Bah! … It’s Being Worked On

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Yeah, the standard, traditional Match Report for the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final between record German champion BAYERN MUNICH and Czech Republic goalkeeper PETR CECH, masquerading as an entire football team from England operating under the banner of FC CHELSEA of London, is being worked on to include all normal things here such as the ‘picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words Goal Gallery’.

Nah, not really with anything even remotely resembling any sort of commitment and / or energy, however.

It is believed that das Spielbericht is just a little over half complete, although no one actually knows for sure. Or has any desire whatsoever to find out as the atmosphere in the Production Room might fairly be categorized as ‘quite phenomenally depressed, indeed’. Surely, then, things can only get better.

Sooner or later.

Kopf hoch!

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Sporting Braga 1 – FC Liverpool 0

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31-year-old veteran Brazilian winger PAULO CESAR ROCHA ROSA of Sporting Braga hurdles the sliding tackle of FC Liverpool’s Portugal World Cup midfielder RAUL MEIRELES, bought by the Reds from FC Porto for 11.5 million English pounds this past summer, at the Estadio Municipal de Braga located in the northwest of Portugal. (Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 16, first leg
3/10/2011

1 – Sporting Braga (POR) ————— Alan pen 18′
0 – FC Liverpool (ENG)

An early penalty and earnest defensive work propelled Portuguese side SPORTING BRAGA to a 1-0 victory over visiting English Premier League club FC LIVERPOOL in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 knockout tie.

31-year-old veteran Brazilian winger ALAN Osorio da Costa Silva, who has been with Sporting Braga since signing from FC Porto on a free transfer in the summer of 2008, netted an 18th minute spot kick after Greece World Cup defender SOTIRIS KYRGIAKOS chopped down Brazilian midfielder MOSSORO (Jose Marcio da Costa) in the box.

Chances were few and far between as each side mustered just four attempts and two shots on target for the whole of the match although Sporting Braga did need Brazilian goalkeeper ARTUR to make a late, fingertip save from Holland World Cup winger DIRK KUYT, the hat trick hero from Liverpool’s big triumph over Manchester United this past weekend.

Alan’s strike marked Sporting Braga’s 100th goal, all-time, in UEFA competition; the result, meanwhile, ended Liverpool’s hopes of equaling the club record of 14 consecutive games unbeaten in Europe.

Sporting Braga, who have won exactly one major award — the Portuguese Cup in 1966 — since the team were first founded in 1915, collect yet another famous British scalp this season after earlier victories in Europe this season over Glasgow Celtic and FC Arsenal.

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FC Liverpool players walk out prior to the start of the UEFA Europa League match with Sporting Braga at the impressive and noteworthy A PEDREIRA (The Quarry), which is carved into the adjacent Monte Castro quarry in the northwest of Portugal. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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SPORTING BRAGA : Artur – Garcia, Kaka, Rodriguez, Silvio – Salino, Hugo Viana – Alan, Mossoro (Paulao 69′), Paulo Cesar (Barbosa 90′) – Lima (Meyong 77′)

FC LIVERPOOL : Reina – Carragher, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Johnson – Lucas, Poulsen (Carroll 56′), Spearing – Meireles, Kuyt, Cole

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(AP/dailymail.co.uk)
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(Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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(Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images)

PSV Eindhoven 0 – Glasgow Rangers 0

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PSV Eindhoven winger JEREMAIN LENS (9), the newly-capped Holland international purchased from AZ 67 Alkmaar for 6.25 million Euros this past summer, attempts to pull away from Glasgow Rangers’ United States World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU (7) at the Philips Stadion in the Netherlands. (Ermindo Armino/AP)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 16, first leg
3/10/2011

0 – PSV Eindhoven (HOL)
0 – Glasgow Rangers (SCT)

For all their possession and overwhelming advantage in attempts-at-goal, Dutch Eredivisie leaders PSV EINDHOVEN were held to a scoreless draw by the stubborn defending of visiting Scottish side GLASGOW RANGERS in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 knockout tie.

