Branislav Ivanovic’s extra-time header saw Liverpool fall 1-0 at Chelsea in their Capital One Cup semi-final second-leg, with the home side progressing to the final 2-1 on aggregate.
Simon Mignolet 8/10 – Has received a lot of criticism in recent months but now looks to be finding some confidence behind the new-look defence. Made two fantastic second-half saves to keep out Diego Costa.
Emre Can 7/10 – Was given a far from simple task keeping Costa in check but, after a somewhat anxious start, seemed to grow into his role as the match wore on.
Martin Skrtl 7/10 – Pulled out of position on a couple of occasions but was solid in the air and won a few battles with Costa.
Mamadou Sakho 5/10 – Didn’t look at all comfortable on the night and gifted Chelsea a prime chance before going off injured before the hour.
Lazar Markovic 6/10 – Starting to look much more comfortable in defence in his new role but wasn’t quite the attacking threat he’s been in recent matches.
Jordan Henderson 6.5/10 – A tireless performance but one which lacked the cutting edge in possession. Could have bagged an equaliser with a headed chance in extra-time.
Lucas Leiva 8/10 – Another understated but excellent performance from the Brazilian, who shielded the back three with a no-nonsense attitude. Has gone from an afterthought to one of the most important pieces of Brendan Rodgers’ line-up.
Alberto Moreno 7/10 – Looks excellent going forward in a wing-back role and the defensive side of his game even seems to be improving. Should have done better with a chance in the first-half, though.
Steven Gerrard 6/10 – Made one excellent through ball in the first-half but was otherwise far too quiet in his penultimate Stamford Bridge contest.
Philippe Coutinho 7.5/10 – Showed some great moments of skill to cause the Chelsea defence real problems. Came close with a first-half run and shot but couldn’t beat the in-form Thibaut Courtois.
Raheem Sterling 7/10 – Full of running as the lead the line for the visitors but didn’t have the end product on the night. Still, he might have been rewarded against a weaker defence.
SUBSTITUTES
Glen Johnson (Sakho 57) 6/10 – Forced into an unfamiliar left centre-back role but didn’t do much wrong compared to Sakho.
Mario Balotelli (Markovic 70) 5/10 – Things just aren’t clicking for him at Liverpool. Fired his one chance wide and lost Ivanovic for the goal.
Rickie Lambert (Moreno 105) 6/10 – Received little service during his time on the pitch and blasted one shot into the stands during the closing stages.
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