Galatasaray 3 Liverpool 2

Guest · Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:03 am Post subject: Galatasaray 3 Liverpool 2

December 06, 2006

ROBBIE FOWLER finally broke his European Cup duck with a double — yet still could not stop Liverpool from getting the bum’s rush.

Fowler, who had never got a goal in the competition proper despite his amazing scoring record, got his first off his backside to give the Reds the lead.

But his second was no more than a consolation as Rafa Benitez’s side suffered a first group-stage defeat.

Fortunately it mattered little with Group C top spot secured before they stepped out at the scene of their greatest triumph.

But Benitez will be less than pleased at the way his side coughed up two quickfire goals after their 22nd-minute opener.

First Xabi Alonso was guilty of a careless back pass and Ates Necati slid in the equaliser.

Then when a corner was headed out by Gabriel Paletta, Okan Buruk hit an amazing 25-yard volley into the corner.

Okan’s rocket made it three goals in six minutes — the time it took Liverpool to complete their incredible Champions League final comeback against AC Milan two years ago.

But that was about all this match had in common with that triumph.

Eighteen months ago the Ataturk Stadium was taken over by 50,000 Scousers, who cheered their heroes to the most famous victory in their history. Last night it was not half full.

Jerzy Dudek, hero of Istanbul, was probably making his last appearance after admitting he could leave to find regular football.

Yet while he had no chance with the goals, he at least managed a couple of decent stops to deny Sabri Sarioglu in particular, after more comic-book defending.

Benitez fielded four of the players who started the 2005 final and handed Euro debuts to Lee Peltier, Danny Guthrie and Paletta.

Guthrie especially looks to have a real future after once again impressing before he was replaced by Luis Garcia.

Things started well as Liverpool went ahead with probably the ugliest goal of Fowler’s career.

Craig Bellamy set him up with a clever chip, and Fowler bundled the ball in with his rump as keeper Farid Mondragon rushed out.

Bizarrely, it was his first in Europe’s Premier competition with his other coming in a qualifier.

The Turks got a third when Guven Mehmet set up Sasa Ilic on 79 minutes.

Fowler got his second in the final minute from Jermaine Pennant’s neat cross.

Defeat was not the way Jamie Carragher wanted to celebrate equalling Tommy Smith’s European haul of 85 appearances — just four behind Ian Callaghan’s record for the club.

Yet fortunately this was a night when the result meant little more than lost pride — you can be certain it will be a different story when Liverpool gun for a place in the last eight.