Liverpool ke Peringkat Enam setelah Gulung Southampton 2-0
Coutinho and Sterling Strike as Reds Beat Saints to Close in on Top Four
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
LIVERPOOL naik satu peringkat ke posisi enam menggeser Tottenham dengan koleksi 45 poin. Sementara Southampton tetap di posisi lima dengan 46 poin.
Raheem Sterling memastikan kemenangan 2-0 Liverpool atas Southamton dalam lanjutan Liga Inggris di St. Mary's Stadium. Dua gol Liverpool dicetak oleh Coutinho menit tiga dan Sterling menit 73.
Liverpool menguasai 59 persen pertandingan, sedangkan Southampton 41 persen. Dalam hal percobaan ke arah gawang, Southampton lebih unggul dengan melakukan 13 kali, sedangkan Liverpool lima kali.
Liverpool mencuri angka di menit ketiga lewat tendangan Coutinho dari luar kotak penalti yang tak bisa dihentikan Forster.
Southampton hanya memenangi dua pertandingan dari tujuh laga liga di kandang. Southampton menciptakan peluang lewat Mane yang mengontrol bola dengan dadanya sebelum melesakkan tendangan. Tetapi tendangannya bisa diblok Skrtel, menit 60.
Raheem Sterling memastikan tiga poin Liverpool menit 73 setelah mengambil bola yang gagal dibersihkan dengan sempurna oleh pemain belakang Soton. Tendangan Sterling tak bisa diselamatkan Forster. Southampton 0-2 Liverpool, seperti dilansir ESPN FC.
LIVERPOOL go to sixth, and are now just two points behind fourth-placed Manchester United. Victory at Southampton makes them a full part of the Champions League qualification conversation.
Within two minutes of kickoff, Philippe Coutinho struck a 30-yard effort of the type that made Matthew Le Tissier into Southampton's greatest modern-day player.
It dipped and swerved through the air and goalkeeper Fraser Forster could only flail as it rattled off the crossbar and in.
The Brazilian likes to take on such efforts, sometimes to the distraction of teammates, but this was pure, unadulterated class in conditions that did not allow much quality.
An ill wind was whipping rain from the English Channel, which added zip to the surface and caused some bone-thundering 50-50 challenges. Liverpool's second came from the type of slip that can only be expected in such a squall.
Teenager Matt Targett lost his footing in attempting to clear an Alberto Moreno centre, before Raheem Sterling converted to secure the three points on 73 minutes.