Reserve goalkeeper NEIL ALEXANDER, who has earned three caps in his career for Scotland, was given the start between the sticks by Rangers manager WALTER SMITH on his 33rd birthday and did all that was required of him to turn in a clean sheet.

Brazilian defender MARCELO, who netted the third goal in PSV Eindhoven’s decisive 3-1 win over French club OSC Lille in the previous round of the Europa League, had a marvelous opportunity to win the match for the Rood-witten but headed wide at the far post with the goal at his mercy and less than twenty minutes remaining .

Hungary international winger BALAZS DZSUDZSAK, who leads PSV Eindhoven with 21 goals in all competitions this season, was sufficiently held in check by the five-man backline of Glasgow Rangers, who are missing several first-team regulars due to injury.

Sweden international midfielder OLA TOIVONEN, second on the Boeren with 18 goals from all games and currently serving a suspension in the Dutch top flight, was also unable to get his name on the scoresheet for PSV Eindhoven.

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With club captain and 40-year-old Scotland international defender DAVID WEIR (3) caught in between, Glasgow Rangers’ reserve goalkeeper NEIL ALEXANDER (25)punches the ball away from Holland international winger JEREMAIN LENS (9) of PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion. (Ermindo Armino/AP)
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PSV EINDHOVEN : Isaksson – Manolev, Marcelo, Bouma, Pieters – Engelaar, Hutchinson – Lens, Toivonen (Bakkal 84′), Dzsudzsak – Berg (Koevermans 70′)

GLASGOW RANGERS : Alexander – Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Bartley, Foster – Lafferty (Wylde 80′), Edu, Hutton, Davis – Diouf (Weiss 64′)

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Sweden international MARCUS BERG, the striker out on loan from German Bundesliga club SV Hamburg who has scored just two goals in Europe for PSV Eindhoven this term, cannot negotiate Glasgow Rangers reserve goalkeeper NEIL ALEXANDER (25) at the Philips Stadion in the Netherlands. (Ermindo Armino/AP)

Bayer Leverkusen 2 – CF Villarreal 3

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Germany international midfielder and Bayer Leverkusen captain SIMON ROLFES (center) looks to squeeze between the CF Villarreal defensive pair of Spain international midfielder BRUNO SORIANO (left) and Argentine center back MATEO MUSACCHIO at the BayArena in North Rhine-Westphalia. (Patrik Stollarz/AFP)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 16, first leg
3/10/2011

2 – Bayer Leverkusen (GER) ———— Kadlec 33′, Castro 72′
3 – CF Villarreal (SPA) ——————— Rossi 42′, Nilmar 70′, 90+4′

A very late goal fourth minutes into time added on allowed visiting Spanish La Liga side CF VILLARREAL to upend German Bundesliga club BAYER LEVERKUSEN 3-2 in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round of 16 tie.

Brazil international striker NILMAR, who has netted 11 goals in 22 La Liga games this season, scored twice after coming on as a second half substitute to greatly aid the Yellow Submarine’s sinking of the Werkself; CF Villarreal, currently fourth in the Spanish top flight this term, only managed four attempts at goal for the match but got all of them on target and scored three times..

Bayer Leverkusen, the second place team in the German first division, had more than twice as many shots for the game but, nevertheless, saw its ten-game unbeaten streak in Europe this campaign snapped by the visitors; trainer JUPP HEYNCKES, who steered Real Madrid to the UEFA Champions League title in 1998, and his charges now face an uphill battle for the return leg in Spain next week.

