National Sport

Reds overcome Lille test

© Press Association 2011

10:12pm Thursday 18th March 2010

Liverpool kept alive their hopes of silverware this season with a 3-0 victory over Lille at Anfield to win their Europa League last-16 tie 3-1 on aggregate.

Captain Steven Gerrard's ninth-minute penalty gave them the ideal start, after Lucas Leiva had been fouled.

Fernando Torres then struck twice in the second half - his first European goals for more than 11 months - to put his side into the quarter-finals.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg an early Liverpool goal was essential to ease the pressure and, watched by Argentina coach Diego Maradona, they produced just that.

The much-maligned Lucas, returning to the side because of Alberto Aquilani's illness, dribbled into the area and produced a tidy piece of skill to go past Adil Rami and draw the foul. Referee Nicola Rizzoli pointed to the spot and Gerrard confidently fired home to level things up on aggregate.

The goal lifted the hosts and Torres, Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger all went close to adding a second. But Lille still looked like they could be a danger on the counter-attack and Eden Hazard ghosted past Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson before trying his luck with a right-footed shot that deflected wide off Jose Reina's head.

Lille came out after the break with more purpose and Jamie Carragher produced a perfectly-timed tackle to deny Rio Mavuba three minutes into the second half.

But a minute later Liverpool seized control of the tie with an expert piece of finishing from Torres. Rami was caught out by a hooked clearance from Ryan Babel and the Spain striker sped towards goal before dinking a shot past Landreau with the outside of his right foot.

Liverpool's advantage was only a slender one and that fragility was almost exposed in the 73rd minute when Ludovic Obraniak's free-kick picked out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the far post only for the substitute to bundle his shot into the ground and over the crossbar.

But all the pressure was released when Torres followed up a rebound from Gerrard's shot to score his second a minute before time.

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