Zenit St Petersburg 2 Liverpool 0

Joe Allen and Raheem Sterling returned to the starting line-up with Brendan Rodgers fielding a strong line-up of the season in Europe with his team faced with its last chance of silverware this season.   Daniel Sturridge was missing, but this time through being cup tied.

Zenit with their slick fast pace passing starting the game as if intent to put it out of reach within minutes.  Breaking superbly down the left, the ball was expertly squared by Hulk to Kerzhakov whose shot was expertly saved by Reina. 

Not to be outdone, Glen Johnson, produced a magnificent cross field ball which Suarez easily controlled before, leaving Neto contorted after turning him inside out and just drawing his shot past the far post.

In an open game Zenit almost immediately stung Liverpool with Hulk driving from deep leaving Skrtel for dead before shooting powerfully, with Reina again producing a stunning save low down.

Liverpool began to get more into the game and should have taken the lead on the quarter hour as Suarez latched on to Lombaerts’ pass, putting himself clean through only to get caught in two minds and finally over hitting the ball in an attempt to go round the keeper.

The Liverpool midfield struggled to get to grips with Zenit’s pace and movement with Downing and Sterling have to do a great deal of defensive running to support the midfield trio of Henderson, Gerrard and Allen.  Hulk on one rampaging run left Allen floundering in his wake as he steamed into the area looking threatening, Jamie Carragher showed all his experience to brilliant intercept.

Again, Hulk and Reina were on show with the Brazilian’s snap shot somehow going underneath Reina and striking the post.

In a half which should have seen multiple goals, we fashioned out a chance as Downing played in Allen whose cross was deflected over the onrushing Suarez, Sterling, in a threatening position  for the first time, picked his head up and rolled the ball into and slight behind Suarez whose improvised flick went just past the post.

The second half started with a tremendous run by Johnson from his own half committing the Zenit defence and exquisitely nutmegging Lombaerts before his shot was deflected wide by the onrushing keeper.  Liverpool looked to impose their possession game to attain some control which was made all the more difficult with pitch cutting up.

Enrique showed great composure keeping the ball under pressure in the bottom corner of the pitch before setting up an excellent move with Gerrard, feeding Downing on the right who cut in from the left ghosting past two defenders with the ball teed up for Suarez who inexplicably guided his shot wide.

In controlling the game, we took one foot of the pedal and it cost us the game.  Jordan Henderson, miss-controlled the ball which was pounced upon and fed to Hulk storming forward and with Skrtel back peddling the ex-Porto player, who’d been struggling for form since his £32 million transfer let fly with a stunning drive which faded away into the top corner leaving Reina, who had kept us in the game in the early stages, with no chance and sending the Zenith fans into raptures.

Minutes later the game was as good as over.  The ball whipped in from right by Anyukov, squirted by an under pressure Skrtel who hadn’t been overly impressive and Glen Johnson for once failed to anticipate allowing substitute Semak to have enough time to light a cigar have a puff before strolling in to tap the ball home.

We had one more attempt from a Suarez free-kick, well saved by Malafeev leaving Brendan Rodgers and his team knowing that only ‘one of those Anfield nights’ will see them with a chance of a prolonged run and any chance of silverware this season.

Man of The Match: Pepe Reina – Pulled of some miraculous saves showing he was back to his best, but even his return to form couldn’t save us from another catastrophic defeat.

Positives: We created chances and on another night should’ve had at least a couple goals to reflect that.  The two full-backs provide brilliant attacking outlets and only Johnson’s blunder on the second was the only blight on their performance.  Jamie Carragher in what is now his last throes as a professional is now the premier Liverpool centre-back (which must be a cause of consternation to the manager), his superb interception on a rampaging Hulk, was utter class.

Critical Eye:  The Liverpool midfield struggled in the first half to get in a blow against their three counterparts which allowed Hulk a free rein, something he has hardly enjoyed all season.  Joe Allen’s form must be a massive concerned to Brendan Rodgers.   He is a gifted footballer, but he looks like a little boy lost and not strong enough to compete with stronger competitors and where his passing was once his strength he is now prone to making mistakes.  Tonight he was struggling from the start and was unable to get near Hulk on a couple of occasions.

Martin Skrtel is another who has lost form.  He seemed all to ready to get rid of the ball against his former team and to slow to close down, but it can’t all be blamed on him with Liverpool unable to introduce our pressing game.

As with many young players bursting on the scene, Raheem Sterling appears on a downward curve right now and our lack of depth is forcing Rodgers to continue to play the youngster.  It does make one wonder why Rodgers hasn’t used Assaidi even from the bench over the season after paying £4 million for him.

The age old problem this season, unless Suarez scores we are struggling and without Daniel we are very one dimensional and with Liverpool strikers scoring for West Ham and Hearts respectively in recent weeks the folly of those decisions looks woeful.