Fireworks in Lisbon as Reds lose battle

TEN-MAN Liverpool were undone by two harsh penalty decisions and an at-times shambolic refereeing display as they lost 2-1 to Benfica in a hostile Europa League quarter-final first leg in Lisbon last night.

Daniel Agger gave his side the perfect start in the ninth-minute but things took a turn for the worse when Ryan Babel was dismissed on the half-hour for thrusting a hand in Luisao’s face.

Oscar Cardozo wasted numerous chances before converting two spot-kicks but with an away goal Rafael Benitez’s side still have hope for the return leg.

Midfielder Lucas Leiva is hoping Agger’s early goal could yet prove decisive.

Lucas said: “We are really disappointed. We started really well the game, scored an early goal. We created some chances even with 10 men.

“Now we have to keep going and try to go through in Anfield. The away goal always is important, we knew that.

“We’ll try to score one goal at Anfield and go to the semi-finals.

“We worked really hard. It’s always difficult to play with one less player but I think we showed character and quality.”

On the red card, Lucas said: “The referee just said it was ‘hands to face’ – something like that.

“To be honest, we don’t want to talk about the referee. I think everyone saw the game and you can analyse better than us. We’ll just keep going now. We have an important game in the Premier League and then we’ll try to go through to the semi-finals.”

He added: “For both penalties, the linesman told the referee it was a penalty. We can’t argue now. The game is gone.”

Benitez had said before the game he did not expect the Portuguese league leaders to target striker Fernando Torres – but he was wrong.

The Spain international was on the receiving end of some hefty challenges which Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson seemed content to leave unpunished.

It was no surprise to see Torres withdrawn before the end, firstly to avoid injury and secondly to prevent him getting a booking which would rule him out of the second leg at Anfield.

Playing against a backdrop of a cacophony of noise and, in the second half, a stream of fireworks aimed at Jose Reina’s goal, Liverpool had the ideal start.

Maxi Pereira’s ninth-minute foul on Steven Gerrard gave the Liverpool captain a chance to whip in a dangerous free-kick from just left of the penalty area.

However, with the hosts massed around the six-yard area the midfielder fooled everyone by rolling a low pass in towards the penalty spot where Agger produced a classy backheel into the corner of the net.

The highly-charged atmosphere exploded on the half-hour when referee Eriksson appeared to completely lose control.

Centre-back Luisao took exception to a tackle by Babel and subsequently hacked right through the back of Torres, who had already been on the end of some severe punishment.

A melee ensued in which Luisao continued his protest at Babel and the Dutchman responded by pushing the Brazilian in the face.

The Swedish official showed the Benfica defender a yellow card and then flashed a red at Liverpool’s Holland international.

After a stray firework landed close to the fourth official next to Reina’s goal, wasteful Benfica’s luck changed. Cardozo’s 59th-minute free-kick rattled back off the right-hand post and when Aimar went down under Insua’s tackle chasing the rebound Eriksson pointed to the penalty spot.

This time Cardozo finally hit the target to beat Reina. In the 76th minute Torres had a glorious chance to put his side back in front – and score his first Liverpool goal on foreign soil since March 11 2008 – but with only Cesar to beat he dragged his shot wide from Kuyt’s pass.

It was to prove costly as two minutes later Di Maria’s cross hit Carragher as he slid in to tackle and the fourth official signalled a penalty for handball. The defender was booked and Cardozo scored his second spot-kick of the night.

With more fireworks raining down behind Liverpool’s goal towards the end Benitez’s side were fortunate to leave Lisbon with just a one-goal deficit.

BENFICA: Cesar, Pereira (Gomes 66), Luisao, Luiz, Coentrao, Garcia, Ramires, Martins (Amorim 72), Di Maria, Aimar (Airton 86), Cardozo.

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Insua, Lucas, Mascherano, Kuyt, Gerrard (Benayoun 90), Babel, Torres (Ngog 82). Referee: J Eriksson