasquale increased the Italians' lead two minutes later. But on 75 minutes, Luis Suarez reduced the deficit to just one with a superb free kick, to set up an enthralling last 15 minutes. Unfortunately for Liverpool, though, they were unable to grab an equaliser, meaning Udinese travelled home with all three points.
With just one game to go in the group stage of this year's Europa League, Liverpool sit in 2nd place in Group A, level on points with Young Boys. A win tonight will see the Reds progress to the knockout stage, and a draw could be enough should Young Boys fail to win against top side Anzhi Makhachkala. But if Liverpool lose, they'll crash out of the competition because of their inferior record in a three-way face-off between them, Udinese and Young Boys.
Liverpool travel face Udinese at the Stadio Friuli tonight in the Europa League, knowing that only a win will guarantee their passage into the knockout stages. Kick-off is 18:00 GMT.