Liverpool oust Leicester on penalties in Carabao Cup thriller

Liverpool beat Leicester City 5-4 on penalties to advance to the Carabao Cup semi-finals after a thrilling 3-3 draw in regular time.

Diogo Jota fired the deciding kick off Fox keeper Kasper Schmeichel in the ensuing shoot-out as the Reds progressed into the competition, where they will face Arsenal in a two-legged semi-final.

The game went on penalties after Takumi Minamino's last-gasp goal in stoppage time and spun on three goals in an Instant Classic at Anfield.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said: "I'm really, really happy. Really happy with the performance, with the emotion, with the mindset, with football in a lot of moments."

Jamie Vardy scored in quick succession until the 13th minute to give Fox an early two-goal lead before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled back once for the hosts just after the 20th minute.

James Maddison restored Leicester's advantage in the 33rd minute with a stunner from outside, which left keeper Coemhin Kelleher for the dive in vain.

Jota gave Liverpool some life in the 68th minute with a goal in front of Kopp, but it was Minamino's goal in the falling second that took the game to a penalty.

Minamino then turned down an opportunity to send Liverpool in the ensuing shoot-out as he dashed his attempt on the bar. But Kelher then saved the effort from Ryan Bertrand, his second defense in the shoot-out before Jota was converted.

Liverpool will face Arsenal at one end of the bracket, it will be Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur at the other. The first phase will be the week of January 3 and the second phase will be a week later.

Klopp said he would happily give up home advantage to see that Liverpool would not have to play two games for the semi-finals in the first two weeks of 2022, given the lack of a winter break and a festive schedule that dragged the squad. Seeing it.

"The draw is what we have at Arsenal, I'm fine with that, let's play there and see who is better and go for it," Klopp said. “I am not only speaking about player welfare this year, I have been speaking about it for six years or more.

"If what I say helps more, I'll say it more often. But it doesn't help. The only thing I do with these messages is grab headlines. They never get to the right places." Huh."

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post