Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Liverpool's Reina Makes Everton Favourites For Mersey Cup Replay


The Reds' goalkeeper is ruing a missed opportunity at Anfield, and fears that the Toffees may now have the edge in the FA Cup fourth round replay at Goodison Park next week.

Liverpool's Spanish goalkeeper feels that his side may now have handed the initiative to their opponents in their FA Cup fourth round tie with Everton.

The Reds' city rivals managed to come away from Anfield yesterday with their second 1-1 draw in a week at the venue, forcing a replay at their own home ground on February 4, and now Pepe Reina feels that Liverpool will have to be at their best to beat an indomitable Everton outfit on their own patch.

"The tie is still wide open and we trust ourselves to get through at their stadium," the Spaniard told today's Liverpool Echo.

"I suppose now the advantage is with them because next time they will play as the home team. But this will also mean that at least they will have to play a bit more forward than they did yesterday."

Despite Everton's alleged 'negative tactics', highlighted by manager Rafa Benitez yesterday in a display of what less charitable observers have termed 'sour grapes', the Toffees still managed to expose the Reds' ongoing deficiency at defending set-pieces, with Liverpool once again conceding from a dead-ball situation. Joleon Lescott headed home from close range for Everton's opening goal of the game after Tim Cahill had been given the freedom of the far post by Liverpool's markers.

"It is disappointing to concede another goal like this and it is clear that we do have to improve from set-pieces," Reina admitted.

"That is the main thing for us and the good thing for us is that we will have plenty of training sessions in which we can improve on these kind of things."

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