Razeen Gutta
I-Liverpool idlulele kowamanqamu we-UEFA Champions League kanzima ngemuva kokubuya ukuze iwine ngo 3-2 emlenzeni wesibili kowandulela owamanqamu ihlula i-Villarreal.
Ngemuva kokuhlulwa ngo 2-0 e-Anfield ngesonto eledlule, iqembu lika-Unai Emery lilinganise inqubo ngokulingana ngomdlalo omangalisayo wesiwombe sokuqala e-Estadio de la Cerámica.
UBoulaye Dia ubeke osokhaya phambili imizuzu emithathu nje, ngemuva kokusiza u-Etienne Capoue ngaphambi kokuthi uFrancis Coquelin ashaye igoli lesibili ngaphambi kwekhefu ngesikhathi uCapoue ephinde ekhipha amabhola amahle.
Iqembu likaJürgen Klopp libukeke lishaqekile ngesikhathi sekhefu kanti lo mqeqeshi waseJalimane ufake uLuis Diaz ngesikhathi sekhefu ukuze akhe amabhola amahle aya phambili.
Ushintsho beluluhle futhi ama-Reds akhombise inhloso enkulu ngoFabinho owamukele ibhola elivela kuMohamed Salah ukuze ashaye igoli elilodwa ngalobo busuku futhi ababeke phambili ngokuhlanganisa.
I-Liverpool iqale ukubusa futhi ibibukeka inethezekile ngokuphatha ibhola kanti ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ongene esikhundleni sikaDias ushaye igoli walinganisa kwaba ngu-2-2.
USadio Mané ubeke uphawu lokushintshwa ngemizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu yokudlala ngemuva kokuthi unozinti uGeronimo Rulli ephume ngesivinini epalini lakhe ukuze avimbe ibhola elinzima lomdlali wase-Argentina.
UFabinho, oshayele iqembu lakhe igoli lokuqala kwi-Champions League, utshele i-BT Sport ngemuva komdlalo ukuthi bebelindele ukuhlasela osokhaya ngokushesha.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi iqembu labo lenze konke okusemandleni ngesiwombe sokuqala. Besazi ukuthi imizuzu yokuqala eyishumi nanhlanu kuya kwamashumi amabili izoba ngebalulekile futhi bashaye igoli kusenesikhathi. Njengeqembu elikhulu kumele ulunge kukho konke. Kumele uzame ukudlala ibhola. Ngemuva kwegoli lokuqala ngicabanga ukuthi siye sawuphatha umdlalo.”
Umphumela usho ukuthi i-Liverpool izovakashela e-Paris ekupheleni kwenyanga ukuyongenela owamanqamu we-Champions League wesithathu eminyakeni emihlanu. Ama-Reds azobhekana nabaphathi besicoco be-Premier League i-Manchester City noma i-Real Madrid enqobe isicoco se-Champions League amahlandla ayishumi nantathu ezodlala kusasa ebusuku e-Santiago Bernabeu.