Liverpool secured their place within the Carabao Cup remaining on Wednesday night, drawing 1-1 with Fulham at Craven Cottage and progressing to the ultimate with a 3-2 mixture victory.
The Reds took a 2-1 first leg result in west London and swiftly added to their benefit when Luis Diaz struck simply after the ten minute mark. Issa Diop pulled one again for the hosts with 77 minutes performed however Fulham could not power the sport to extra-time because the clock ran down.
Liverpool will face Chelsea within the Wembley remaining on the finish of February after the Blues hammered Championship aspect Middlesbrough 6-2 on mixture of their semi-final.
How the sport unfolded
On such a giant event, there have been some comprehensible nerves from Fulham gamers within the early levels, Liverpool dominating the ball from the off. Nevertheless, one of the best probability of the opening ten minutes fell to Joao Palhinha, discovering house from a nook however directing his shot over the crossbar.
Regardless of the Cottagers rising into the sport swiftly, Liverpool delivered a sucker punch on the different finish simply 11 minutes in. Diaz collected a cross-field move from Jarell Quansah, earlier than jinking inside and seeing his deflected shot squirm previous Bernd Leno at his close to submit.
The Reds’ opener appeared to suck the life out of the Craven Cottage crowd, with Fulham unable to play by means of Liverpool’s intense press. Diaz got here near doubling the guests’ lead on the night time after he fired residence the rebound following Darwin Nunez’s effort, however the flag was accurately raised towards the Uruguayan.
The hosts’ greatest second of the primary half got here out of nothing simply after the half-an-hour mark, Raul Jimenez’s highly effective low drive from exterior the field palmed extensive by Caoimhin Kelleher. Willian additionally noticed his 25-yard shot fly straight into the arms of Liverpool’s Irish goalkeeper shortly afterwards.
Fulham had been gifted an excellent alternative simply seven minutes into the second interval, Kelleher failing to assert a lofted cross into the field and Andreas Pereira subsequently slamming the submit from Issa Diop’s knock down. The Reds instantly went down the opposite finish themselves, Harvey Elliott’s tame effort unable to punish his former membership.
Nunez noticed his first shot on course of the sport pushed extensive by Leno after he tried to bend an effort into the far nook, with the South American additionally seeing a curling strike fly inches extensive of the Fulham aim after a neat flip across the hour mark.
Simply as time was working out for the Cottagers, Fulham drew stage out of the blue. Harry Wilson skinned Conor Bradley down the hosts’ left-hand aspect, flashing a ball throughout aim that Diop redirected past Kelleher to offer the London aspect hope of a comeback.
Wilson examined Kelleher with a robust strike from vary shortly after Fulham’s equaliser, however the hosts had been unable to finish a late turnaround, which means Liverpool march on to Wembley.
GK: Bernd Leno – 6/10 – Shall be disillusioned together with his efforts to cease Diaz’s opener however stood as much as Liverpool’s different makes an attempt.
RB: Timothy Castagne – 5/10 – Overwhelmed too simply within the air within the build-up to Liverpool’s early aim and by no means regarded snug up towards Diaz.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo – 6/10 – Did not do an terrible lot mistaken and carried out admirably up towards a tough Liverpool ahead line.
CB: Issa Diop – 7/10 – Virtually arrange Pereira early within the second half and was competent on the again. His aim introduced the sport again to life within the second half and it was a tidy end from the centre-back.
LB: Antonee Robinson – 6/10 – Frequent attacking bursts down Fulham’s left however he could not get the higher of younger Conor Bradley too typically.
CM: Joao Palhinha – 7/10 – Fierce within the problem and made some vital tackles within the centre of the pitch. Missed an early probability.
CM: Tom Cairney (c) – 6/10 – Tried to make issues occur in an attacking sense however could not discover the tip product typically sufficient.
RM: Bobby Decordova-Reid – 5/10 – After some robust and vigorous shows towards the Reds this time period, it was a quiet and finally disappointing night for the attacker.
AM: Andreas Pereira – 6/10 – Had Fulham’s greatest probability of the second interval however might solely discover the submit together with his effort. Slightly extra composure and he would have etched his title on the scoresheet.
LM: Willian – 7/10 – Persistently the house aspect’s brightest spark, all the time wanting ahead upon receiving possession. Fulham’s greatest moments got here by means of the Brazilian.
ST: Raul Jimenez – 5/10 – One effort from exterior the world that examined Kelleher within the first half however not a very influential show.
Substitutes
SUB: Harry Wilson (66′ for De Cordova-Reid) – 7/10
SUB: Kenny Tete (83′ for Castagne) – N/A
SUB: Rodrigo Muniz (83′ for Pereira) – N/A
SUB: Harrison Reed (83′ for Cairney) – N/A
Subs not used: Rodak (GK), Ream, Francois, Lukic, Vinicius.
Supervisor
Marco Silva – 6/10 – An enormous alternative for his Fulham aspect however one which they could not take. His gamers confirmed loads of coronary heart within the second half but it surely should go down as an opportunity wasted.
GK: Caoimhin Kelleher – 6/10 – Some vital early interventions to disclaim Fulham from harmful deliveries into the field however one clanger nearly value Liverpool within the second half.
RB: Conor Bradley – 7/10 – One other mature and spectacular show from the 20-year-old, who handled Willian and Robinson extremely nicely down the Liverpool proper. Overwhelmed too simply by Wilson for the Fulham leveller.
CB: Jarell Quansah – 8/10 – A beautiful swap of play pressured Liverpool’s opening aim and the younger defender was commanding within the coronary heart of defence.
CB: Virgil van Dijk (c) – 7/10 – Waltzed by means of the sport till Diop’s aim, for which he maybe might have been tighter to the Frenchman.
LB: Joe Gomez – 7/10 – Regarded extremely snug but once more within the left-back function, even when his speculative efforts did not check Leno.
CM: Harvey Elliott – 7/10 – Met with a refrain of boos each single time he touched the ball as a result of his Fulham connections, though the gang did not dissuade the teen. Some neat touches within the opposition half however did spurn a very good probability to place Liverpool out of sight.
CM: Alexis Mac Allister – 8/10 – After his greatest show of the season towards Bournemouth, the Argentine was in good type once more at Craven Cottage.
CM: Ryan Gravenberch – 6/10 – A yard or two off the tempo as he continues to take his time to settle in Liverpool crimson. Some promising glimpses, although.
RW: Cody Gakpo – 6/10 – Not a very fruitful show for Gakpo, who did not have the affect of his fellow forwards.
ST: Darwin Nunez – 7/10 – Unsurprisingly, he was on the coronary heart of issues all through. A whisker away with a number of strikes as his confidence continues to construct.
LW: Luis Diaz – 8/10 – A decided run and barely fortuitous end from the winger gave Liverpool some respiration room early on. All the time a menace down the left.
Substitutes
SUB: Curtis Jones (67′ for Mac Allister) – 6/10
SUB: Diogo Jota (67′ for Nunez) – 6/10
SUB: Ibrahima Konate (84′ for Gakpo) – N/A
SUB: Bobby Clark (84′ for Gravenberch) – N/A
Subs not used: Alisson (GK), Robertson, Beck, McConnell, Nyoni.
Supervisor
Jurgen Klopp – 8/10 – The Liverpool boss used the energy of his squad, exhibiting religion in a few of his fringe gamers and younger starlets. His dedication to these gamers was rewarded with a powerful show, even when somewhat nervy on the finish.
Participant of the match: Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
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