o 90+4 No time for a corner as the final whistle goes, Steven Gerrard gives Liverpool an entertaining 2-1 win at Marseille.
o 90+3 Ball over the top is headed on by Zubar AND NIANG IS FREE AND MUST SCORE BUT A WONDERFUL SAVE BY THE RIGHT FOOT OF REINA! Babel sprints downfield and he could wrap it up here but blocked and wide!
o 90+1 Niang is in the box after a run down the left but no-one is there for the cut-back! Still with Marseille, superb cross to CHEYROU AT THE BACK STICK WHO HEADS IT ACROSS GOAL but Reina reads it and intercepts to hang on! Liverpool hanging in there.
o 89' Marseille in space on the left, it's Valbuena with some great footwork and he digs out a great cross and NIANG MUST SCORE BUT HE FLICKS THE HEADER WIDE! Should have been the leveller, he claims a penalty but no way, he just missed a sitter!
o 86' Benayoun leads a Liverpool break and Robbie Keane is free and screaming for it but no there are bodies back to Benayoun holds onto it and wins a throw on the wing.
o 83' Sent in by Valbuena but headed away by the 6'2" Riera. Still with OM and Ziani has a pop which is blocked and they could be in but Carragher with the block and some quite brilliant football by Riera to bring the ball away and free Kuyt on the left.
o 82' Taiwo with a great, powerful run down the left, he bursts into the box but Arbeloa gets back to put it behind for a corner.
o 80' Liverpool trying to take the sting out of this game now, playing it slow around the back and using the flanks where they can.
o 78'Another chance for Babel this time as he bursts into the box and fires a left-foot shot, but it clatters the outside of the post and goes out.
o 77'Did I say this was end-to-end stuff before? If not, well it is. Liverpool go down the other end.
o 76'Samassa with a great bit of skill on the edge of the box to take out two defenders but the shot is weak and easy for Reina.
o 75'Liverpool come forward and they have men over, Riera with a great piece of skill to skin Bonnart and he smashes it towards goal and it rebounds TO BABEL FIVE YARDS OUT AND HE MUST SCORE BUT AN INCREDIBLE SAVE BY MANDANA! How did he stop that? Schmeichel-esque keeping.
o 74'MARSEILLE SUB: Kone comes off for Samassa.
o 71' Niang on the left, he does well and pings it to the edge of the box where Ziani is unmarked but he sends the ball over the top. Tough chance.
o 69' LIVERPOOL SUB: He's only just come back from an op, and Gerrard won't be risked further. Benayoun on in his place.
o 68' Valbuena scored against Liverpool at Anfield from this range last season but this one is straight into the wall.
o 67' Needless tackle from Skrtel on Niang on the edge of the D, a free-kick to OM.
o 66' Kone on the right looks one way and plays a great little ball in for Ziani who is in AND ZIANI WITH THE SHOT but over! He should have scored there but got under it.
o 65' LIVERPOOL SUB: Fernando Torres comes off for Albert Riera. Benitez is being conservative as ever. Karim Ziani, meanwhile, is on for OM.
o 64' End-to-end stuff here as OM go down the other end but Reina again sweeps up well to get there before Kone.
o 63' Liverpool break and have men over on the left, Babel and Gerrard and the England midfielder has it and needs to curl the shot from this angle but he's off balance and tries to set up Babel but the pass is poor, behind Babel and OM clear.
o 62' Corner to Marseille on the right, good delivery and they're queuing up to head on goal and a great leap and downward header by Hilton but straight at Reina who does really well to hold on!
o 60' Kone surges forward and almost gets in on the right but tumbles rather easily as Carragher comes back to get the ball.
o 57' Babel is almost played clean through but Mandana comes out really quickly to block - and hold on - at the Dutchman's feet.
o 55' Gerrard aims the corner for Skrtel but he misses it and it lands for KUYT but his touch lets him down and Marseille block and clear. Marseille break but this time Liverpool step up on time and it's a free-kick.
o 54' Free-kick to Liverpool on the left wing - Torres was fouled - Gerrard to swing it in but it's too high for everyone and nodded away for a corner on the right.
o 53' Cheyrou with a great through ball as Liverpool again step up late, and Niang and Valbuena are in, they're clean through but Reina does a great swepping job to come out, calmly beat Taiwo and plays a superb ball down the wing to Torres, but he is tackled before he can cross.
o 51' Ball over the top is flicked on by Torres frees Gerrard and he's in on goal for the hat-trick but Zubar gets back and it's cleared!
o 50' The ball is drifted to the edge of the six yard box and NIANG RISES but he puts it over!