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Czech Republic international fullback MICHAL KADLEC (24) steps into steal the ball away from CF Villarreal midfielder BORJA VALERO (20), who spent all last season out on loan at Real Mallorca from English outfit West Bromwich Albion, at the BayArena in western Germany. (Juergen Schwarz/DAPD)
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BAYER LEVERKUSEN : Adler – Vida, Schwaab, Reinartz, Kadlec – Vidal, Rolfes (Bender 89′) – Sam (Jorgensen 76′), Renato Augusto, Castro – Derdiyok (Kiessling 46′)

CF VILLARREAL : Lopez – Mario, Gonzalo, Marchena, Catala – Valero, Musacchio, Bruno, Wakaso (Cazorla 61′) – Ruben (Oriol 84′), Rossi (Nilmar 69′)

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(Frank Augstein/AP)
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(Martin Meissner/AP)
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(Frank Augstein/AP)
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(Martin Meissner/AP)

PSV Eindhoven 3 – OSC Lille 1

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Canada international midfielder ATIBA HUTCHINSON (13) of PSV Eindhoven intercepts a pass intended for OSC Lille’s Poland international midfielder LUDOVIC OBRANIAK (10) during the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 return leg at the Philips Stadion in the Netherlands. (Jerry Lampen/Reuters)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 32, second leg
2/24/2011

3 – PSV Eindhoven (HOL) ——— Dzsudzsak 55′, Lens 67′, Marcelo 73′
1 – OSC Lille (FRA) ——————– Frau 22′

Three unanswered second half goals powered Dutch Eredivisie outfit PSV EINDHOVEN to a 3-1 victory over visiting French Ligue 1 side OSC LILLE in the decisive second leg match in the UEFA Europa League knockout Round of 32.

After OSC Lille had taken a surprise first half lead through PIERRE-ALAIN FRAU in the 22nd minute, the Boeren fought back to level on a quickly-taken free kick by Hungary international BALAZS DZSUDZSAK — PSV Eindhoven’s leader with six goals in Europe this season — ten minutes into the second half.

Already trailing on away goals, Lille lost their goal-scorer on account of a second yellow card in the 62nd minute and fell behind permanently when Holland international winger JEREMAIN LENS scored his first goal for PSV in Europe this term five minutes later.

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PSV EINDHOVEN : Isaksson – Manolev, Marcelo, Bouma, Pieters – Engelaar (Wuytens 81′), Hutchinson – Lens, Toivonen, Dzsudzsak (Bakkal 87′) – Berg

OSC LILLE : Mouko – Vandam, Rozehnal, Rami (Chedjou 77′), Beria – Emerson, Muvaba (Hazard 65′), Dumont, Gueye, Frau – Tulio de Melo (Sow 69′)

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DZSUDZSAK’s free kick goal

OSC Lille 2 – PSV Eindhoven 2

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Holland international winger JEREMAIN LENS (9) of visiting PSV Eindhoven looks to play the ball ahead of OSC Lille’s Cameroon World Cup reserve defender AURELIEN CHEDJOU (22) during the UEFA Europa League knockout Round of 32 first leg match at the Stade Lille Metropole in Villenueve-d’Ascq, France. (Francois Lo Presti/AFP/Getty Images)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 32, first leg
2/17/2011

2 – OSC Lille (FRA) ———————- Gueye 6′, de Melo 31′
2 – PSV Eindhoven (HOL) ———— Bouma 83′, Toivonen 84′

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OSC LILLE : Landreau – Vandam (Cabaye 70′), Rozehnal, Chedjou, Debuchy (Beria 76′) – Emerson, Obraniak, Dumont, Gueye, Frau (Gervinho 83′) – de Melo

PSV EINDHOVEN : Eriksson – Manolev, Rodriguez, Bouma (Marcelo 86′), Pieters – Engelaar (Wuytens 67′), Hutchinson – Lens (Bakkal 67′), Toivonen, Dzsudzsak – Berg

Manchester City 3 – FC Aris Thessaloniki 0

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Italy international striker MARIO BALOTELLI (45) of Manchester City, a summer acquisition from defending Serie A and UEFA Champions League titlist Inter Milan who set the Eastlands club back 24.0 million English pounds, controls the ball despite the double-team from the FC Aris Thessaloniki pair of defender NIKOS LAZARIDIS (24) and Greece World Cup reserve midfielder ATHANASSIOS PRITTAS (55) at the City of Manchester Stadium in northern England. (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 32
2/24/2011

3 – Manchester City (ENG) ————— Dzeko 7′, 12′, Y. Toure 75′
0 – FC Aris Thessaloniki (GRE)

A pair of goals in the first dozen minutes from the recent, big money purchase propelled English Premier League club MANCHESTER CITY to a decisive 3-0 defeat of visiting Greek side FC ARIS THESSALONIKI in the return leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout Round of 32 tie.

