Liverpool 0 Braga 0 (Agg 0-1):KENNY DALGLISH suffered his first major setback as the Liverpool manager when his side went out of Europe at the hands of a team recording its first win in England. Braga's 1-0 lead from the first leg in Portugal was enough to see them through against a Liverpool team bereft of attacking ideas, despite starting with Andy Carroll for the first time.
If the record signing was supposed to strike fear into the defence he failed to do so and Liverpool face a daunting task in even qualifying for this competition – let alone the Champions League – next season through the league.
Carroll was soon into the action, knocking a ball down for Joe Cole to force the first save of the game from Artur, then climbing to reach the subsequent corner and placing a header just wide. Carroll collapsed in a heap at the next corner, complaining he had been shoved by Alberto Rodriguez, only for the Italian referee to award a free kick in Braga’s favour.
Carroll rarely looked as dangerous as he had in the first five minutes, struggled to get on the end of many crosses and only won a modest proportion of aerial contests in midfield. When the former Newcastle forward finally got a chance, from Maxi Rodriguez’s cross on the stroke of the interval, he steered his header tamely wide.
Braga did not offer much in the first half either apart from an optimistic drive from distance by Lima that flew straight to Pepe Reina, although Alan came up with a deft turn on the half hour that left Danny Wilson floundering and obliged Martin Skrtel to come across and block the shot.
Carroll let his frustration get the better of him early in the second half, bringing down Rodriguez when he had no chance of winning the ball. The striker had just been pulled up for a marginal offside when he would have been clear on goal, and when he attempted to overtake the last defender on his next opportunity he was thwarted by Rodriguez again, who shielded the ball.
Raul Meireles put a header over the bar as Liverpool’s attacks became more desperate, though the contest was almost settled early when a defensive mix-up gave Alan a chance. With only Reina to beat he shot hastily and missed the target. David Ngog came on and shot straight at Artur, but Liverpool’s night was summed up when a late Dirk Kuyt effort flew nearer to the corner flag than the target.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Wilson, Maxi (Spearing 76), Lucas, Meireles, Cole (Ngog 75), Carroll, Kuyt. Subs Not Used: Gulacsi, Pacheco, Kyrgiakos, Poulsen, Flanagan. Booked: Carroll, Skrtel, Meireles.
BRAGA: Artur Moraes, Miguel Garcia, Paulao, Rodriguez, Silvio, Alan, Leandro Salino (Mossoro 89), Vandinho (Kaka 73), Hugo Viana, Paulo Cesar, Lima (Meyong 84). Subs Not Used: Cristiano, Helder Barbosa, Dani, Peterson. Booked: Paulao, Vandinho.
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy).
