Match ends, Liverpool 1, FC Basel 1.
Liverpool 1-1 Basel
By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Anfield
- From the section Football
- Liverpool manage one win in six Group B games
- The Reds finish third in group with five points
- Liverpool will now compete in the Europa League
- Basel advance to the Champions League's last 16
Liverpool's wretched Champions League campaign came to a disappointing conclusion as they failed to beat Basel at Anfield and saw their hopes of reaching the knockout phase evaporate.
Steven Gerrard - who dragged Liverpool through to victory in a similar situation against OIympiakos at Anfield a decade ago - threatened to do so again when his brilliant late free-kick equalised Fabian Frei's first-half goal for the Swiss.
Up until Gerrard's equaliser, this was not an occasion in the famous Anfield tradition of European nights, The Kop silenced for long periods except when voicing frustration at a side that has lost its way since coming so close to winning the Premier League last season.
Liverpool may claim injustice after substitute Lazar Markovic was sent off after coming on and delivering a promising cameo.
But once he senselessly raised his arm in the direction of the pursuing Behrang Safari, he was running the risk of a red card.
It is another setback in a disappointing season for manager Brendan Rodgers, who must now galvanise players who looked devastated at the final whistle for a Europa League campaign.
Liverpool have lost the goals of talisman Luis Suarez to Barcelona as well as Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli to injury, but that does not fully explain how they have become so pedestrian and lacking in spark.
The Champions League was meant to be a return to their rightful status for Liverpool.
But one win in six group games, and that only a fortunate victory earned by Gerrard's late penalty against Ludogorets, tells the tale of a team that has simply not been up to the demands of Europe's elite tournament.
Liverpool now have a pivotal week where they face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday and then visit Bournemouth in the Capital One Cup quarter-final.
Basel's fans were in noisy and buoyant mood despite a Merseyside downpour before kick-off - and that optimism was reflected in their team during an opening half that reduced Anfield to frustrated silence at its conclusion.
| BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty at Anfield: |
|---|
| "This has been a wretched Champions League campaign for Liverpool, with only one win from six games. On that basis there can be no complaints from manager Brendan Rodgers or his players." |
Instead of coming out with pace, energy, movement and the sort of threat befitting the task in front of them, Liverpool were nervous and slower than Basel, who took a deserved lead after 25 minutes.
Frei's low shot from the edge of the area beat the motionless Simon Mignolet after a slick exchange with Luca Zuffi proved too much for Liverpool's hesitant defence.
Instead of sparking Liverpool into action, the goal only added to Basel's confidence and they looked more likely to add a second than the home team did to finding an equaliser before Rodgers was forced into a double substitution at the start of the second half.
Jose Enrique and Rickie Lambert were replaced by Alberto Moreno and Markovic, the latter finally injecting some drive and tempo into Liverpool's game before his sending off just after the hour mark.
Liverpool were struggling to create chances and referee Bjorn Kuipers from the Netherlands infuriated The Kop even further when he ignored loud appeals for a penalty as Gerrard went down as he and visiting keeper Tomas Vaclik challenged for a loose ball in the area.
Just as hope seemed to be slipping away, it was Gerrard who delivered once more, showing superb technique to send his free-kick from 20 yards just inside the post and into the top corner beyond the flying figure of Vaclik.
As the pressure and the noise levels finally grew, Vaclik had to show great athleticism to clutch Jordan Henderson's deflected header as it looked set to bounce over the line in front of an expectant Kop.
In a predictably frenzied finale, defender Martin Skrtel was sent up front as a last throw of the dice and was just off target with a near-post flick while Vaclik again saved well from Henderson.
But it was tough to compile a strong case for Liverpool deserving to get out of this group.
Line-ups
Liverpool
- 22Mignolet
- 2Johnson
- 37Skrtel
- 6LovrenBooked at 66mins
- 3Enrique Sanchez DiazSubstituted forMorenoat 45'minutesBooked at 77mins
- 21LeivaBooked at 47minsSubstituted forCoutinhoat 74'minutes
- 24Allen
- 31Sterling
- 8Gerrard
- 14Henderson
- 9LambertSubstituted forMarkovicat 45'minutesBooked at 61mins
Substitutes
- 1Jones
- 10Coutinho
- 17Sakho
- 18Moreno
- 20Lallana
- 23Can
- 50Markovic
FC Basel
- 1Vaclik
- 34Xhaka
- 16SchärBooked at 80mins
- 17Suchy
- 19Safari
- 33ElnenySubstituted forDíazat 83'minutes
- 20Frei
- 7ZuffiSubstituted forSamuelat 88'minutes
- 25González
- 9StrellerSubstituted forEmboloat 74'minutes
- 11Gashi
Substitutes
- 4Degen
- 6Samuel
- 10Delgado
- 18Vailati
- 21Díaz
- 24Hamoudi
- 36Embolo
- Referee:
- Björn Kuipers
- Attendance:
- 43,290
Match Stats
Home TeamLiverpoolAway TeamFC Basel
- Possession
- Home61%
- Away39%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away17
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away4
- Corners
- Home4
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away16
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Liverpool 1, FC Basel 1.
Attempt saved. Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Philippe Coutinho.
Attempt saved. Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt missed. Martin Skrtel (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.
Attempt saved. Breel Embolo (FC Basel) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marcelo Díaz.
Attempt missed. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Marek Suchy.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Tomás Vaclik (FC Basel) because of an injury.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Marek Suchy.
Attempt missed. Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the left.
Substitution
Substitution, FC Basel. Walter Samuel replaces Luca Zuffi.
Attempt missed. Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Alberto Moreno with a cross.
Attempt missed. Taulant Xhaka (FC Basel) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Derlis González.
Attempt saved. Luca Zuffi (FC Basel) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Marek Suchy.
Martin Skrtel (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Breel Embolo (FC Basel).
Substitution
Substitution, FC Basel. Marcelo Díaz replaces Mohamed Elneny.
Attempt saved. Luca Zuffi (FC Basel) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Foul by Dejan Lovren (Liverpool).
Luca Zuffi (FC Basel) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal!
Goal! Liverpool 1, FC Basel 1. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Booking
Fabian Schär (FC Basel) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Fabian Schär (FC Basel).
Booking
Alberto Moreno (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Alberto Moreno (Liverpool).
Derlis González (FC Basel) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Taulant Xhaka (FC Basel) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Corner, FC Basel. Conceded by Dejan Lovren.
Substitution
Substitution, FC Basel. Breel Embolo replaces Marco Streller.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Philippe Coutinho replaces Lucas Leiva.
Attempt missed. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.
Attempt blocked. Marco Streller (FC Basel) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Shkelzen Gashi.
Offside, FC Basel. Fabian Frei tries a through ball, but Taulant Xhaka is caught offside.
Foul by Dejan Lovren (Liverpool).
Marco Streller (FC Basel) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Martin Skrtel (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Lucas Leiva.