Bosnia / Herzegovina international EDIN DZEKO took advantage of a glaring error at the back by FC Aris Thessaloniki’s veteran center back NIKOS LAZARIDIS to bag the first of his two goals for Manchester City in only the 7th minute. The 24-year-old striker added a second strike five minutes later after a pass from Argentina World Cup attacker CARLOS TEVEZ. Dzeko, recently purchased by the Eastlands club from German Bundesliga side Vfl Wolfsburg for a transfer fee of 27.0 million English pounds, is still in search of a first tally in the Premier League but now does boast four goals in Cup competitions for his new employers.

Ivory Coast World Cup midfielder YAYA TOURE scored Manchester City’s third goal with a quarter of an hour to play with a long range drive that deflected in off FC Aris Thessaloniki’s Albania international defender KRISTI VANGJELI. The 29-year-old, a summer purchase who cost 27.0 million English pounds from Spanish La Liga champion FC Barcelona, recorded his first goal in Europe this season in the process. Toure, who won a Greek Super League title with FC Olympiakos Piraeus during the 2005-06 campaign, has scored five goals in all competitions for the Eastlands club this season.

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Greece World Cup reserve goalkeeper MICHALIS SIFAKIS of FC Aris Thessaloniki watches the shot of Manchester City’s Italy international striker MARIO BALOTELLI (45), who has already registered three goals in the UEFA Europa League this season, rebound off the far post at the City of Manchester Stadium in northern England. (Jon Super/AP)
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MANCHESTER CITY : Hart – Boateng, Lescott, Kompany (Zabaleta 35′), Kolarov – Barry, Y. Toure, Silva (Wright Phillips 80′) – Tevez (Vieira 79′), Balotelli, Dzeko

FC ARIS THESSALONIKI : Sifakis – Vangeli, Ronaldo, Lazaridis, Michel – Prittas, Faty – Neto (Kaznaferis 79′), Toja, Sakata (Mendrinos 46′) – Bobadilla (Pardo 61′)

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(Nigel Roddis/Reuters)
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(Nigel Roddis/Reuters)
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(Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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(Jon Super/AP)
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(Nigel Roddis/Reuters)

Vfb Stuttgart 0 – Benfica Lisbon 2

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Germany international midfielder CHRISTIAN TRAESCH (35) of Vfb Stuttgart attempts to pull away from Benfica Lisbon’s 22-year-old Portugal World Cup fullback FABIO COENTRAO (18) at the Mercedes Benz Arena near the Neckar River in Baden-Wuerttemberg. (Daniel Kopatsch/DAPD)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 32
2/24/2011

0 – Vfb Stuttgart (GER)
2 – Benfica Lisbon (POR) ————— Salvio 31′, Cardozo 78′

A goal on either side of the halftime whistle effectively wound up the tie as visiting Portuguese club BENFICA LISBON defeated struggling German Bundesliga outfit VFB STUTTGART 2-0 in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout Round of 32 and easily claimed advancement 4-1 on aggregate.

Argentina international winger EDUARDO SALVIO, out on loan for the season from Spanish La Liga side Atletico Madrid, lined up a bouncing ball outside the area and rifled a shot low, far post past diving Vfb Stuttgart netminder MARC ZIEGLER to give Benfica the critical first goal of the match just after the half hour mark.

Paraguay World Cup striker OSCAR CARDOZO, who led both Benfica and the Portuguese top flight last season with 26 goals, added insurance for the visitors in the second stanza with an impressive free kick that banked in off the post to beat substitute goalkeeper SVEN ULREICH.

