42445 fans turned out to witness Liverpool and Reading`s first-ever competitive meeting, and what a match it turned out to be! Liverpool ultimately took the victory at home but a Reading side that rarely plays together rallied to score three goals in the final 20minutes and give Liverpool a very uncomfortable finish to what should have been a decisive victory.
Reading made seven changes to the side that was defeated 4-0 at home to Arsenal over the weekend, Shane Long and Stephen Hunt, Ulisses De La Cruz and Ivar Ingimarsson all retaining their places.
Liverpool`s eleven consisted of regulars, Jose Reina, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant, John Arne Riise and Momo Sissoko while Gabriel Paletta and Peltier made debuts. Meanwhile Robbie Fowler, a legend in the competition with his 20 goals in 23 games, made his comeback to the side after injury as captain.
The game started slowly underneath a rain filled sky, and both teams took some time to accustom themselves with the conditions. It was Reading that familiarised themselves first, and took the best part of the possession in the opening of the game.
De La Cruz got Reading`s first on target shot off, after collecting the ball from a badly cleared corner he shot low at the Liverpool goal, but Jose Reina was equal to it and saved the shot with some ease.
Liverpool were struggling to get past the Reading defence, Iceland internationals Ingimarsson, and Brynar Gunnarsson doing a good job covering for each other and keeping the Reading goalmouth closed. But this changed 30minutes into the game, beginning to find their feet, Liverpool applied the pressure on the Royals.
Bolo Zenden walloped the ball at goal from 23yards; Graham Stack dove low to his right and forced the ball away.
Oster could have opened the scoring down the other end for Reading, he and Glen Little linked up to get Oster past Danny Agger, however instead of shooting on his weaker left foot Oster played the ball into the centre of the box which was seen out for a corner, which Gunnarsson headed harmlessly over the bar.
Liverpool opened the scoring 3minutes before half time when Jermaine Pennant played Robbie Fowler through on the Reading goal, he chipped the ball over the advancing Graham Stack and the scoreline read one nil Liverpool.
Minutes later, Liverpool doubled their lead; John Arne Riise was gifted a second chance at a crack at goal after Graham Stack pushed the ball back to him. Not going to miss again, Riise powered home a left footed effort that saw the Royals two goals as they entered the dressing room.
The teams came out with no changes in either line-up and immediately, Liverpool enjoyed long spells of possession and opportunities on goal. Reading were pushed back from the restart, and when Paletta nodded a Pennant cross past Stack for the Red`s third of the night no one expected any more from Reading.
With Liverpool taking control of the game and flexing their muscles, Reading sat back and tried their best to keep the barrage of Liverpool chances at bay. Fowler looked especially dangerous, an effort from the Merseyside born striker went whizzing past the goal, and Ingimarsson had to be alert to hold him off again with a neat sliding tackle.
Reading seemed no match for the Reds, on truly impeccable form, and held out as attempts came from all region of the Liverpool team.
But then on an uncommon chance at Jose Reina`s goal the Royals made the most of what they were given. Stephen Hunt won a free kick down the left side flank which saw Paletta booked. Glenn Little took the kick and the ball floated on to the head on Andre Bikey waiting at back post. The Cameroonian made no mistake in front of goal and nodded down past Reina to give Reading a lifeline.
It seemed that Peter Crouch crushed any optimist`s dreams of Reading revitalising and getting back into the game. The England international turned Gunnarsson and ran into open space, although Robbie Fowler was on hand for the easy goal, Crouch went it alone, went past Graham Stack and saw the ball into the back of the net on his own.
But Reading refused to be beaten, they adopted a guns blazing attitude and took the game to Liverpool. Shane Long wasted an opportunity to reduce the deficit back to two, but was tackled by a quick thinking Agger.
Stephen Hunt picked up on the loose ball and sent it goal bound but it took a deflection from John Halls who set up Lita. Lita, with a phenomenal record of scoring in the cup of his own, was not going to waste such a golden opportunity and knocked the ball past Reina to give Reading another lifeline.
The rallying Royals had obviously worried the Reds who began playing with an urgency to win the game. But it was a costly choice, Reading played with an urgency of their own which lead to another goal. John Oster played Glenn Little through who blitzed down thr left and lifted the ball into the path of Shane Long. The Irish whiz kid headed the ball into the net from the far post and suddenly there was everything to play for.
Moments later Reading had another chance the strike duo Lita and Long were denied by an onrushing Reina who fought bravely to take the game to extra time.
Meanwhile down the other end, Dirk Kuyt almost closed the book on the game. The ex-Feyenoord striker blasted a rocket shot against the crossbar, Robbie Fowler rushing to take the rebound was found to be offside and Reading still had a chance.
Reading won a corner from the persistence of Hunt and Little, but the kick amounted to nothing as a flurry of Red and Blue scrambled to keep the ball out of the net or put it into it. Alas it wasn`t to be for the Royals, Liverpool cleared the ball and the match was finished.
A brave performance from both teams, an enjoyable encounter for all, and a memorable way for the teams to meet for their first time. Liverpool 4 – 3 Reading.
Liverpool: Reina, Peltier (Smith 74), Paletta, Agger, Warnock, Pennant, Sissoko (Guthrie 62), Zenden, Riise (Kuyt 79), Crouch, Fowler.
Subs Not Used: Martin, Carragher.
Booked: Paletta.
Goals: Fowler 44, Riise 45, Paletta 50, Crouch 77.
Reading: Stack, De la Cruz, Bikey, Ingimarsson, Halls, Hunt, Gunnarsson (Sodje 83), Oster, Little, Long, Lita.
Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Hayes, Osano, Joseph-Dubois.
Booked: Little.
Goals: Bikey 75, Lita 81, Long 85.
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