Aston Villa Kandaskan Asa Liverpool 2-1 Capai Final Piala FA
Benteke and Delph End Steven Gerrard`s Chance of FA Cup Final
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
London (B2B) - Aston Villa menantang Arsenal pada Final Piala FA setelah mengalahkan Liverpool 2-1 di Stadion Wembley London, Minggu.
Aston Villa mengubur mimpi The Reds untuk meraih gelar Piala FA musim ini berkat gol Benteke dan Fabian Delph. Sebelumnya Arsenal sudah lolos ke Final Piala FA setelah menghentikan perlawanan Reading 2-1, Sabtu (18/4).
Pada babak pertama Liverpool sudah melepaskan ancaman pada menit ke-7 melalui Joe Allen yang memanfaatkan umpan Coutinho. Satu menit kemudian Jordan Henderson melepaskan tendangan jarak jauh yang melebar, seperti dilansir Yahoo! Sports.
Liverpool unggul setelah Raheem Sterling mengirimkan umpan kepada Coutinho pada menit 30. Gelandang timnas Brasil itu mengecoh tiga pemain Aston Villa dan melepaskan tendangan yang tak mampu diselamatkan penjaga gawang Shay Given.
Namun Aston Villa mencetak gol penyeimbang setelah Cristian Benteke memaksimalkan kerjasama Fabian Delph dan Jack Grealish. Skor imbang 1-1 bertahan hingga jeda babak pertama.
Pada babak awal babak kedua, pelatih Liverpool Brendan Rodgers mengubah taktik dengan memainkan Mario Balotelli menggantikan Lazar Markovic yang berposisi gelandang.
Namun taktik itu tidak berhasil karena Aston Villa justru berbalik unggul berkat gol Fabian Delph setelah menerima umpan pendek Jack Grealish pada menit 54. Aston Villa unggul 2-1.
Villa hampir menambah keunggulan melalui serangan balik cepat yang dibangun Benteke namun digagalkan pemain The Reds, Moreno, pada menit 73.
Liverpool membuang peluang mencetak gol dari tendangan bebas di mulut gawang karena sepakan Gerrard terlalu lemah sehingga ditangkap Given dengan mudah pada menit 80. Hingga laga usai tidak ada peluang emas yang tercipta sehingga Aston Villa berhak melaju ke final.
Villa melenggang ke final FA setelah mengalahkan West Brom 2-0, Leicester 2-1, Bournemouth 2-1, dan Blackpool 1-0, sedangkan Arsenal melaju ke final setelah mengalahkan Reading 2-1, Middlesbrough 2-0, Brighton Albion 3-2, dan Hull City 2-0.
Laga Final Piala FA akan digelar di Stadion Wembley akhir Mei nanti.
London - Aston Villa came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 in the semifinals of the FA Cup on Sunday to clinch a title match next month against Arsenal.
Though fighting to stay up in the Premier League, Villa was superior for most of the game at Wembley Stadium against a team that still has slim aspirations of qualifying for the Champions League.
Yet, it was Liverpool that took the lead in the 30th minute following a lackluster opening to the game,
Following a deft pass from Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho poked the ball past diving Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given from close range.
Villa responded well to going behind with Jack Grealish impressive on the left flank. In-form striker Christian Benteke put Villa level in the 36th minute after an incisive cutback from captain Fabian Delph. Benteke met Delph's pass with a low first-time strike that went past outstretching Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who managed to get his fingertips to the shot.
Following a sustained period of pressure, Villa took the lead in the 54th minute when Delph started and finished a swift move that involved smart passes from Benteke and Grealish. Put through on goal by Grealish, Delph cut past Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren and then fired in the winner past Mignolet from 10 yards.
Liverpool struggled to impose itself on the game but did come close twice to forcing extra time. A header from Steven Gerrard was cleared off the line by Kieran Richardson in the 86th minute. Two minutes later, a goal from Mario Balotelli was ruled offside, although replays suggested he was well on.
Aston Villa will meet defending champion Arsenal, which beat Reading 2-1 Saturday in the other semifinal, on May 30.