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Brazilian defender SIDNEI (27) of Benfica Lisbon, 70% of whose playing rights have been bought from SC Internacional of Porto Alegre for 7.0 million Euros, sets to play the ball away from youthful Vfb Stuttgart striker SVEN SCHIPPLOCK (36) at the Mercedes Benz Arena in the southwestern German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. (Daniel Maurer/DAPD)
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VFB STUTTGART : Ziegler (Ulreich 52′) – Boulahrouz (Gebhart 61′), Niedermeier, Delpierre, Molinaro – Traesch, Kuzmanovic – Harnik, Hajnal (Elson 78′), Okazaki – Schipplock

BENFICA LISBON : Ricardo – Pereira, Luisao, Sidnei, Coentrao – Aimar (Martins 73′), Airton – Salvio, Gaitan – Jara (Alan Kardec 90+2′), Cardozo (Menezes 89′)

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(Michael Probst/AP)
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(Michael Probst/AP)
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(Michael Probst/AP)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Occupational Hazards Between The Sticks In Stuttgart

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(Thomas Kienzle/AFP)
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(Daniel Kopatsch/DAPD)
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(Daniel Kopatsch/DAPD)
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(Thomas Kienzle/AFP)
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(Thomas Kienzle/AFP)

FC Liverpool 1 – AC Sparta Prague 0

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French striker DAVID NGOG (24) of FC Liverpool, who leads the Reds with four goals in the UEFA Europa League this season, vies for the ball with AC Sparta Prague’s 34-year-old LIBOR SIONKO, the one-time Glasgow Rangers winger with 41 caps and eight goals for the Czech Republic, during the decisive encoutner at venerable Anfield in the northwest of England. (Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 32
2/24/2011

1 – FC Liverpool (ENG) —————— Kuyt 85′
0 – AC Sparta Prague (CZE)

With extra time and perhaps even penalty kicks looming on the horizon, a set piece strike with roughly five minutes to play lifted FC LIVERPOOL to a 1-0 victory over visiting Czech Republic side AC SPARTA PRAGUE in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 knockout tie.

Holland World Cup winger DIRK KUYT got his head to the corner kick of Portugal World Cup midfielder RAUL MEIRELES to score his second goal in Europe and sixth of the season in all competitions for Liverpool this term.

A justifiable conclusion to a match in which Liverpool outshot Sparta Prague by the considerable margin of 23-9, according to the official website of the UEFA Europa League. Spain World Cup reserve goalkeeper PEPE REINA was tested just twice between the sticks for the Reds and posted a third consecutive clean sheet in Europe along the way. At the other end, Sparta Prague shot-stopper JAROMIR BLAZEK, the 38-year-old who has appeared 14 caps for the Czech Republic, kept the visitors in contention with eight saves.

The result brings a successful conclusion to the first-ever European fixture for Liverpool’s legendary manager, former Scotland international and Reds superstar KENNY DALGLISH, whose positive influence on the club since his recent return has been unmistakable.

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One-time Cameroon youth international LEONY KWEUKE of AC Sparta Prague, the 23-year-old striker who spent last season out on loan at FC Energie Cottbus in the German second division, levies and elbow to the face of FC Liverpool’s Denmark World Cup defender DANIEL AGGER during the UEFA Europa League match at famed and historic Anfield. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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FC LIVERPOOL : Reina – Kelly (Carragher 46′), Kyrgiakos, Agger (Skrtel 84′), Wilson – Lucas, Poulsen (Spearing 65′) – Kuyt, Meireles, Cole – Ngog

AC SPARTA PRAGUE : Blazek – Kusnir, Repka, Brabec, Pamic – Sionko (Podany 73′), Vacek, Matejovsky, Abena Biholong (Pekhart 77′) – Kadlec – Kweuke

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(Howard Walker/AFP/Getty Images)
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(Reuters/dailymail.co.uk)
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(Howard Walker/AFP/Getty Images)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHT