Having secured a memorable victory against an in-form Real Madrid side in the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday Liverpool travelled to the Riverside Stadium almost expecting to beat Middlesbrough.
Football, though, can be a funny game and a Middlesbrough side that hadn’t won in 14 Premier League games quite comfortably despatched Rafael Benitez’s travelling Liverpool contingent.
It was a game that Benitez thought hinged on the opening half an hour. “In the first thirty minutes we had five chances, for me, that is the summary of the game” he told BBC Sport after the match.
“If you don’t take your chances and you concede a goal…you have to go forward,” he continued. “They were playing counterattack [after they scored] so if you want to win this game you have to take your chances.”
Benitez reflected on his side’s inability to capitalise when they were on top in the game, highlighting a El Zhar’s “one on one with the keeper”.
“You cannot change things now but we are clearly very disappointed.”
Commenting on Liverpool’s title chances, Benitez was sombre.
“If before the game was difficult now it is more difficult, that is clear,” he said. “We have to think about Sunderland and after we will think about Real Madrid.”
The Liverpool boss had little to say about the weeks boardroom revelations that Rick Parry would step down at the end of the season.
“It is a decision between the owners and Rick Parry, we have to concentrate on football.”
Football, though, can be a funny game and a Middlesbrough side that hadn’t won in 14 Premier League games quite comfortably despatched Rafael Benitez’s travelling Liverpool contingent.
It was a game that Benitez thought hinged on the opening half an hour. “In the first thirty minutes we had five chances, for me, that is the summary of the game” he told BBC Sport after the match.
“If you don’t take your chances and you concede a goal…you have to go forward,” he continued. “They were playing counterattack [after they scored] so if you want to win this game you have to take your chances.”
Benitez reflected on his side’s inability to capitalise when they were on top in the game, highlighting a El Zhar’s “one on one with the keeper”.
“You cannot change things now but we are clearly very disappointed.”
Commenting on Liverpool’s title chances, Benitez was sombre.
“If before the game was difficult now it is more difficult, that is clear,” he said. “We have to think about Sunderland and after we will think about Real Madrid.”
The Liverpool boss had little to say about the weeks boardroom revelations that Rick Parry would step down at the end of the season.
“It is a decision between the owners and Rick Parry, we have to concentrate on football.”
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