HT Lyon 0-0 Liverpool: All square, but Reds on the ascendancy in France
Published 20:42 04/11/09 By By MirrorFootball
Liverpool battled for their Champions League lives in a tense showdown in France against Lyon.
In the end, Liverpool were without seven injured senior men but they stood up to the task in the first-half.
In fact, they had the three best chances with France's number two goalkeeper Hugo Lloris forced into producing fine saves to deny Fernando Torres, Andriy Voronin and Dirk Kuyt.
Liverpool were able to call on defender Daniel Agger for this crunch Champions League Group E clash in the Stade Gerland, with the Dane having recovered sufficiently from a back problem to return for the Anfield club's injury-hit side.
Fernando Torres was also in the starting line-up, while Alberto Aquilani was on the bench, Andriy Voronin partnering Torres up front.
Lyon, with a 100 per cent record at the top of the group, made two changes from the side that won at Liverpool a fortnight ago. Michel Bastos and Bafetimbi Gomis came in for Ederson and Sidney Govou, who were both in the bench.
Torres, frankly, looked barely able to run, and certainly with nothing like his usual mobility.
The occasional sprint when needed was about his limit such is the severity of the serious groin injury he is carrying.
But when he found a yard of space in the Lyon box, he almost put Liverpool ahead after 12 minutes.
Emiliano Insua swung over a cross from the left, and the Spaniard met it first time eight yards out to force a fine point-blank save from Hugo Lloris.
Liverpool were defending deep and in numbers, desperate not to concede early while Lyon had plenty of possession.
They moved the ball around crisply and Bastos tested Jose Reina from 20 yards.
The giant Gomis was finding far too much space against Sotiris Kyrgiakos, and had Reina stretching again with a 25-yarder after 15 minutes.
Another Insua cross two minutes later gave Dirk Kuyt the chance of a clever lob, again Lloris needing to be at his best to touch the ball over the bar.
The French side then lost Anthony Reveillere with an injured left leg, Lamine Gassama taking over after 18 minutes.
A foul on Torres deep in his own half presented Liverpool with their third decent chance of the half.
Javier Mascherano's quick free-kick cleared Lyon's back line and allowed Voronin a clear run at goal.
His shot was low, but again Lloris was up to the task, blocking the effort with his legs.
Torres was more sure of himself by now and involved far more in the build-up play.
Agger was booked after 33 minutes for blocking Gomis' run on the halfway line, with Lisandro cautioned for a foul on Kuyt a minute later.
Next to limp out of the fray for Lyon was Miralem Pjanic after 39 minutes to be replaced by Ederson.
