As it happened: RB Leipzig 0-2 LFC (UEFA CL)

Champions League Last 16 1st Leg
Tuesday 16 February 2021 - 8:00 pm
Puskas Stadium, Budapest, Hungary
RB Leipzig0
2Liverpool
Show Match Events
Mukiele5'
Haidara5'
53'Salah ⚽️
58'Mane ⚽️
Angeliño64'
Mukiele off, Orbán on ↔️65'
Haidara off, Poulsen on ↔️65'
Angeliño66'
67' Kabak
70'↔️ Firmino off, Shaqiri on
70'↔️ Alcantara off, Oxlade-Chamberlain on
Kampl off, Hwang on ↔️73'
Olmo76'
81' Henderson
89'↔️ Salah off, Williams on
Hide Match Events

The reds travel to Budapest, Hungary for tonight's 1st leg of the Champions League last 16. 

This game has been moved away from Germany, to the Puskas Stadium in Budapest, Hungary, due to coronavirus restrictions.

Liverpool have endured difficult times domestically since the turn of the year but they get to travel to Hungary to face German opposition RB Leipzig.

Unfortunately for the reds, Leipzig are in solid form.  They are 2nd in Bundesliga, five points off Bayern Munich and are the only side to take points off the German Champions.

Angelino is in excellent form, and much has been said about central defender Dayot Upamecano and his 'none shall pass' strategy.  Coach Julian Nagelsmann is being heralded all over Europe.

Leipzig have won their last three games.  Liverpool have lost the last three.

Fingers crossed!

As it happened...

18:50 UK
Thiago back in starting XI

Just one change from the team that started against Leicester at the weekend - with Thiago replacing the injured Milner.

Alisson,
Alexander-Arnold, Kabak, Henderson (c), Robertson,
Wijnaldum, Jones, Thiago,
Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tsimikas, Shaqiri, Origi, Davies, R. Williams, Phillips, Cain, Clarkson, N. Williams.

19:12 UK
Leipzig team - former red in goal

Peter Gulacsi joined Liverpool from Budapest, tonight's location, back in 2007 and spent 5 years at the club - although many periods on loan at other clubs.

He never did make a senior appearance for the reds and eventually made his way back via Salzburg, to Leipzig and the Hungarian national team.

Here's how Leipzig line up tonight.

Gulacsi, Mukiele , Klostermann , Upamecano, Adams , Sabitzer , Kampl , Angelino , Haidara , Olmo, Nkunku

Subs: Martinez, Orban, Konate, Poulsen, Hwang, Sorloth, Samardzic, Kluivert, Halstenberg, Hartmann, Henrichs

19:12 UK

19:48 UK
Klopp: 'Solutions are on the pitch - we have to pick them up.

Klopp:

'It's the Champions League - lets give it a try.  We have a good team here, we are ready, lets give it a try.

'(Asked if Ozan is used to playing against German opposition) It's not about adapting to the opponents - it's about adapating to his own team.  He had a good game against Leicester.  He's young, he's fit, he's ready to go.'

'We have to adapt within the game and play football ourselves.  This Leipzig team really goes for it and is full of energy.

'We need to have the ball.  Even when they have hyper steam we have to break the press by playing football.  The solutions are there on the pitch we only have to pick them up'

20:01 UK
KICK OFF

Underway in... Budapest.

Leipzig dumped Spurs out the knockouts last year and Man Utd out of the groups.  Are they going for the English hat-trick?

They'll never have a better opportunity against an out of form Liverpool.

Come on the reds!

20:02 UK

20:03 UK

2' Thiago with a foul on the 70 second mark.

20:07 UK
Post!

5' Angelino with the creation and a quick reaction header by Dani Olmo.

Hits the post.

Yellow cards to Haidara and Mukiele.

20:12 UK

10' Liverpool win a corner.  Trent crosses it in but Firmino's header doesn't have the power or direction required.

