Yes, It's 8 !

Liverpool 8 Besiktas 0
Crouch 19, 88 Benayoun 32, 52, 56 Gerrard 69 Babel 78, 81

Match Goals


The first match of the 3 do or break games for Liverpool in the Champions League went on a superb start last night. An important game for the Reds as they had to win all 3 games remaining to qualify into the knockout stages. Match against Besiktas at home was expected to be an easy game however, the Turkish beaten us at their home fortnightly ago. Many would have expect the Turkish players would give us a fight at Anfield.

Nevertheless, the power of Anfield proves too much for Besiktas to take. With Peter Crouch and Andriy Voronin leading the Reds' attack, we didn't take too long to score the first goal. On the 19th minute mark, Crouch had shown the fans why Rafa should have put him more in the first team. He scored the opening goal with a nice finish off a rebound of the goalkeeper.



Voronin was superb on the night. Running every inch of the field, finding space behind the defence and created so many goals. Yossi Benayoun added the second and Liverpool was leading 2-0 at half time.



At half time, I wouldn't have bet the team went on thrashing Besiktas. The goals just kept coming, it's those nights as though every shot towards goal was a goal. Yossi Benayoun got a hat-trick on the night. It's somehow unusual for a right winger to score 3 goals in a match. Although Yossi' goals were not glamour, still, he appeared at the right time and right place to slot home the goals.



The midfield worked really hard. Javier Mascherano was excellent the whole game, he didn't put a foot wrong. Captain Stevie was his usual self, bursting into defence on several occasions and he did get his reward with a goal of the night. With the team leading on by a big margin, Rafa substituted Gerrard on the 72th minute. It's good to let Stevie have some rest.



Ryan Babel, who came on in the game also got a couple. It's kind of funny to see him scoring 2 goals with his back heel and his back. He got the chance to play upfront with Crouch and he replied with goals. The first goal was a cheeky back heel which managed to go past Besiktas goalkeeper. His perseverance gave him his second. A poor clearance from the Turkish side defender deflected off Ryan's back and the ball amazingly went over the goalkeeper and into the goal.

It was 7-0 at 81st minute. I was hoping for the team to get the 8th so as to break the record which was Arsenal's 7-0 2 weeks ago. Peter Crouch got his second with a nice header at the end and it was 8 goals on the night. It was not the prettiest night of football, but it is a night of records and fans to remember. Able to score 8 goals in the Champions League is not something easy.



I do not believe that the Turkish side Beisktas made us look good. I could see from the Liverpool players that they knew how important the game was and the Champions League is. They have to keep believing it and make sure that this 8-0 score is to tell the rest of Europe that we aren't giving up just yet. The last 2 games won't be easy, we have to be our very best to win those games.

Come On Reds!

You'll Never Walk Alone..