o 49' Some good intent coming forward from Marseille, first on the left, then the right, Valbuena weaves in and out of Dossena and flights a cross far post but nodded behind by Arbeloa.
o 47' Cheyrou gives the ball away but Taiwo is back to clear, Valbuena comes forward but is chopped down by Lucas, who is booked. Free-kick on the left but Liverpool clear.
o 46' Second half underway!
o 45+2 That is half-time, Liverpool lead 2-1 and it's that man Steven Gerrard with both the goals after Lorik Cana put the hosts ahead. Cracking half of football.
o 45+1 Liverpool free-kick on the left, Gerrard swings it in but cleared for a throw.
o 45' Reina throws is long for Torres but won back by Marseille.
o 44' The corner is sent near post but punched over by Reina. The second ball is cleared pretty easily, but Marseille get it back and put some pressure on the right wing this time. It's spread left with Liverpool putting everyone behind the ball as they try to ride this half out. Cross in for Niang but well-claimed by Reina.
o 43' Valbuena on the left but a silly challenge by Lucas gives away a needless free-kick in a very dangerous position.
o 42' MARSEILLE SUB: Valbuena on for M'Bami, who looks annoyed. He is not injured, OM later confirm.
o 41' The bad side of Ben Arfa again, high on Dossena but no booking again.
o 40' Free-kick to Marseille on the right, but it's cleared.
o 38' Great little flick by Ben Arfa but a good challenge comes in from Arbeloa.
o 36' Carragher almost steps up too soon again but Skrtel is there to cover.
o 34' Niang gets past Lucas but Arbeloa is there to block for a corner.
o 33' Taiwo on the left, he sends it curling past Kuyt and NIANG AT THE FAR POST BUT THE FINISH IS JUST WIDE! This is oddly open given Liverpool are playing.
o 32' Gerrard steps up for a second time and sends it into the same corner, bottom right, and it is 2-1 this time!
o 31' Gerrard steps up and sends the ball in off the post for 2-1! But no, the ref says there was an encroachment and he has to re-take it!
o 30' Long ball over the top from the back, Babel on the left, he cuts inside and Zubar makes a pig's ear of defending him and brings Babel down for a penalty!
o 26' Torres wins the ball on halfway, he runs 25 yards towards the area, he plays it wide to Kuyt who touches it to Gerrard AND GERRARD SENDS IN INCREDIBLE FIRST-TIME LOB FROM THE RIGHT WING LOOPING INTO THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE GOAL! What an amazing strike, one of the goals of the season for sure! Liverpool level. This is a quality game.
o 23' A first-time flick over the top and Liverpool play the offside BUT LORIK CANA IS CLEAN THROUGH AND THE FLAG STAYS DOWN AND HE SLIDES IT UNDER REINA FOR 1-0! Marseille take the lead, and it's their Albanian-Kosovan-Swiss skipper who puts them in front! Carragher stepped too late and paid the price.
o 21' Skrtel gets booked for clattering into Niang from behind. Ouch.
o 18' Niang almost finds himself clean through but a poor first-touch and Skrtel clears.
o 17' The corner is sent far post and Marseille's defence miss it AND TORRES DIVES IN BUT HE SPOONS THE HEADER OVER! Should have scored.
o 16' Kuyt flicks the ball on the edge of the box AND GERRARD WITH THE DRIVE TIPPED BEHIND BY MANDANA! Great play, corner.
o 15' Babel wide to Kuyt, he stands it up on the right as Babel runs inside, great run off the ball, Kuyt plays it back for BABEL WITH A BRILLIANT TOUCH AND TURN AND HE HAMMERS IT MILLIMETRES OVER! Almost a wonder-goal from Babel.
o 14' Niang is clean through on the left, Liverpool have been caught out here and he cuts inside to release a superb shot which flies just over!
o 13' Kone in the middle, plays a through-ball to Cheyrou who lofts it in for Kone but too long and Carragher clears.
o 10' Good opening created by Bonnart, free in space on the rioght. He swings a cross in for Niang but headed clear by Skrtel.
o 8' Niang in space on the right but he takes too long to deliver and thinks he's won the corner when a goal-kick is given.
o 7' Gerrard takes the corner, it flicks off the head of Taiwo and into the path of TORRES WITH THE HEADER BUT TIPPED OVER BY MANDANA! Corner again.
o 6' Liverpool surge forward, winning a corner through Babel on the left.
o 4' Rotten tackle by Ben Arfa on Babel but no card.
o 2' Bright start by Liverpool, who have a very narrow formation today with Gerrard accompanied by Mascherano and Lucas in midfield.
o 1' Match underway!
o - LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS: Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard start for the Reds, for whom Philipp Degen is on the bench. Robbie Keane, meanwhile, is dropped.