20:16 UK
Good football

15' This is a frenetic high pace start form both sides.  Liverpool finding the openings. 

Gulacsi makes himself look big and stops Salah's onrushing chance with his chance.

20:18 UK

18' Marcel Sabitzer with a quick shot after controlling the ball.

Alisson gets down low to stop that one.

20:26 UK
'Outstanding'

24' Another fast paced move from Liverpool.  Salah to Firmino, the cross to Mane who heads narrowly over.

'Outstanding' mouths the Liverpool manager from the touchline.

20:34 UK
CHANCE!!

32' Gulacsi clears it but only to Andy Robertson who is just past the half way line.  He goes for the shot, it's just on to the top of the net!

Good attempt!

20:37 UK

34' The pace is still frenetic. 

This has been Liverpool's best half hour for a while. 

High energy from the reds.

No breakthrough yet but there is plenty of promise in the reds tonight and that a return to a positive set of results is surely not too far away in the distance.

20:39 UK
Goal.. ruled out

36' Liverpool get the ball in the back of the net.

Upamecano gives the ball away.  Mane gets to the ball and passes it back into Firmino who puts it in.

Looks like it may have gone out just before Mane got a touch.

20:40 UK

38' Angelino finds a perfect cross in and Olmo heads just over.

Another warning sign.

20:48 UK
HALF TIME

Leipzig 0-0 Liverpool

Some good play from the reds.  A lot of energy expended by both sides in that half - hopefully Leipzig feeling it more in their legs.

No breakthrough but a lot of hope that over two legs the reds will eventually find a way through.

Curtis Jones and Trent have had very good halves.  A rare Andy Robertson goal almost materialised.  Kabak settling into his second LFC game.

21:03 UK
Good first half from Jones

21:05 UK
SECOND HALF

Back underway

21:06 UK
Good save Alisson

47' Through ball and Nkunku has more pace than Jordan Henderson can muster.

Alisson strong to push that away for a corner.

21:13 UK
GOAL!!

54' Mo Salah with the breakthrough!

He pounces on a loose pass and hits his 24th goal of the season.

21:20 UK
GOAL!!

58' Sadio Mane doubles Liverpool's lead.

Curtis Jones with the ball forward and it's a mistake at the back that Mane pounces on.

Smashes it straight past Gulacsi.

2-0.

21:22 UK

21:24 UK
Chance Leipzig

63' Dani Olmo shot and Andy Robbo's touch just puts it away.  Thiago should have done better there.

21:26 UK
Double subs for Leipzig

They've taken off two players on yellow cards.

65' Willi Orban and Yussuf Poulsen replace Mukiele and Haidara.

Yellow card for Angelino too.  Their fourth of the evening.

21:33 UK
LFC Changes

70' Thiago hasn't been great.  He's replaced by Oxlade Chamberlain.  Firmino makes way for Shaqiri.

21:34 UK
RBL Sub

74' Hee-Chan Hwang replaces Kevin Kampl.

Great names.

21:37 UK
Another yellow for Leipzig

76' Dani Olmo tries twice to foul Sadio Mane and gets the yellow card.

21:50 UK
LFC Sub

89' Salah replaced by Neco Williams here.

21:54 UK
FULL TIME

MUCH MORE LIKE IT, LIVERPOOL!

RB Leipzig 0-2 Liverpool

Mo Salah and Sadio Mane get the goals that Liverpool's performance deserved.

A big advantage for the second leg.

21:58 UK
Back to the Premier League

It's a good three weeks now until the 2nd leg which 'should' be played at Anfield.

Wednesday 10th March at 8pm for Leipzig's trip to Liverpool.

The reds have plenty of Premier League action to concentrate on - starting with the visit this weekend of Everton.

A good night tonight for the reds who did all the good stuff and none of the bad stuff that has hindered them in recent games.

Clean sheet for Kabak as well on his LFC European debut.  That was Alisson's 50th clean sheet too as a Liverpool player.



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