STOKE-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND - Saturday, April 8, 2017: Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring the second goal against Stoke City with team-mate Philippe Coutinho Correia during the FA Premier League match at the Bet365 Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Stoke City 1-2 Liverpool: Brazilian magic saves Reds in dramatic Britannia fightback

Goals from substitutes Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino capped a sensational comeback as Liverpool sealed a 2-1 win away to Stoke City on Saturday.

Stoke City 1-2 Liverpool

Premier League, Britannia Stadium
April 8, 2017

Goals

Walters 44′
Coutinho 71′ (assist – Can)
Firmino 72′ (assist – Wijnaldum)


After the bitter blow that was Josh King’s late equaliser at Anfield on Wednesday night, Liverpool set out on the road to continue their Premier League campaign.

Taking to the Britannia, where an out-of-form Stoke awaited, the pressure was on Jurgen Klopp‘s Reds to perform and improve on their midweek stalemate.

Continually hampered by injuries, Klopp made three changes to his lineup from that 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, facing off against a Stoke side that included two former Liverpool players.

Welcoming Liverpool to Staffordshire, the Potters had won just once in their last five games, serving as a boost to the travellers, but it took an injection of quality to ensure the victory.

STOKE-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND - Saturday, April 8, 2017: Liverpool's Divock Origi looks dejected after missing a chance against Stoke City during the FA Premier League match at the Bet365 Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

  • Woodburn third-youngest Red to make full Premier League debut
  • Walters opens the scoring during fraught first half
  • Klopp sends on Coutinho and Firmino in half-time shakeup
  • Coutinho equalises with tidy finish on 71 minutes
  • Firmino powers home to seal the three points away from home

Lining up in a 3-5-2 formation, the Reds struggled to settle in early on, with Xherdan Shaqiri finding the back of the net within three minutes, but the Stoke forward was mercifully ruled offside.

Adjusting to the demands of the clash, the away side began to push into the final third, and Ben Woodburn was almost through on goal after a fortunate break on the halfway, but ultimately found himself pegged back.

Woodburn had a penalty shout waved away by referee Mike Dean as he turned Erik Pieters in the box, but Stoke duly went up the other end and Jonathan Walters pounced to make it 1-0.

This capped a disjointed half for the Reds, and heading down the tunnel at the interval, they needed an intervention from Klopp in order to turn the game around at the Britannia.

STOKE-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND - Saturday, April 8, 2017: Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring the second goal against Stoke City with team-mates Philippe Coutinho Correia, Emre Can and Daniel Sturridge during the FA Premier League match at the Bet365 Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Klopp wasted no time to make changes, sending on both Coutinho and Firmino, withdrawing Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold after a difficult opening 45 minutes.

It was Simon Mignolet who was needed to make an influential stop at the other end shortly after, however, with the goalkeeper making an incredible save after another error from Georginio Wijnaldum.

As Liverpool’s confidence moving forward grew, Klopp made his final roll of the dice and sent on Daniel Sturridge for Origi, and at that point the tide turned.

It was Sturridge’s movement that helped craft the equaliser, with Emre Can‘s cross cleared out to Coutinho, who powered home from the edge of the box.

Less than a minute later, Firmino had put the away side ahead, latching onto Wijnaldum’s lofted pass and firing a volley beyond Lee Grant, with shades of Luis Suarez shining through.

This set the Reds into cruise control, as they got back to winning ways with a sumptuous fightback.


TIA Man of the Match: Philippe Coutinho

Referee: Mike Dean

Stoke City: Grant; Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters; Shaqiri, Allen (Adam 27′, Ramadan 81′), Cameron, Arnautovic; Walters (Whelan 68′), Berahino

Subs not used: Given, Muniesa, Diouf, Crouch, Ramadan

Liverpool: Mignolet; Alexander-Arnold (Coutinho 46′), Matip, Klavan, Lovren, Clyne; Can, Wijnaldum, Milner; Woodburn (Coutinho 46′), Origi (Sturridge 68′)

Subs not used: Karius, Lucas, Moreno, Grujic

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